This is a super important one if you have particular photographs in mind. You have to allow time for your photographer to create these images. For example, wedding morning detail shots of shoes, flowers and perfume, wedding party morning portraits, details of venue styling, creative group photos and of course, your couple portraits. Your wedding timeline needs to be planned to allow time for these photographs to happen.
I usually arrive between 2-3 hours before your ceremony. This allows time for detail photographs, getting ready photos and your final portraits before you leave for the ceremony. It is also a great idea to keep the area you're getting ready in tidy, nobody wants a Sainsburys carrier bag in their photos!
- Tip - it is so, so helpful if you gather the things you want photographing before my arrival
You've just got married and are on that newly wed high. There is nothing else like it. You need time to mingle, soak up the celebrations and greet all of your loved ones. You may also want champagne too!
This is usually where your group photographs and couple portraits happen. To allow plenty of time for socialising and so not to rush your formal photographs, I recommend a minimum of 2 hours between the end of your ceremony and reception. This is also the perfect time for me to capture lots and lots of those heartfelt documentary moments. Based on my experience, I find this is the best way for couples to fully experience the joy and be present in their day without feeling rushed.
From a photography standpoint, this allows more time for plenty of candid moments, group photos, couple portraits as well as the detail shots of the dining set up before you enter. This part of the day is where your story comes together the most!
I don't have loads to say here as speeches do tend to photograph themselves however it is advisable to have the speeches together instead of between courses.
The wedding meal is where your photographer, videographer and content creator take a much needed break after being on their feet since the early hours. If speeches are planned between courses, it makes it tough for us to find the time to eat, sort our kit out and have a moment to gather ourselves before the next part of the day.
If you have suppliers working at your wedding for 10+ hours it's only fair you allow time for them to rest just like in any other job. Nobody wants an exhausted media team!
Arguably the most fun part of the day - the formalities are over, the nerves of the speeches have faded and you can relax even more. My only piece of advice here is if you are having a first dance, try to dance toward the camera. Dancefloors can have limited space and all I want to do is capture your beautiful, happy faces during your first dance as a married couple!
My biggest tip for getting the most natural wedding photographs where your guests are genuinely present in the moment is to ask that nobody uses their phones during the ceremony and confetti line. This is something you can ask your register to announce before the ceremony starts.
There are several reasons why this helps get the most out of your wedding photographs. A: Your guests are present in the moment and this will show in the pictures. B: Their faces aren't covered by a phone and C: Overall, an image looks more authentic when guests are actually looking at the couple, not their phones
