engagement session tips, timeline guidance, vendor recommendations & more!
Wedding GUide
The MacMeekens Photography
Welcome
We’re so excited to be working with you and can’t wait to get to know you better over the next several months. Photography is one of the biggest investments couples make for their wedding day, and we’re truly honored you chose to trust us with yours.
Whether you’re working with a planner or organizing a simpler celebration yourselves, there are usually quite a few moving pieces leading up to the big day.
After photographing more than 300 weddings together, we’ve noticed many of the same questions tend to come up throughout the planning process. So we created this guide to walk you through some of the most helpful things to know along the way.
Inside, you’ll find information about engagement sessions, wedding day logistics, family portraits, some of our favorite vendors, and what to expect once your wedding day has come and gone.
Our goal is simple: to make the photography side of your wedding feel easy, organized, and maybe even a little fun.
a note about this guide
Thank you again for choosing to work with us and please don't hesitate to let us know if we can offer any additional guidance throughout the wedding planning process! We are here to help!
- Christina & Will
a custom tailored experience
We're Official! Let's Kick Off the Celebration with
Your Engagement Session
Click here for our engagement session prep guide
We’re big fans of engagement sessions, and not just because the photos are perfect for save-the-dates.
This is our first chance to really work together before the wedding day. You’ll get a feel for how we guide you, how we work with light and movement, and how we keep things relaxed so nothing feels stiff or overly posed.
It also gives us time to experiment a little. We’ll try different prompts, locations, and ways of interacting to see what feels most natural for the two of you. That way when the wedding day arrives, we already know what works best and can lean into it.
Most couples show up a little nervous and leave saying, “Oh…that was actually really fun.” That’s exactly the goal.
Engagement sessions are also a great chance to document this season of your life somewhere meaningful. Maybe it’s your favorite coffee shop, a park you walk your dog in every weekend, or the neighborhood where you first met. The setting can be casual, creative, or totally unexpected. The point is that it feels like you.
After your session, we’ll usually grab dinner and cocktails (or mocktails) together. It keeps the evening going and gives us a chance to actually hang out and get to know each other before the big day. By the time your wedding rolls around, we won’t feel like strangers with cameras—we’ll feel more like friends in the room.
To make planning easy, we’ve put together a full guide with outfit ideas, location inspiration, timing tips, and a few other things we’ve learned over the years.
who will make your wedding dreams come true
Over the years, we’ve seen firsthand how much the right vendor team can impact the overall experience of a wedding day. Talented, professional vendors don’t just create beautiful work. They help the entire day run smoothly so you can actually enjoy it.
The professionals listed below are people we’ve worked alongside and trust deeply. This is not a paid list. These are simply vendors we would personally feel confident recommending to our own friends and family.
We chose them not only because their work is exceptional, but because of the way they show up on a wedding day. They’re collaborative, professional, and genuinely care about creating a great experience for the couples they serve.
Delicious Cakes
KimCake4U
Cake-a-holics
Creme De La Creme
Dr. Delphinium
The Floral Eclectic
Petals Couture
Wedfully Yours
Edwards Floral
Photobooth
Infinity Media Dallas
DFW 360 Booths
Revival Photo Camper
hair & Makeup
Blair Beauty Group
Brite Beauty
Soft Glamour Beauty
Catering
DJ & Bands
Le Force Entertainment
Intensity Bands
Serve & Savour
Low Country Cuisine
Vestals Catering
Planning
Rentals
Big D Party Rentals
Bright Event Rentals
Top Tier Event Rentals
Social Llama
Painters & artists
Reception Treats
Steel City Pops
Magnify Coffee Catering
King Kups Food Truck
Turn The Paige Events
Ophelia Event Design
Just4U Coordination
Simply Elegant Group
Bartending
Prestige Event Services
Serve & Savour
Vestals Catering
The Original Butt Sketch
Julia McNally Live Artist
GORGEOUS PHOTOS + STYLE PRACTICE RUN
BRIDal & Red Carpet Session
There’s a big difference between seeing yourself in the mirror at a hair and makeup trial and seeing how everything actually photographs. Lighting, wind, humidity, and movement can all change how hair and makeup appear on camera. Bridal portraits are a great way to see the full look come together and feel confident about your choices before the wedding day.
If you're planning a Bridal or Red Carpet Portrait Session, we recommend treating it as a full trial run. That means hair, makeup, nails, and your bouquet if possible. We typically spend about 1–2 hours photographing bridal portraits, and having your bouquet on hand can help your hands feel more natural and relaxed in photos.
