Planning Your Wedding Day Photos
Take a picture, so the memories last longer.
If you are in the midst of your wedding planning, one tip that we always give our couples is to plan out your must have photos, as well as when to plan to take them during your day. As planners, we know that rounding everyone up for photos can be difficult, and so we want to always let our couples know to think ahead so that they can prep their photographer to get exactly what they want from their big day. This includes both Pinterest surfing and creating a timeline.
Step one - Search online examples: Pinterest, Instagram, bridal magazines, etc. start searching! Sit down with your fiancé and make a list of all the types of photos that you would like in your album. Start with what you envision for photos of your family; do you want photos with just your parents, or several with extended family as well? Do you want a large group shot of your entire reception or just candid photos of your guests on the dance floor? Do you want getting ready photos with your wedding party, or do you want photos of just you getting finishing touches? These are all good places to start. If you think about the flow of your day, you will start to think about what parts of the day you want to capture. After you decide which photos you want, try to pick a few examples online that match your vision and show them to your photographer.
Step two – Pick your mood: The overall mood and tone of the photos that your photographer takes is SO important. When choosing your photographer, make sure you search their portfolios to ensure that their editing style and overall aesthetic matches the vibe you are going for. When you look back on your wedding photos in years to come, you want to ensure that the way they were captured was the perfect fit for you both. Some photographers can have a dark and moody feel whereas others are traditional or light and airy. Some are more abstract and candid, while others are posed and editorial like. Figuring out which photographer has the photos that appeal most to you is crucial to making your overall vision come true.
Step three – Make a list: After you have chosen which photos you want, it's time to make the list of all the photos for your photographer, who will be in each one and their names/relation to you. Making this list to give to your planner/coordinator and photographer makes everyone’s life So. Much.Easier. At Verve, we take this list and assist your photographer to make sure that Aunt Milly hasn’t disappeared during her call time. You want these photos done when you need them done, so that you can be sure to enjoy the rest of the day.
Step four: Plan out your timeline: At Verve, we plan your timeline out start to finish, but one crucial part of that process is where to insert time to take your photos. The timing of when you take your photos truly impacts just how much of your day you will miss due to taking photos. In order to ensure that you plan accordingly, you must first decide if you would like to try and do a first look or if you want the surprise of seeing your fiancé for the first time when you walk down the aisle. There are pros and cons to each, but we recommend highly that if you are going to skip the first look, that you have plenty of time in the morning to take all bridal party photos and detail photos, so that you can simply wrap up family portraits and your couple portraits after the ceremony. While this may mean you miss your cocktail hour or a portion of it, you will at least have a majority of the photos done already AND were able to see your fiancé’s face as you walked down the aisle.
If you do plan on having a first look, the best option for your timeline would be to have your photographer take the detail photos, getting ready photos, first look photos, wedding party photos and family photos all before your ceremony. That way, pictures are finished and all that will be left are photos of genuine happiness and relaxation. You can go through with the rest of your day knowing that you can now enjoy yourselves as the photos are taken and anything the photographer captures now (besides your reception essentials) are just icing on the cake!
Step Five - Distribute the timeline: Once you have your timeline of photos made, be sure to distribute it to your family members, bridal party members, photographer and planner. That way, everyone has a copy, no one is asking you questions that day (they likely still will, but at least this will allow you to tell them to look at the list instead!) and you can have your coordinator and photographer work together to make sure that everyone is rounded up in time. This will ensure that your photos are taken smoothly and quickly, so that your timeline is adhered to.
By following these steps, we think that you will not only have a beautiful gallery of photos for your album, but you will have the memories to go with it!
