Meet Wedology 101: Meghan McSweeney Photography*

Today at Wedology 101, we sat down with Meghan McSweeney with Meghan McSweeney Photography, a gal whose heart is as big as her talent. Her swoon worthy style always puts an extra bounce in my step.

For those who may not know, Meghan has received quite a bit of attention for her work as of late, as she’s been recently featured in Style Me Pretty, Snippet and Ink and Grey Likes Weddings. She was also handpicked to be a part of Lara Casey’s coveted It List. Plus, she’s just plain fun to be around.

You can then imagine how thrilled we were when Meghan decided to join the Wedology 101 team.

So without further ado, here’s Meghan--

Why does Meghan McSweeney Photography stand out from the rest?

I feel like I try as a photographer to really relate to my clientele. I get them to fill out extensive questionnaires so that I get to know their story as well as what is important to them as a couple. I love knowing how they met, more about their group of friends, their style as a couple, places they have been together, the parts of the wedding that are important to them. I feel like it sets me apart that I really take the time to get to know them during the whole process from their engagement sessions to their bridals and then to the actual day of the wedding and beyond. I am really lucky that a lot of my clients end up being very easygoing and lovely people to work with. I feel like it is reflected in how I shoot them and how we work together. I work very hard to make sure that they are comfortable with me and that they trust me when it comes to the wedding day.

What is one of your favorite “bridal moments” over the years?

I have certain times of the day that are my favorite throughout a wedding. When the bride and groom write their own vows and really make an effort to step out of their comfort zone pronouncing their love of each other. As for photographic moments throughout the day, I love taking pictures of the grooms face as the bride turns the corner and walks down the aisle. I also love when they have just been married and they turn and come down the aisle. There is typically so much joy in their faces and it is my ABSOLUTE favorite when they look at each other when they are traipsing down the aisle. Other than that, I really just love to capture the emotion of the couple throughout the day. It really is a special thing to be able to capture for them the love and joy that they are feeling throughout that day. It makes me feel good that they will always have that to come back to throughout their marriage.

What is your biggest Wedding Day “Don’t”?

My biggest wedding don't is when a bride is so stressed out from planning her day that she really isn't able to enjoy herself. It is one of the many, many reasons why I recommend hiring a wedding planner!

What are some of the biggest challenges facing brides today with their wedding plans?

I really think that the biggest challenge with planning a wedding is that bride and grooms have so many options at their disposal. If they aren't in the industry or completely obsessed with their wedding, it's really hard to know all of those options like where the best place to go for a unique linen or if they want a tent that is different or a band that isn't completely mainstream. I think it is really easy to get bombarded and overwhelmed by the choices that are available hence some of the other reasons that I think it is a really important thing to hire vendors whom you trust.

What should a bride always have handy when planning her wedding?

A planner or at least a really good an efficient type-a person helping them out.

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?

My biggest piece of advice to brides is to remember to enjoy themselves. It's a day that only happens once and it's really important to be able to let go of all of the nitpicky details once you get to a certain point so that you can enjoy each other and your day. I think it is really important to be able to sit for a second and enjoy each other's company. I find it really sad when bride and groom's are running around like crazy during the reception talking to all of the guests and they aren't able to just be together for a little while. While I think it is important that you recognize your guests and that people made a big effort to get to your wedding for you both, I think it is also important to be able to take a minute to soak it all in and appreciate the love between each other and your community that gathered for you.

To learn more about Meghan McSweeney Photography, please visit her web site as well as her Blog. You can also find Meghan tweeting away at @McSweeneyphoto

You can also meet Meghan at Wedology 101 coming up in four short weeks on August 15 at Wyndham Virginia Crossings.

Cheers,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.