It rarely seems that things go exactly as you plan, and this is no less true than on your wedding day. But, that’s no reason for despair! In fact, I think it’s all the more important that you create a schedule for your wedding day. Planning how you will use your time will give you a good sense of what can be cut out, if necessary, and what you absolutely don’t want to miss.
As I wrote earlier, Google has some great wedding planning templates that you can customize for your day. Among their templates is a mock wedding day schedule. I highly recommend taking a look at it, if nothing else to get you thinking about the when and where of your day.
One of the things I do with each of my clients is to sit down with them (physically, if possible) and go over the time-line of their wedding day. Getting the photographs you want is definitely important–after all, you can’t re-do your wedding day–but I also know it’s important to think about your family and guests and getting to celebrate with them. In an ideal world, the bride and groom would have 3+ hours to leisurely take photographs and enjoy each others’ company as a new Mr. and Mrs. And if you do find yourself with that much time, wonderful! We can certainly have a lot of fun with it. But if you’re looking at your schedule and wondering when you’re going to take the photographs you want, you may find the following tips helpful to maximize your time.
How to Maximize Your Time for Photography on Your Wedding Day
1. Create a schedule of the day–this probably goes without saying, but it’s the first step in figuring out when you’ll be able to take photographs.
2. Decide if you want to see each before or after the ceremony–you may find that you’ll have more time before the ceremony to take photographs, and if you have no problem with seeing each other before hand, then it can be a great way to get some photos free of stress and strict time constraints.
3. Take photographs before and after the ceremony–even if you don’t want to see each other until the ceremony, you can still take photographs with your bridal party before the ceremony: bride with bridesmaids, groom with groomsmen. This will free up the little time you have afterward for more photographs of you and your new Mr. or Mrs.
4. Create a list and appoint a family photo “wrangler”–the key to taking the traditional family photos is organization. Create a list ahead of time of the different family combinations you would like. Then appoint a family friend, relative, lackey–someone who knows people’s names and can point them out to me, the photographer. Tell your family members to stay close after the ceremony. AND, if someone is missing, just plan to take the photo at the reception instead of trying to find them. There is usually much more time at the reception for group photos, and I can make a note of what we still need to get.
5. Ask a non-bridal party friend to handle transporting the details–get a friend to keep track of taking your clothes, extra flower arrangements, decorations, etc. to the reception so that you don’t have to run around trying to gather everything after the ceremony.
6. Give yourself a minimum of 30 minutes for photos of just you and your groom (or bride–whoever’s planning)–if nothing else, carve out at least 30 minutes for photos of just yourselves, not including travel time. I promise you won’t regret it! Think of it as a chance to celebrate together and take a little breather in the midst of a full day!
7. And finally, Relax!–I’m serious about this one. Let the plans take care of themselves and just enjoy your wedding day! Your photographs will reflect it!
So that’s it! If you’re looking for an exact number for the amount of time you should set aside for bridal, family, and bride and groom photos, I recommend 2 hours. Remember they don’t have to be consecutive! Give yourself 45 minutes for bridal party photos, 20-25 minutes for family photos, and 50 minutes for bride and groom photos. In reality, if you plan for 2 hours, you’ll probably end up with less just because things rarely go exactly as planned.
by mary
Laura - I’ve forwarded this on to my brother’s fiance b/c it’s an AWESOME post. And yes, the guy I shoot weddings with always try to find a photo wrangler – it’s much more effective than yelling “Hey you uncle!”
You’ve done a FABULOUS job keeping this blog so entertaining and informative during the down season – I’m seriously impressed!
Milla - Eeeexcellent ideas. I love the photo “wrangler” idea – I also do the same thing! It really helps the family portraits move more quickly. Love the piano picture so much!! How fun.