When choosing a location, we usually suggest spaces that are clean, well maintained, and offer a mix of indoor and outdoor options. This gives us flexibility with lighting and allows us to create a wider variety of images during your session.
Wedding venues are often a wonderful place to start, especially historic homes, resorts, or properties with beautifully maintained grounds. These locations tend to photograph beautifully while also helping us keep your dress as clean as possible while moving between indoor and outdoor spots.
Some venues do charge a portrait session fee. While it can feel inconvenient, the access to the property, getting-ready spaces, and other amenities is often worth it for the variety and comfort it provides.
Timing-wise, we love photographing bridal portraits later in the afternoon when the light becomes softer and more flattering. That said, many venues have specific access hours, and we’re always happy to work within their schedule to make the session smooth and stress-free.
documenting your family for generations to come
Family portraits are often the most structured part of the day. To keep things efficient and allow more time for wedding party and couple portraits before sunset, we recommend limiting formal groupings primarily to immediate family. Extended family members are usually photographed more naturally as you interact with them during the reception. As a general rule, we plan for about 2–3 minutes per family grouping.As a general rule, we plan for about 2–3 minutes per family grouping.
Important: Please make sure each person included in family portraits knows ahead of time and plans to remain at the ceremony site after the ceremony so we can begin portraits right away.
Sample Family Formal List:
Christina + Will + Christina's Parents + Siblings + Grandparents
Christina + Will + Christina's Grandparents
Christina + Will + Christina's Parents + Christina's Siblings
Christina + Will + Christina's Parents
Christina + Will + Christina's Siblings
Christina + Mom
Christina + Dad
Christina + Will + Will's Parents + Siblings + Grandparents
Christina + Will + Will's Grandparents
Christina + Will + Will's Parents + Will's Siblings
Christina + Will + Will's Parents
Christina + Will + Will's Siblings
Will + Mom
Will + Dad
Family Formal Photos
For family portraits, we’ll start with the largest group and work our way down. Typically, that means beginning with a full family photo including grandparents, parents, siblings, step-parents, and any other immediate family members you’d like included.
From there, we’ll gradually simplify the group. We’ll remove extended family members and photograph combinations with parents and siblings, then smaller groupings like you with your parents, you with your siblings, and similar variations with your fiancé (spouse! woo hoo!) included.
Once we’ve finished those groupings, we’ll repeat the same process with your spouse’s family.
This system keeps things organized and allows us to move through portraits quickly and smoothly. It helps tremendously if family members know ahead of time that they’ll be included and are prepared to stay nearby after the ceremony.
When we send your pre-wedding questionnaire, we’ll ask for a list of specific family groupings along with any special considerations such as divorces, step-parents, mobility limitations, or other dynamics we should be aware of. If you'd like to start thinking through groupings now, you’ll find our typical family portrait list below.
Handcrafted albums
the perfect way to remember your wedding day
We’re big believers that images aren’t meant to solely exist in a digital space. One day, most likely, Instagram will be gone, your phone will be replaced and images that you can physically hold in your hand will be the best way to remember those precious moments we captured.
Think about this fact: twenty years ago, if we had delivered you digital images, they would have been on a floppy disk. With the fast updates to technology, you would have no way to access those images today. Even the online galleries we deliver will eventually fade away.
Wedding albums are available a la carte or as part of your wedding collection.
One of the best ways to make your wedding memories last is by ordering an album. These high quality professionally designed albums come in a variety of linen & leather colors. These aren’t the same albums your parents' wedding photos came in. They’re modern, lay perfectly flat and look incredible on a coffee table.
album PRICING
15 spread 9.5 x 9.5 album
starting at $1550
Additional 2-page Spread: $60
After we deliver your gallery, we'll work with you to order prints and design an album that will become an heirloom for your family.
Albums must be prepaid before design begins and typically take between 4 to 6 weeks to complete (including revisions).
With the exception of printing errors, all albums are non-returnable. Albums may be ordered anytime before or after the wedding day. The holiday deadline for beginning an order is November 1st.
thank you!
We can't wait to start planning with you and getting to know you! If you haven't scheduled your engagement session yet, let's get that in the books. Feel free to email us any time at info@themacmeekens.com
If you have any questions or would just like to chat, we're here for you. We hope this guide helps make the process of planning your wedding details much easier and less stressful. We can't wait to see you soon! Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our guide!
for trusting us with your memories
email: info@themacmeekens.com
phone: 214-668-3939
social: @themacmeekens
web: www.themacmeekens.com
Tuesday - Friday
9am - 5pm
Contact Us
Office Hours
Photo Session Hours
Monday - Thursday
Begin approx. 3 hrs. before sunset.
