Wedding Photographers need a Timeline
During some recent research, I came across a blog on Shoot dot Edit titled ‘How to Create Your Ultimate Wedding Timeline’. It immediately occurred to me that much of the information would prove very useful both to wedding photographers, and to couples negotiating their wedding photography contract.
My aim here is to condense the aforementioned blog into a shorter list and add some of my own advice. In so doing, I do not claim any credit for original thought or imagination - this resides with Shoot dot Edit.
The timeline is as follows:
Venue Grounds, Gardens and Surrounds. A great idea to ‘bag the images’ of the wedding venue and surrounds during the final recce and familiarisation with the wedding venue(s). This can be achieved by turning-up nice and early before any of the guests or officials arrive. Whilst these photos are unlikely to feature as major ‘keepsakes’ in albums and galleries, they are an important part of scene setting.
Dress, Details and Accessories. Make time to shoot the wedding dress, rings, jewellery, shoes, and bouquets/flowers. Obvious really, but often forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the Bride/Groom Prep’. This is something that’ll need to be discussed with the Couple prior to the wedding day to ensure that rings and jewellery are available (and more importantly not forgotten afterwards!!).
Bride and Groom Prep’. AKA the getting ready shots. This is can be a coordination nightmare for a ‘single shooter photographer’; particularly if the Bride and Groom are getting ready at different locations. Again, the plans will need to be discussed as part of the wedding consultation. Photographers might want to consider hiring a second shooter just for this phase.
The First Look. Sometimes also referred to as ‘the reveal’, this can be interpreted as the point at which the Father of the Bride, Mother of the Bride, Bridesmaids or Groom (or indeed any combination of these) sees the Bride in her dress. This can be another coordination challenge for the photographer if it has not been pre-planned. Always useful to ask the wedding coordinator to set this up if possible.
The Ceremony. This phase of the wedding is full of opportunities. Candids of the guests arriving, the Groom and Groomsmen nervously shuffling-around on the front seats, the Bridal procession, the vows, the ring exchange, the register signing, the grand exit, the confetti, etc.
The Groups/Family Formals. This can be an extremely time consuming and frustrating task unless someone has been allocated the job of rounding-up the various groups according to a pre-defined list. For the record - it is not the photographers job to chase people and coerce them into having their photographs taken.
The Bride & Groom. Probably the most important set of shots. I frequently hear couples say that they aren’t worried about lots of ‘couple shots’, but woe betide the hapless wedding photographer who fails to capture these shots. Even if the Bride and Groom don’t want photographs of themselves, the family and friends will!
The Speeches. This is a great time to catch candid, authentic shots of the guests as they react to the fun and emotion in the various speeches. A long lens is essential for the photographer who wants to stay inconspicuous. But be aware that when the newlyweds and guests are eating the photographer may want to sneak away for some food and refreshment.
The Cake Cutting. Not a simple shot! An experienced photographer may need to coach the newlyweds on holding the knife and standing in the best position for a memorable shot. Sometimes it can be difficult for the photographer to get the shots before the masses gather with their mobile phones.
The First Dance. This is another phase that requires a discussion between photographer and the Couple. Depending on the available light, type of dance and anticipated motion, the photographer may need off camera flash prepositioned in the corner of the room!
The Departure. There is a relatively new trend of ‘sparkler exits’ - these are also a tricky business that needs some planning. Given that this is going to occur at the end of a long day of drinking and merriment, it is highly likely that the guests will not be terribly compliant. Orchestrating 2 neats lines for the newlyweds to walk through and arranging for a large number of sparklers to be lit simultaneously is not easy.
In sum, most of the guidance provided above can be boiled-down to a simple acronym PPPPP (ie the 5 P’s) - prior preparation prevents poor performance.