Why is it important to consider Wedding Day Timings & Photography
So you’re planning your big day and you quite rightly want it to be perfect! So what do you need to consider once you’ve booked your venue and started putting together your guest list?
There are many things, but first and foremost you’ll want everyone to have a really good time, including yourselves! I always say to couples that I work around them, I don’t dictate in any way how the day goes, I’m there to capture it. What I can do though is manage peoples expectations when it comes to the sort of photos they’re hoping to get and that’s where the timings of the day come into play.
Getting Ready Photos
If you want these, consider what part of ‘getting ready’ is the bit you would want photographed. Probably not when your hair is in the very early stages of being put up and your foundation hasn’t even been applied. It’s great to get some photos during this stage of the day, whether it’s bride and bridesmaids or groom and groomsmen so here’s my advice. The later stages of make up and the dress being done up and some when your family and friends first see you make for some great photos! I like to be at the venue at least 30 minutes before the ceremony, so when I’m talking to my bride and groom before their big day they know when they need to be finished getting ready for those photos to happen.
Ceremony to Wedding Breakfast
Wedding ceremonies last between 30 and 45 minutes generally. The period of time between the end of the ceremony and the wedding breakfast, is a good time to get any group photos done. Guests and particularly children are still looking their very best and there is the time to gather people together.
It’s also a great time to get some candid photos of everyone congratulating you, chatting and enjoying themselves. An hour and a half is a good period of time after the end of the ceremony and before you sit down to eat to ensure you are not pushed for time. If you have to travel between venues, feature this into your timings.
I make sure I’ve told my couples what’s possible in terms of photography for the time allocated. The last thing I want is to hold up proceedings and have couples disappointed because they didn’t get all their requested photos done.
Being late and it’s impact on the day
Nobody minds if the bride is a 5 or 10 minutes late but consider the impact longer than that has on the rest of the day? If there is only 1.5 hours between the end of the ceremony and sitting down to eat, being more than 10 minutes late has a big effect. You will have less time for photos and if you have your group photos to get done it will be the candid ones that are missed.
It’s not fair for me to extend the time for photography as the caterers will have worked hard to get the meal prepared for that many people. You and your guests will probably be getting hungry and you want them to be happy not moaning that their stomachs are rumbling.
When to have your ‘couple portraits’?
There is much more flexibility on these but do consider when’s the best time to have them. I’ll always get a few photographs before couples go in to eat but the best time is governed by the light. An hour before sunset is known as the ‘golden hour’ and it’s a beautiful time to get photos of the two of you. If you want to make the most of your venue and get some gorgeous portraits consider when you can spare 15 minutes away from everyone during this time period, even if it’s between courses during your wedding breakfast, you won’t regret it!
If you want to find out more about how I approach a wedding then please do drop me an email via the Contact page or give me a call as I’d love to hear from you.
