Congratulations on your engagement to your better half! This milestone is going to be the amazing catalyst to other new milestones in your relationship.
Your big day is full of excitement and activities — and I want to make sure you know what to expect. I truly believe that a solid time line, with room for the unexpected, is paramount to a great wedding day portfolio. Additionally, for most folks, unless you are or were a professional model, the idea of having your picture taken makes you quiver a little. For some, the idea of having professional photographers following you for 8 hours makes you downright sick. I’m hear to convince you that it won’t be that bad!
Getting Ready Coverage
Each wedding day starts our with some loose, fun getting ready coverage! This is a great part of the day…these are those last few moments of singledom. Sometimes, the getting ready process is emotional. Other times it is light-hearted filled with pranks, beer, and card games. Whatever the case, we want to be there to tell the complete story of your wedding day experience, and starting with the getting ready coverage is a big part of that!
If you have purchased the time of two photographers on your wedding day, I will work with the girls, while my associate photographer works with the guys. If its just me, I’ll do both of these 🙂
My morning goes something like this:
- photograph all the pretty, pretty — the shoes, the jewelry, the flowers, the dress
- photograph emotional toasts between mother & daughter, bride & bridesmaids, and friends of all kinds
- photograph beautiful moments filled with hugs, laughter & tears
The associate photographer’s (if chosen) morning goes something like this:
- photograph guys toasting Jack Daniels shots
- photograph guys mooning each other
- photograph keg and beer runs to local gas stations
- photograph guys playing washers
- photograph the guys watching ESPN
Pre-Ceremony Photos
Once everybody is dressed & ready to go, I usually recommend trying to get through as many “formals” ahead of time as possible. This includes the bride with her bridesmaids, and the bride with her immediate family. I work with the girls, and my associate photographer work with the guys. It’s the same thing for the guys: groom with groomsmen, groom with immediate family. I always recommend this as it can save a little time AFTER the ceremony, and get everyone to the reception sooner.
Ceremony Time
Once the formals are done, its usually pretty close to ceremony time. If your ceremony is outdoors, with no photography restrictions (on a beach, in a park, etc.), I move around pretty freely to capture the best possible angle for your vows, your ring exchange, and the kiss. This is my favorite scenario. I’d like to be able to move around so we can do our best work for you.
If you’re ceremony is in a church, there are often some pretty tight restrictions on the photography. If you feel that the restrictions are contrary to what you want for your wedding day, it’s pretty easy to convince the pastor to lift the restrictions & allow us (your photographers) better access to the ceremony. On the other hand, maybe you prefer the traditions of your church (especially if you’ve been attending your whole life). In this case, it’s probably best not to rock the boat. I’ll work with what you give me.
Post Ceremony Photos
After the ceremony, I typically work with the families on both sides to collect a few group shots. I consistently hear two things from our clients, their friends, and their family.
- Everything went faster than we expected.
- I was so nice, easy, and flexible to work with.
I work as quickly as I possibly can to minimize the amount of time spent on family formals, and I really try to keep things low-stress for you guys! Having your entire family jockeying for your attention is a little overwhelming. I try to move this along as quickly as possible.
Once the family stuff is squared away, the couples formals are next. This is MY time! 🙂 OK — it’s really YOUR time, but this is one of my favorite parts of the day! I get to create those sweet, romantic pictures that are going to be the ones that end up on your wall & in your album. So I ALWAYS encourage couples to allot a good amount of time for this part of the day. Take that extra 20 minutes…you won’t regret it!
Party Time
Once the couples formals are wrapped up, it’s time to PARTAY! For this part of the day, I kinda play it by ear — whatever’s happening, I’ll be there to document it. The main thing is for you to be in the moment at your wedding, and know that I’m going to get the shot. That’s why I’m there!
Last Thoughts
Prepare for the unexpected, and really consider what you want and need out of your wedding day when planning your time line. Then, take a deep breath, and know that you’ve done everything you can to ensure a smooth day, and simply enjoy the day as it unfolds! Because whatever happens, it’s going to be a day you’ll never forget 🙂
Check out my latest Kansas City Family Photography sessions here.
