Wedding Photography Timescales
WEDDING DAY TIMEFRAMES FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Weddings require a lot of prep! Simply arranging a timeline can be a major stress, a nightmare! But don’t worry, help is at hand! What do they say about a friend in need?
First thing. Do not overlook the importance of wedding photography. Those photos will keep your special moments alive and allow the best day of your life to live on forever. That is why giving your photographer the correct allocation of time is essential.
Here are the key points of your wedding day broken down :
-Getting ready
-Ceremony
-Bridal and groom portrait
-Bridal party
-Family portraits
-Meal
-Reception
All weddings differ, including the time of day. Whether you are having a morning, afternoon, or sunset shoot into a night (requiring artificial lighting and some extra patience! ), or maybe you’re shooting in snow, to guarantee you get the most out of your photography, and a great variety of images, it’s important to know the time needed for each frame. This will ensure that your photographer can do his or her job correctly. At the end of the day, you are a team, with the same goal of capturing your best and most beautiful moments.
-Getting ready
Excitement fills the air as you enjoy the first part of your wedding day! The photographer will usually arrive about 60 minutes before the end of this period and start capturing small details and intimate, joyful moments.
-Ceremony
This is what you have been dreaming about : the most important part! Before and after you say those famous two words, you should allow your photographer between 45-60 minutes.
Bride and groom portraits
I know the excitement and the magic that comes around the time of the ceremony, but capturing memories of just the two of you are truly precious. A minimum of one hour is usually required, however in reality if you really want to take advantage and have a variety of images and locations, this can take a little longer. Spreading this time into two sections, before the ceremony and later in the evening helps enable a beautiful transition. Also evening shots allow the photographer to incorporate artificial lighting, which adds a whole new dimension to photographs.
P.S Your photographer may link the Bride/Groom and group session together, within the space of around an hour. The importance of allowing this time can have a huge impact on the final outcome and selection of the photos.
-Bridal and family party
It’s normal to allow around four minutes to organise each group. However, depending on the level of cooperation with guests and how many groups there are, you can expect this to take anywhere between 30 minutes to one hour! Being as cooperative as possible with your photographer will be greatly appreciated here!
-Meal
Give your photographer 20-30 minutes before the guests enter the room to capture the beautiful setup.
-Reception
After toasts and the cutting of the cake you can usually expect your photographer to stay another hour or so to capture those special dance floor moments. Finally, most important. Enjoy every moment!