2024 Behind the Scenes | Hannah Barlow Photography

HEY, THERE! It’s here! One of the LAST blogs of the year – the 2024 Hannah Barlow Photography Behind the Scenes blog is live! It’s a fan favorite so…here we go! Let me show YOU just some of what goes on behind the scenes to photograph a wedding! It’s a lot less “taking photos” than you’d thing and it’s a group effort on all fronts!

So, sit back and relax and see all the fun (chaos) that ensued this year to make all those beautiful wedding memories happy! ENJOY!

Andddddddd opening up this blog with arms wide open…Rachel and Troy!

Last year raised the bar HIGH…and 2024 really said “BET”! If there was one common theme this year, it was my couples…bridezilla is a thing of the PAST, I tell ya. I just don’t think they exist anymore! These couples are kind and sweet and we laughed this year…a LOT!

See what I mean? This was quite literally MINUTES before the ceremony. Us vendors were just hanging out…WITH the couple and bridal party! That’s unheard of! At one point, I even said, “What is happening?! I feel like I should be doing something!”

Guests and bridal party were 10/10 to work with too…and it was guests like these two who made (literally MADE) some of the BEST photos happen of the year. When I first met them (below), I had NO idea the huge part they’d play in getting some stunning photos! I was just doing a drive by photo of them as they made their way to the ceremony location.

You see, they were the program hander outers….and we found petals sitting on the ground in a box. We didn’t know what to do with the petals so it was a last minute decision to hand them out to guests. They offered to do it AND gave the guests very specific instructions and the guests NAILED IT! The couple nailed that dip and it was one of my favorite “surprise photos” (not requested)…of the year!

Couples this year also frequently requested photos with their vendors too AND Rachel and Troy even put that bottom right photo (below) IN THEIR ALBUM! I kid you not!

Past readers and viewers of the behind the scenes blogs always tell me they enjoy seeing HOW I take the photo and then the finished result. Sometimes I’m multitasking to get the kiddos to smile and then I have to snap a photo REAL fast!

I SPECIFICALLY remember Lacey taking this photo below and I said, “OOOO GREAT! If I don’t give context, it’s going to look like I was hitting this sweet child with a rock!” I was NOT! This little lady LOVED the rock and was carrying it around so I borrowed it and was doing a little “peek a boo” like trick to get her to smile…and it WORKED! HA!

I make friends with the kiddos in all the ways I can think of so my camera isn’t scary! Sometimes they smile at me during ceremonies…sometimes they like to see photos on my camera of themselves…it’s a team effort! Some just like to give us a run for our money and that’s A OK…I always assure parents…it’s just fine! Promise!

…speaking of giving us a run for our money…ever see my assistants (specifically Ashleigh) RUN for that cake after cutting? Well, it kind of became her “thing” and then became A thing for our team to get the inside of the cake but dang if Oglebay’s catering staff aren’t FAST at getting that cake off the floor!

It’s usually me or the planner that helps the couple cut their cake prior!

It’s this time of year I sit back and really think about how NEAT this job is and how it’s super cool how we get to go to all different kinds of weddings every weekend and have our hands on all kinds of different dresses! It becomes routine for us, of course…but I never stop thinking about how cool this is especially when you see it!

Lacey gets the award for best “dress putter outer and hanger upper”. She’s ON IT the moment we get to any venue or location!

She will definitely appreciate photos NOT from the back! HA! I’m telling you…the ultimate dress putter outer!

She wasn’t the only one working hard to keep those dresses off the ground and looking their best! Planners…grooms…dads…you name it! We always appreciate the backup!

…and when they flew…they FLEW! It’s become a popular thing for my couples to request this…just to see my assistants run. It cracks me up!

Sometimes brides adjust dresses themselves too! This was a new one! Mallory zipped herself up! HA!

It definitely takes a team effort to make wedding days go smoothly! Shoutout to my assistants and vendor friends…especially the videographers!

