Wedding Timing Tips
Hello! It is snowing outside my window as I write this blog. Though the ground may be covered in white (what happened to that early spring prediction, Puxatawny Phil?!?), I am already dreaming of wedding season!
Today I am really excited to share some of my best tips for pre-ceremony wedding day timing with you. Not to worry, next month there will be a part 2 that includes all of my post-ceremony wedding day timing suggestions. This list includes just a few of the many tips I have gathered after years of shooting weddings for couples who want to make the most of their wedding day with their photographer. Let’s dive in!
Use your ceremony time as the benchmark for planning your day.
Anytime a couple asks me for wedding day timing advice, the first question I ask is, “What time is the ceremony?” Planning the day around your ceremony splits your day into two pieces- getting ready and party! Using the ceremony time as a benchmark allows me to make suggestions for when I should arrive for getting ready photos, when first look should be should you choose to have one, and when to schedule your family and bridal party to arrive for any portraits before your ceremony. I then use the ceremony in conjunction with the predicted sunset time for your day to suggest times for formal family photos, bride and groom portraits, sunset photos.
Ask your photographer to arrive after hair and makeup are complete.
Many brides ask me when to start the day together. I always suggest having your photographer arrive after hair and makeup are complete. This is for a few reasons. First, your hair and makeup artists need all the space they can get for all of their supplies and tools. Second, though you may think you’ll print photos from the very beginning of the day, most brides don’t opt to include hair and makeup prep photos in a wedding album. Beginning my day once hair and makeup are complete gives me an opportunity to get a few candids of you and your girls in fun robes or pjs before you get dressed in your formalwear. It’s the perfect amount of time to capture the “getting ready” moments without being in the hair (see what I did there?!?) of your hair and makeup vendors.
If you are opting to do a first look, plan to complete as many bridal party photos ahead of time as possible.
Many couples are choosing to do a first look before their ceremony. This gives couples a few quiet minutes together to see each other all dressed up for the big day, exchange private vows, and just take in the moment together. Planning for a first look also affords couples an opportunity to complete all bridal party photos ahead of the ceremony since the couple has already seen each other! Completing bridal party photos after the first look but before the ceremony frees up time after the ceremony for other wanted photos or for the bride and groom to attend cocktail hour with their guests.
I hope you find all of these pre-ceremony wedding timing tips helpful as you get started planning your big day. Check in again next month for Part 2 of the wedding timing tips blog series!
Ready to hire me as your wedding photographer? Get in touch HERE and let’s talk soon!
