The biggest source of stress on the wedding day can potentially arise during photo time and, as a photographer who really wants their clients to ENJOY the photography process, I feel like it’s super important to prepare my clients as much as possible to avoid any sort of stress that could occur during this time.  After 5+ years and over 200 weddings, I’ve learned quite a bit about the logistics during this specific part of the day and I wanted to share some tips that will help keep everyone organized and focused so that we can move quickly through formal photos on your wedding day.

1. Communicate the photo timeline to everyone in your bridal party + your family members – and anyone else who has to be in the formal group photos before and/or after the ceremony.  The #1 thing that delays the photo process on the wedding day is not having everyone present and ready for photos on time.  Communication is key!  Make sure everyone who needs to be in these photos is aware of the location and time that they need to be ready for photos.  If your family is notoriously late, tell them they need to be there 30+ minutes earlier than they really do!  It’s so much better to have them on-site early because most of the time, we’re ahead of schedule when photo time runs smoothly!  If you’re still worried about getting everyone organized on your wedding day, designate someone close to you, who is not in the bridal party or family photos, who can run and grab people if needed.

2. Make sure that all of your bridal details are accounted for and present when we arrive to begin shooting on the morning of your wedding.  This includes ALL THREE RINGS.  I’ll get to work right away, shooting your bridal details (dress, shoes, invitations, jewelry, bouquet, etc) while my second shooter photographs the girls getting ready.  Having everything together and organized will help us get through these photos quickly + efficiently.

3. Same goes for the groom’s details like his shoes, tie/bowtie, boutonniere, cufflinks, watch, socks, etc.  If all of his details are together in one place wherever the guys are getting ready, my second shooter can get right to work shooting those details when they arrive.

4. If possible, please try to leave room next to a window or glass door wherever you’re getting ready available for us to photograph your bridal details.  Most likely, your makeup artist will want to set up in front of a window or glass door because of the ample natural light.  That’s what we, as photographers, are looking for too!  So try to keep that in mind on your wedding day – if possible.  If not, it’s okay.  We’ll just take your details to another location like the hotel lobby, another not-so-busy room, or even outside for photos!

5. Communicate your photo timeline with your hair + makeup artist – and please let them know exactly what time you need to be ready to get into your dress!  The #1 reason why we have to rush through photos on the wedding day is because hair + makeup was running late due to a lack of communication regarding the timeline.  If you want to be safe, tell them you need to be ready 30-45 minutes BEFORE you actually have to.  That will give us extra wiggle room… and we can always start photos early if we’re running ahead of schedule!  For the record – the bride, mother of the bride + any bridesmaids who will help the bride get into her gown should be finished first so that we can get the bride dressed and out to her First Look on time.

6. Make sure everyone is ready to focus on photos… and photos only… during this part of the day!  Realistically, we only need 15-30 minutes for the bridal party photos and 15-30 minutes for family photos.  If we can minimize distractions during this time and have everyone present + ready for photos, we can fly through them quickly!  All bathroom breaks should be taken BEFORE photos start, so that no one has to leave during photo time.  Again – designate someone close to you, who is not in the bridal party or family photos, to be your eyes + ears for other wedding day issues that may arise during photo time.  If everyone is able to focus solely on photos during this part of the day, we can get through them super quickly!  We just need everyone to be focused + ready to listen + cooperate as we work through the poses + groupings.

7. Trust your photographer.  On the hottest days, on the coldest days, on the most stressful days, and on the most laid-back days… your photographer has a plan and a system when it comes to your photos.  This plan and system ALWAYS includes getting your photos done as quickly + efficiently as possible… but we do need your help!  If everyone is on the same page, is prepared to listen, is willing to cooperate, and is committed to focusing for those 15-30 minutes we need for each group – the day will go so smoothly!  We are always working as quickly as possible because we want this process to be fun and painless for everyone involved.  If the groom decides to wander off in the middle of group photos, or your mom is off helping with your decor + setup, or your sister-in-law doesn’t know when + where to be for photos – we spend more time waiting around than we really need to.  The quicker we can get through your photos, the quicker you can go back inside to freshen up, drink some champagne, and hang out with your friends + family!

8. Come with a good attitude + lead by example.  Even on the hot days.  Even on the cold days.  Trust us – we don’t want to be shooting in the extreme temperatures any longer than we need to and we’re committed to shooting in these conditions even quicker + more efficiently than normal.  Having a good attitude and encouraging everyone else to really focus, despite the weather, will help us get through everything quickly!  We are on YOUR team and will do everything we can to capture the shots we need quickly, I promise!

9. If the weather isn’t looking ideal, try to be as flexible as possible.  In these cases, my team + I will monitor the weather constantly and will always keep everyone posted about our game plan.  Sometimes this means waiting for the rain to stop before we start shooting.  Sometimes it means pushing up the First Look before rain settles in for the day (which is another good reason to tell your hair + makeup artist that you need to be ready earlier than you really do…).  Sometimes this means finding an alternative location for photos.  Sometimes it means rearranging the timeline a little bit – with your permission, of course.  The more flexible you are, the better chance we have for creating beautiful images on your wedding day – even if Mother Nature isn’t making things easy.

10. Relax.  We’ve got this!  I know that it’s not always easy to wrangle all of your bridal party members and family members.  It’s just the nature of the beast.  Please don’t stress if someone isn’t cooperating as well as you’d like.  Let’s be honest… there’s always one in the bunch haha.  We’ll handle it and get through these photos together, so just enjoy this special time with your bridal party + family members and leave the organizing to us.