How to plan your wedding day for awesome photos! | Perth Wedding Photography

I thought I would write a post about wedding day schedules and how to plan your special day! Each and every wedding is different, but they all have similar events – Bride getting ready, Groom getting ready, Ceremony, Group Photos, Bridal Party photos, Reception.   In order to have beautiful wedding photos that you and your family will cherish , wedding photographers need time.  You want to be relaxed on the day and not rushed so giving plenty of time allows for this.  The better you plan your day, the better your photos will turn out – I usually like to get involved when planning your day so that everything flows smoothly.  After all, I will be time keeper/crowd controller/wedding photographer =)

Tips:

• Allow at least 1.5-2hrs of photography time AFTER you have had your makeup/hair and wedding dress put on.  The more time you give me, the more creative I can get.  This also gives time for photos with your parents & family.
• Get ready in a nice hotel room. If you’re getting ready at home, make sure there is a nice spacious room, preferably with window light, which is tidy and uncluttered.
• Groom and groomsmen to be showered and in their shirts + pants when I arrive.  I usually do the Groom’s photos before the Bride, depending on logistics.
• Prepare a list of family photos to take after the Ceremony – usually we do immediate family.  Family photos do take a while, so allow for this. Typically allow for 45minutes for this.
• Remember to allow for ‘hugging time’ where guests will congratulate you after the ceremony.
• Allow for at least 2 hours for the bridal party location shoot after the Ceremony, not including travel time.
• Ensure the Reception Co-ordinator or MC informs me prior to any key events happening such as speeches, first dance, cake cutting so that I can prepare and setup any lighting if required.

Here is a sample wedding day timeline for a 2:30pm Wedding Ceremony:

Start     End      Duration
10:00    11:00    1:00    Groom photos
11:00    11:30    0:30    Travel to Bride
11:30    13:30    2:00    Bride photos
13:30    14:00    0:30    Travel to Ceremony
14:30    15:00    0:30    Wedding Ceremony
15:00    15:15    0:15    Hugging Time
15:15    15:45    0:30    Group & Family photos
15:45    16:00    0:15    Travel
16:00    17:00    1:00    Location 1 shoot
17:00    17:15    0:15    Travel
17:15    18:15    1:00    Location 2 shoot
18:15    18:30    0:15    Travel – to reception
19:00    19:10    0:10    Reception Entrance
19:10    22:00    2:50    Reception Coverage

And what is a blog post without a photo….Enjoy! =)