Often as you are nearing the big day + start to prepare your timeline I have many brides ask for timing recommendations. Here are a few considerations that you may find helpful in your planning with reference to our role on your wedding day + might ensure things run smoothly on the day. Obviously however you plan we will adapt to and capture all you need.
Typically I like to start shooting 2 hours prior to the ceremony, however this is entirely up to you and dependent upon how many hours coverage are included in your contract + whether or not you are having a “First Look” meeting. These are actually some of my favorite moments of the day to capture, there’s so much anticipation + excitement in the room.
❊ Please gather the dress + accessories, shoes, rings + flowers together so we may shoot those first.
❊ Please ensure the room is fairly uncluttered + all food/room-service removed prior to our arrival to start shooting.
❊ If the make-up artists are prepping the entire wedding party please have them complete the bride first so we may move along with your private
portraits as they finalize the bridesmaids.
❊ I’d love if the groom could be 95% ready but leave small details for us to capture/set the mood ie. tying the bow tie or securing cufflink etc.
❊ We typically can complete all family group portraits within 20 minutes after the ceremony unless your family is extended and very large. Our wedding day questionnaire will request you provide group’s you require so we do not miss anyone on the day and please advise those in these groups prior to the wedding day they will need to wait before proceeding to the after party!
❊ To ensure we capture the couples portraits consistent with what you have seen in our portfolio we request 20-30 minutes with the couple alone after the group portraits are completed. If your wedding is in winter and this timing is not possible you may want to consider a “first look” or “day after session” to allow us the time for these portraits. We really do our best to be as creative + quick as possible here + return you to your guests however any less than 20 minutes just doesn’t allow us the time to achieve what you hired us for
SO ABOUT FIRST LOOKS …….
More than any other question, I hear this one “Should we see each other before the ceremony?” So here are my thoughts given i often witness both options.
Either way it’s your day we’ll work with whichever option you choose.
First looks are a very practical way to minimize stress and maximize your investment on your big day! Below is a list of several reasons why this option allows for better photography.
❊ This option allows for the bride and groom to talk and have special time together before the ceremony and reception. It is a sacred, special time for the couple + it allows for more pictures to be taken of their intimate reactions. Often the church restrictions won’t allow us close enough to capture the smile when you first see each other on the day. Post-ceremony the bride and groom will have approximately 10 minutes of pictures of the two of them. If we take pictures pre-ceremony, the bride and groom will be photographed from 20-30 minutes resulting in a much larger selection of images to choose from.
❊ The wedding party and guests, can head straight to the reception following the ceremony. Weddings can be physically and emotionally exhausting and the last thing most people want to do after the ceremony is to take pictures. You will be able to enjoy your reception venue for a longer period of time and celebrate more! : )
❊ If the wedding is during the winter when the sun is setting around 5:00-5:30, taking pictures before an evening ceremony will allow for the bride and groom to be photographed in the daylight, which provides a wider range of images.
❊ On a wedding day, things unfold naturally and while there’s a bit of time for posing of the bride and groom, most of what I capture is photojournalistic in nature, candid + unposed pictures.
So if you are comfortable with before then I plan out a private “first look” meeting pre ceremony venue, where you will see each other for the first time on the day.
I select a position far enough away and capture your “first moments” from a distance so you really don’t feel like I am present at all. We proceed from there to capture your couples portraits and any other formal group portraits you may like. If you would like to include a first look in your timeline let’s chat with your planner about locations and how to best schedule about a month prior to the wedding.
Either way I’m so looking forward to working with you whichever route you decide upon as best for you!
~ Live Simply, T.
