This is going to be one of my favorite posts!! Today is all about the behind the scenes from this year. We tried something new this year by having wedding day assistants. Our assistants were in charge of our social media accounts updating our followers what was going on throughout the wedding day. However, these ladies ended up doing so much more than “holding my camera bag and my iPhone”!
These wedding day assistants have been known to hold beverages for my couple or the bridal party, hold on to veils that keep blowing away, help planners with set up, crisis control, tissue holders, and 3rd shooters in training! I can honestly say that without their help some wedding days would look a lot different. They helped keep me on schedule which in turn kept the bridal party on schedule (the planners LOVED this)! We weren’t able to have an assistant at every wedding but we enjoyed having an extra set of hands so hopefully I haven’t scared them off for next season haha!
Today I am officially introducing you to my assistants and sharing some behind the scenes from wedding days!! Some of my couples will remember these smiling faces! I even included 2 of my favorite BTS shots of Michelle Ramsey, of Coiffeur Collective, who did the hair and makeup for most of my couples this year. So I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes post! If you have a fun memory with any of them, drop it in the comments!! 🙂
Carleigh
Our first wedding day assistant is Carleigh! She is my very first best friend that have known since birth. Our families were so close and I am so glad to have kept in touch with her even after all these years. I trust her completely and have loved sharing my passion for weddings with her! I still think she could follow in her mom’s footsteps and coordinate/plan weddings! I feel like we would be a dream team for our brides! Carleigh helped us with Danielle and Kevin’s wedding in June and Derrick and Kayla’s wedding in August.
She was such a huge help for both weddings and even the coordinators used her height to help decorate! Her sweet spirit and kind attitude always came in handy for the tense wedding day mishaps and she was always quick to help problem solve! I am so blessed by this girl’s friendship and can’t wait to see what this year has in store for her!! 🙂
Mariana
The next assistant is Mariana! She is the little sister I never had. She is actually James’ little sister which makes her my sister-in-law and she is also married to my little brother which makes her my sister-in-law twice! Basically we traded last names! She has such a servants heart and love for people, which fits her nursing degree so well. She helped us with Zach and Michaela’s July wedding and Susan and Michael’s wedding in November.
Mariana was our 3rd shooter in training and helped cover the receptions with me. She also was a catch all for some weddings holding all the things (as pictured above haha)! She loved connecting with our bride, Susan, who is nurse in the field Mariana wants to study! They are both such sweet souls and I know they were made to be nurses. So I am glad they were able to connect in such a unique way!
Side note: The next two assistants are also Emily Hancock Brides!! Some would call me crazy to bring future brides along for the ride but honestly, these ladies have learned so much for their very own wedding day! These experiences have even changed their minds about sharing first looks!!
Abby
This next wedding day assistant was added to the team late in the season. Abby is my one and only girl cousin! She and I have grown up doing all the tomboy things with our brothers, so we don’t mind putting in some hard work and sweat. I could see Abby planning and coordinating weddings too! She has the personality needed to be firm with rowdy guests and bridal party and yet graceful to keep the day moving in a stress free manor. I think the more she works with us she will have a great portfolio if she starts her own planning services!
Abby was such a huge help during Maggie and Charlies’ October wedding and will be helping us with our first 2020 wedding! It kind of seemed like she was everyone’s personal assistant that day but I hope she enjoyed herself! At one point we wrapped a beautiful cathedral veil around her during our portrait time because the wind was outrageous. I even grabbed the shot above where she was holding some cocktail hour drinks for the couple! I am looking forward to having her at future wedding days and can’t wait for HER WEDDING coming in 2021!
Mehgan
Mehgan is another EHP Bride who is also a fellow creative business owner! She has been such a huge supporter of us behind the scenes, putting together a beautiful re-brand for us this time last year, as well as set up my website. On top of this, she chose us to capture her big day coming up soon in July 2020! Her Glass Hill Wedding is already shaping up to be a beautiful day!! Her heart is in the details which came in handy for her helping at weddings!
She was a huge help when we had a first time crisis for us…the wedding dress ripped! Mehgan helped keep the room calm as we were problem solving in the bridal suite that day. She and I were scrambling coming up with different solutions and I don’t know what I would have done without her that day. Because she is also a photographer, she helped me cover the reception as James was doing some behind the scenes work which meant bonus shots for our couple!!
PS: I would love to tell you why she is holding grapes in the photo above but to be honest… I can’t remember for the life of me why we had grapes during their sunset portraits?? haha
James
This last wedding day is assistant is my favorite. He is my husband, wedding day second shooter, IT department, editor, equipment manager, the man who keeps me grounded., etc. I couldn’t have this business without him.
We may not always agree on things but we make each other stronger and have the perfect blend of skills, knowledge, and synchronization to make our unique wedding experience work. He used to be a lot more quiet on shoots and wedding days but this past year he has really come out of his shell and accomplished so much!
In 2020, I hope to share more about James and his other photography skills because he has experience and talents in many other areas of photography and video. So stay tuned for those posts that feature his work in concerts, sports, real estate, and video work!
There can be so much peace in your life when you are married to man God created for you. There were times when I was not sure what path in life I needed to take but it is so crystal clear now. We were meant to run this business together and share such special life moments with our couples through our photography. So without James, Emily Hancock Photography could not be where it is today and I am so thankful God brought us together!! 🙂
Here are some other fun BTS shots from this past wedding season. We really do take our job seriously but we also like to have fun!! Especially during the receptions!! You probably know by now that my favorite crowd dance is the Wobble! I can take or leave some of the line dances but I cannot resist the Wobble!! It’s my favorite! So enjoy some of these fun, embarrassing, and candid moments from our 2019 Emily Hancock Photography wedding season.
Until next time,
Emily
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Hey there, I’m Emily! James, and I are a husband and wife wedding photography team based in Lynchburg, Virginia. We specialize in weddings and engagements and serve Virginia, DC Area, South Carolina, and beyond!
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