Photography is a function of time.
With my many years of experience, I have worked out a system that allows for great photographs while being fun, relaxed and flexible.
Believe it or not, the number of guests you have has very little to do with how much time we will spend together taking photos. Whether you are having 25 guests or 250 guests. The time we spend together before the wedding, during and after is very close to being the same. Now, there are exceptions to this. If you are not having any guests and it is just the two, then that is a different situation all together.
But here is a good idea for the full wedding with all the different options we will discuss to ensure that we are on the same page.
Going through this list with you will give me a good sense of how many people are involved the key photographs. We will plan on a start time and make sure you are hidden before your guests arrive.
I will be watching the clock, so you don't have to. There is always added time to allow for snacks and breaks especially when it is hot outside.
RINGS, DRESS, SHOES, AND OTHER LAYFLAT DETAILS
Ideal Time Allotment – 15-30 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite
Advice – Having at least 30 minutes for details ensures that we have plenty of time to get that perfect photo of the dress, rings, shoes, bouquets, and the other details of the day.
There are times when a hotel room/ bridal suite is too crowded or simply unappealing; we have to take the dress all the way down to the lobby or even outside. This can take some time, but as you can see from the results, it’s well worth the additional work.
PREPARATION
Ideal Time Allotment – 30-60 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite
Advice – Having an hour of preparation is ideal for our style. During this time, we are getting close ups of the makeup and hair being applied as well as the candid moments and the bridesmaids and groomsmen get ready for the day. Keep in mind that these are some of the most emotional and fun times of the day, so you don’t want to cut it short.
The lead shooter will be with the bride while the second shooter will be with the groom. While it doesn’t take guys an hour to get dressed, there are still tons of great moments during this time between the groom and his family and friends.
INDIVIDUAL PORTRAITS
Ideal Time Allotment – 15-30 minutes
Ideal Location – Venue, Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, or Venue Garden
Advice – Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride and groom (separately). Besides makeup and hair being completely fresh, the day hasn’t gotten hectic yet so we can take our time and get those perfect portraits.
Also, keep in mind that the window lighting in most hotel rooms creates a unique look that can’t be duplicated in any environment throughout the rest of the day.
FIRST LOOK AND DAYTIME COUPLES SESSION
Ideal Time Allotment – 20-40 minutes
Ideal Location – Venue, Garden, Empty Venue Hallway, shaded areas with natural light. Not ceremony site.
Advice – The first look should be around 20-40 minutes. During this time, the bride and groom enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day. While the actual first look might only be 5-10 minutes, the rest of the time is spent on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom.
Ideally, we are saving the bulk of the couples' session for later (see the “couples session” section below). However, if there is no other time in the day, it is best to allocate another 30 minutes to an hour here so that we make sure we have enough photos of just you two.
WEDDING PARTY PHOTOS
Ideal Time Allotment – 20-35 minutes
Ideal Location -Venue, Hotel Lobby, Venue Garden, Park, Off-site Location
Advice – Wedding Party Photos should be around 20-40 minutes. During this time, we get a variety of shots in a variety of poses. We start off with the basic, classic photos focused on great expressions and lighting.
Then we move into a set of fun and creative shots. Finally, we know how much your wedding party means to you, so we are sure to get pictures with you and each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen individually.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Ideal Time Allotment – 30-45 minutes
Ideal Location -Venue, Hotel Lobby, Venue Garden, Park, Off-site Location
Advice – Immediate Family Photos should take another 45 minutes. It’s important to have additional images with your parents, grandparents, and siblings beyond the basic formal (mentioned in the section below).
Plan on 3 minutes per group on average. For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30 minute time slot.
We all know how much weddings mean to the immediate family, and we want to make sure we’re capturing enough pictures with them.
CEREMONY DETAIL AND VENUE
Ideal Time Allotment – 15-30 minutes
Ideal Location – Ceremony Site
Advice – Please allow 30 minutes for the second shooter to take pictures of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area.
Before you have the guests seated, it’s important that we are there to capture the complete set up of your ceremony site so we can capture the scene at its best.
Ceremony
Ideal Time Allotment – 10min-1.5hrs
There are various types of traditions. Most ceremonies are about 30 minutes. During this time, we will highlight the importance of your union. Most common but not always done are: entrance, vows, ring exchange, readings, unity sand, or unity candle, or hand tying, kiss, and exit.
FORMALS (EXTENDED FAMILY, IMMEDIATE FAMILY, AND FRIENDS)
Ideal Time Allotment – 20-60 minutes
Ideal Location – Ceremony Site
Advice – Formals should take around 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your family and the number of guests.
Plan on 3 minutes per group on average. For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30 minute time slot.
Some couples have decided that they want a picture with all guests while others have decided that they only want pictures with select VIPs to save time. We recommend something in between.
We also recommend being very organized, with a list of groups and helpers from each side of the family to help round people up.
COUPLES SESSION
Ideal Time Allotment – 15-40 minutes
Ideal Time of the Day – Late Afternoon (Sunset)
Ideal Location – Venue, Off-Site Park
Advice – Couple session should be around 30 minutes and should take place ideally 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. The is the best time in terms of lighting.
It also allows us to capture the awesome scenic shots with colorful skies. If your wedding is in downtown or in an area with tall buildings, it’s not as important for us to have this specific time frame (although it still helps).
However, if you booked your venue because of the spectacular view, it’s highly recommended that you take some of this time.
RECEPTION DETAIL AND VENUE
Ideal Time Allotment – 15-30 minutes
Ideal Location – Reception Site
Advice – Please allow 15-30 minutes for the second shooter to take pictures of the reception room, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area.
Similar to the ceremony details, this is the only opportunity we have to capture the beauty of the reception room prior to guest arrival.
RECEPTION FIRST LOOK
Ideal Time Allotment – 10-15 minutes
Ideal Time of the Day – At the end of Cocktail Hour before doors open for guests.
Ideal Location – Reception Site
Advice – This is when the reception space is revealed to the couple for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to capture a genuine reaction, as well as a moment alone with the dance floor to practice your first dance, which also makes a great photo!
RECEPTION EVENTS AS THEY HAPPEN
Ideal Time Allotment – 2-3 hours
Reception entrance, couple first dance, toast, parent dances, cake cutting, table dash, big group photo and any other planned activities as well as open dance floor.
We are always on the look-out for the fun, interesting, teary eyes and crazy happenings.
Our main focus for candid images are the couple and immediate families.
SPARKLER or SPECIAL EXIT
Ideal Time Allotment – 20-40 minutes
Be sure to check with your venue about what is allowed!
Advice- It takes to get everyone outside and lined up. It 10-20 just to get everyone a sparkler and give instructions to ensure that there aren’t any accidents. Another 10-15 to get the couple to come out and go through the line. Typically, we will have you stop mid-way and kiss. Depending on the burn time of the sparklers we may have you go through twice.