We had a whole group of groomsmen help us hide the bride earlier this Spring! We had grooms lighting candles…grooms holding dresses off rainy sidewalks and staff holding down signs on a windy day!

“Help” can even mean taking a cane to the front of the aisle for a family member. Lacey hates (HATES) being the center of attention…so as all good friends do….I make sure to document it!

It’s not JUST photos that we take! Making the day a whole GRAND experience is part of what I love to do! Even if that means helping someone put on shoes! Happy to do it! It’s also clear in this photo that my bag wasn’t zipped and I’m actively losing batteries!

Erin from Plans for Perfection jumped in to take this brides shoes OFF! It was hot, people! The whole summer was HOT!

We love Erin too!! She’s one of the best! (Planner for Plans for Perfection)!

Like Ashley (Owner of Plans for Perfection), Erin delivers drinks to my couples…did I mention that 2024 was HOT?!

Don’t worry. I carry and deliver drinks too!

BUT…Erin even does it when she’s a bridesmaid! I kid you NOT! Us wedding vendors can’t help it…we can’t get out of working mode when we’re IN or AT a wedding! I also experienced this as a guest in June! It’s HARD!

The amazing thing about my assistants is they love my couples and taking photos of them just as much as I do!

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not ALL hearts and roses and smiles…we get bossy too!!! MUST give directions when you’re on a tight timeline and you’ve got lots of people!

Flowers need to look just right!

So, if there’s no planner…we do that too!

JT (Penderville Wedding Films) is much better at directing than me…see his lack of finger pointing?

Yes. I should NOT do this. I endeavor to do better in 2025! HA!

We fix hair…we fix veils…honestly, the majority of our day is NOT taking photos…it’s doing things like this to make the time we do take photos…perfection!

The men even got in on making sure everything looked justtttt right this year!

…and on windy days, it can be a CHALLENGE…those veils just want to FLY!

I’m wondering if Ashley will end up in the film! This dress was a whole STATEMENT! You just wait. I have a funny one too of it blowing for the outtakes blog next week!

The wind really wanted to blow Katie’s dress! We wouldn’t let it!

…and while in the city…Lacey played security guard. Call us a Jack (or Jill) of all trades in the wedding industry!

…and at other weddings, I played security and made SURE no one (including me) stepped on the dress!

I even hold brides up so THEY don’t step on the dress! All while staying out of Lacey’s way! This IS “Lacey’s Shot”! She always does it!

…because when she hits the floor, you KNOW she’s getting a killer shoe photo!

As mentioned earlier…this year…well…it was HOT…SO HOT! I’ve NEVER (and I’ve been doing this almost a decade) had a wedding season this hot…must stay hydrated! OR just having your planners bring you a stiff drink. Your choice! HA! Melanie and Justin got both – water first…drinks later!

We do get behind the scenes drinks too! And I added some more “the approach” vs. the “finished product” photos!

I know some photographers don’t like it but I absolutely do NOT care if family and friends come with us and get their own footage…as long as the couple doesn’t care, of course!

Pets, specifically dogs, at weddings was popular this year too!

Different wedding…ironically also huskies!

…did I mention it was hot?! BUT hardly any rain this year!

Lacey found some friends this year and guests she knew!

We also ran into SO many past Hannah Barlow Photography couples and this isn’t even all of them!

…ran into some family and guests from past weddings too!

I was with lots of “old” and NEW vendor friends this year. Justin Geery of Justin Geery Films isn’t new…but someone did ask if I was his MOM this year! Lord have mercy..this belongs in the outtakes!

I say it every year…but I miss having coworkers. My assistants, vendor friends AND couples have become my “co-workers” and here are just some of the many I worked with this year!

…AND some more!

If you made it to the end, I applaud you…talk about a random grouping of photos of the whole 2024 wedding season AND THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT of the year. Let me know in the comments what you favorite part was and thanks for reading! I’m REALLY sad to see 2024 go…it was a GREAT one!

Thanks for reading and HAPPY THURSDAY!

Outtakes coming next week! See you then!