Ask the Expert – Q&A with Dallas Wedding Photographer Megan Kay

It’s definitely important to love your wedding photographer’s style, but getting to know your photographer is just as important — if not more so! Building a relationship and trusting your photographer throughout the process can allow them to capture the moments you’ve always envisioned on your special day. We sat down with Megan Buhr of Megan Kay Photography as she talked all things weddings — first looks, engagement shoot attire, advice for choosing a venue and more. (Don’t miss her brilliant tips on how to choose your engagement attire so you get the most use out of them.) Enjoy!

Photo // Megan Kay Photography

Describe your photography style.

I like to describe my photography as bright, timeless, and true to life. I don’t like being considered either “light and airy” or “dark and moody” because I don’t want to create photographs that follow a passing trend. I am passionate about capturing my brides’ wedding days in a way that remains relevant and brings back the joy, emotions, and memories in the decades to come.

Tell us what you love most about being a photographer.

My favorite part about being a wedding photographer is working alongside brides. I will never grow tired of feeling the excitement with brides through the planning process and all the emotions on the wedding day. I believe the relationships I have with my brides are the most valuable piece of equipment I can bring on a wedding day.

While having the best camera gear is important, nothing can replace the understanding and communication we grow prior to the day of the wedding. I love showing up to a wedding day knowing all the little moments and details the bride values and wants captured, so she is able to sit back, relax and fully enjoy being a bride while trusting I am capturing all of the details that are important for her to look back on and  relive her wedding day.

What advice do you have for choosing engagement attire?

I recommend my clients have some fun when deciding what to wear for their engagement sessions! I want them to feel comfortable and confident in their outfits, but it is also okay to take risks and dress according to trends and the colors of the season. I always recommend dressing up for at least one outfit during their engagement session.

Engagement session photos might be printed and shared more than one’s wedding photos, so dressing up is never a bad idea! For my clients who are struggling to figure out what color schemes to dress in, I suggest that they even consider pairing their engagement session outfits with their wedding day colors, so their photo will match their wedding website or Save the Date invitation.

What advice do you have for a bride selecting her venue?

There are a lot of important details to consider when selecting a venue. In terms of photography, my most valuable piece of advice would be to encourage her to look at photographs of their ceremony space. If the ceremony space is indoors, I would encourage her to look for places that still have a good amount of natural lighting.

Photographers can bring additional lighting sources in to make up for a lack of natural light, but we do prefer to avoid using flashes (especially during ceremonies) when possible. If the venue’s ceremony space is outdoors, I would encourage the bride to think about where the sun is hitting the space at the time of her desired ceremony. Especially in the summer months, direct sunlight can be extremely harsh and hot here in North Texas. I would rather my couples select spaces that allow for shade or soft sunlight during the ceremony, so they are best able to focus on the moment and vows with one another, rather than risk any distraction from the bright and often hot sun.

Are you pro first looks?

I am not pushy one way or the other when it comes to first looks. I truly want my couples to have the wedding day that they have always envisioned and respect the traditions that they might have in place. However, I am also passionate about having time to give my clients the best and greatest amount of photos possible on a wedding day. I usually speak with my couples about what they value the most and give them the potential pros and cons of a first look on their wedding day.

Generally, a couple will get more photographs of the two of them if they allow time for a first look. If a couple wants to go straight to the cocktail hour or reception after their ceremony, then they definitely would benefit from having a first look and time to take pictures prior to the ceremony. If their wedding falls within the winter months when the sun sets at an earlier time, I also often encourage a first look, so we have the opportunity to take more photographs outdoors with natural lighting.

I do think a lot of clients are afraid that all photographers want to talk them into a first look, but most of us are happy to accommodate our couples’ vision for their day. I would encourage all couples to at least talk about the pros and cons of a first look when it comes to their unique and individual wedding day timeline.

 A special thanks to Megan of Megan Kay Photography for sharing her helpful insights today! To learn more about how she can capture your engagement and wedding, you can contact Megan directly through her Brides of North Texas vendor page.