the unicorn of the wedding day - time
Time is all we have until we don't have enough of it
One of our most frequently asked questions is: How long should I book my wedding photographer for? Our ceremony is only about 20 minutes, do we really need 8 hours of coverage?! This is a great question, and we’re here to help you find an answer.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE COVERED?
First, we will need to decide on what pictures of the day are an absolute must have for you. Then, we should look into events that you would like to be covered, but it's not as essential. From there we will find a balanced solution and an optimal coverage. You should ask yourself - do I want to remember the day from the start to the finish? Do I want pictures with my sister or best friend sipping on a glass of bubbly? Do I want to remember the excitement of realizing that the day is finally here? Do I want a picture with my mom putting on a piece of jewelry? Do I want a picture with my bridesmaids all done up and looking their best? How about a first look with your soon to be husband or maybe even first look with your dad? Do I want to remember all the fun and dancing at the reception? If the whole day is very important to you, you will need a full day coverage. Often times it can be 10 or even more! If getting ready time is not essential to you, that will save you some hours. If you can skip dancing photos and your guests shaking it on a dance floor - this will also shorten the coverage as well. So the first step to booking your wedding photography collection should be deciding on what is important to you.
BRIDAL PORTRAITS
Once you and your bridesmaids are ready for take off to the venue, it's time for bridal portraits. I can't stress enough on how important this time is. This is one of those rare occasions to have professional pictures with people that are dearest to you. At this point everyone's looking their best too! Don't skip it! These are your friends and family that were there by your side way before you even met your other half! These are the people that were there to celebrate your victories and guide you through the difficult times. I know your value those relationships, and that 's why you deserve to have those pictures. You won't regret it!
Plan allocating about an hour for these pictures. This is also a good time to have first look with dad, and have some pictures with your mom.
GROOMAL PORTRAITS
Groom portraits are just as important, even if your groom may not agree. Grooms in general don't place as much importance on photos as brides, but I am sure he has many stories and great memories with his groomsmen which he will cherish those photos in the future. And even though grooms are typically not eager having their picture taken, I bet you, their moms are. This is a very special time for them too. Their baby is getting married!
FAMILY FORMALS
Family formals are taken right after the ceremony and should include your bridal party as well as immediate family from both sides. This part can extend forever if not planned in advance and eat up all the cocktail hour fun for the newlywed couple. This is why we build a custom list of must have family combinations. The rest will be taken candidly at the cocktail hour while sipping on champagne and enjoying a light snack here and there.
NEWLYWED SESSION
This is my personal favorite of the whole day and such a special time for the new husband and wife. Leaving everything behind and just soaking in this special time creating some of the best memories that will eventually end in your wedding album is quite remarkable. These are the pictures that you will share on your social media, and these are the pictures you'll look fondly for anniversaries to come. These pictures will be a reminder on how madly in love you are at this moment. I want you to remember this feeling and re-live that moment.
SPECIAL EXIT
If you’re doing a special exit from the reception, like a sparkler exit, you should do this earlier than you think. This should be done while guests are still at the reception. We've seen a few of them flop because they were done too late. Half of the guests were gone already and there was only a thin party crowd left, which didn't represent the party that was going on a little earlier. After that - go and dance your night away!
To be very straight forward - the time you will need to cover your wedding day does not on depend on the size of your party, it solely depends on your personal preferences. We are all different and therefore want different things. For this exact reason we schedule a discovery call with all of our couples to guide them through the process and help them build a collection they are happy with.
