The BIG DAY can be stressful, no doubt! Our job as Wedding photographers is to try and alleviate that stress, at least the photography experience, by helping our brides be as prepared as possible. Below are some helpful Day-Of reminders and timing tips to ensure your wedding photography goes as smoothly and stress-free as possible!

Wedding Day-Of Reminders

Gather the goods

If possible, collect all of your details before I arrive so that I can begin quickly and have more time for some “getting ready” shots of you and your girls!

Extra elements

Sometimes, depending on the theme and “look” of the wedding day, there may be some extra elements that you could include when you gather your details.  For example, if you’re having a country-themed wedding, you could include a piece of burlap or lace.  If you’re having a rustic-themed wedding that includes some wooden elements, maybe save a small piece of wood for me to use when I’m shooting your rings and jewelry.  This REALLY makes for beautiful, consistent album spreads!

Keep all three rings

The most common detail missing is the rings! Moms, officiants, and planners will tell you to hand over your wedding band to the best man before the day begins. However, it’s actually better to hand it over during the bridal party portraits so that I can shoot some great ring shots in the AM!  If you forget, no worries, I can always shoot the ring shot at the reception if there is extra time!

Bring the bouquet

Don’t forget the Bouquet! Have the bouquets and bouts delivered to the bride before the first look so that she can have her bouquet in her portraits. No worries, if it’s hot, we’ll be sure to keep it in water as much as possible before the ceremony!

Timing Tips

When you’re planning a wedding day timeline, the best advice I could give is to ADD CUSHION TIME!  Sometimes the simplest things can take an extra 20 minutes and then all of a sudden, the whole morning is thrown off.  I have seen “getting the bride in her dress” take more time because of a button malfunction.  It’s a smart idea to add in an extra ten minutes here and there so that we have some wiggle room to work with!  This way, if one part of the day gets thrown off by 20 minutes, I can help you compensate for that time in other areas.  There are so many different things to think about when you’re planning a wedding day, so here are some tips for the pre-ceremony timeline! I realize that every single wedding day is different and so not all of these tips will apply to every wedding day schedule.  Something else to consider is that not EVERYTHING will go as planned, and I promise you, that is completely normal!!

BOUQUETS AND BOUTS

You will need your Bouquet & Bouts for your First Look! Have them delivered to the room where the bride is getting ready.

TRAVEL TIME

Be sure to think about the travel time and TRAFFIC to and from your getting-ready location and your venue!

HAIR & MAKEUP

I encourage brides to have at least their makeup done before I start because who wants a ton of shots without their makeup on?! Nobody.

GROOMSMEN  PREP

My second shooter will photograph the guys getting ready if they are getting ready in the same location as the bride or within 10-15 mins.

GETTING IN THE DRESS

I’ll instruct you to get into your dress close to a window and it would be fabulous to have your bridesmaids dressed when you’re getting in your gown!

CREATE A CUSHION

A 10-minute cushion every now and then is a GREAT idea! It’s amazing how fast time slips away the day of!