Wedding Day Photography Timelines–Plan Ahead!
In Wedding Photography, Timing Is Everything
Your Wedding Photos should be a reflection of who you are as a couple. The best way to do that is to make sure you plan enough time to create something special.
Timing is Everything and part of my job as a Wedding Photographer is planning a Wedding Day Photography Timeline. To that end, here are some of the elements you should be planning for in your Wedding Day timeline.
Bridal Portraits:
Planning enough time for portraits ensures you will have fun and be relaxed.
Let’s face it, one of the most important parts of my job is making sure there are some great portraits of the Bride and Groom. The amount of time necessary is different for each wedding and depends on several factors. You would want to commit to at least 20 minutes and possibly up to an hour and a half if at all possible to formal photos. That amount of time can be broken down into smaller increments throughout the day, but planning ahead is very important. Below are several factors you want to consider:
First Look:
A First Look is when the Bride and Groom see each other before the Ceremony privately.
First, determine whether or not you want to do a First Look. A First Look is when the couple sees each other before the actual ceremony. This is not an option for everyone, but lots of my clients choose to do it. When asked, they tell me it saves them a lot of stress. We also get a lot of pictures done ahead of time so they can enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests.
Time Of Day Is An Important Consideration For Your Wedding Day Timeline
Time of Day will have a huge impact on the kinds of images we can create. This photo was captured during Blue Hour.
Consider the time of day and factor that into your timeline. For example in the Winter, the sun sets earlier. So if you want outdoor wedding photos, you need to make sure you have daylight. Night shots are also popular–so talk to your caterer and photographer to make sure this can happen without a major disruption in the catering/dinner service.
Factor Travel Time Into Your Wedding Day Timeline
We had extra time at this wedding to photograph the girls because there was very little travel time between the location where they got dressed and the venue.
If you are planning on using multiple locations in your wedding images, you need to allow for travel time. This is one of the most overlooked areas in Wedding Day Photography Timelines. I have had brides choose locations 20 minutes apart. This adds quite a bit of time for the formal photography on the wedding day. And if traffic complicates getting there, it can be quite stressful.
Have A List For Family Photos
Be sure to allow enough time for Family Photos, especially if little people are involved.
Stay organized during the Family Portrait portion of your Wedding Day with a list of the key people. This will make the process of Family Portraits a breeze. You should be allowing 30 minutes at least for family photos if you have more than a couple groups.
Plan Your Wedding Day Timeline Using The Locations You Already Have!
We used the church for a few wedding photos for this couple, then traveled 20 minutes to the location for the reception.
Try not to overcomplicate things by trying to go too many places on your Wedding Day. Many of our local churches and venues have some spectacular locations that are perfect for photos. In the example above, we did a portion of the Bride and Groom photos as well as family groups at the church in Hudson Falls. We then finished up at their reception venue.
In summary, wedding photography often takes up the largest portion of any Wedding Day Photography Timeline. And the photos are the only tangible thing you will have left when the wedding is over–so make sure you plan accordingly.
Be sure to check our our FAQs for Weddings. To schedule a complimentary consultation with Wedding Photographer Susan Blackburn, use the Contact Form or call (518) 584-4237 today.
Plan your Wedding Day Photography Timelines with Award Winning Saratoga NY Wedding Photographer Susan Blackburn.