Top Tips For Planning A Wedding
Planning a wedding can be an overwhelming task. There are so many things to think about in so many different areas and as the guest list increases, so does the cost and stress. I've photographed hundreds of weddings through the years and have seen what does and doesn't work and can suggest how to iron out the kinks.
Indoor or Outdoor?
Once you have a budget and a rough number on the guest list then you can start to think about the food and the venue.
Do you want an indoor or outdoor wedding? You may want to have a back up plan for an outdoor ceremony if it rains. Does the outdoor venue have an undercover marquee or large room you can quickly move into if rain sets in?
If it starts to rain during the bridal party photos, some clear umbrellas look lovely. A great outdoor ceremony location can be under a big tree which can provide lovely even dappled light or set upon a wine vineyard for the perfect backdrop.
Locations
If you are planning on using a few different locations, keep in mind the travel time between each location and if there is parking available. Big city parks are always good as they tend to have a few different areas to photograph in.
The more space the better when it comes to great bridal party photos. Having a large space with leafy trees is always a winner. Location weddings on a farm or winery can also be great. Having everything in the one location saves a great deal of travel time between locations which means more time spent enjoying the day.
Bride and Groom Preparations
The start of a typical wedding are the bride and groom's preparations. On a standard wedding I will shoot the groom's prep first. Usually for 30-60 mins, then head over to the bride's prep for 30 minutes - 2 hours. These prep sessions are a great way to capture the excitement of the day and are special to look back on as it’s the last moments before the ceremony when the nerves are high. This is also a good time to get some family and group photos.
Ceremony
Ceremonies can be long and short, in a church or on a beach what ever your style. Make sure you talk to your priest or celebrant to discuss how the ceremony will run so everyone knows the plan. It’s a good idea to tell your celebrant to step aside for the big kiss moment so you have a clear space for just the two of you in the photo. Confetti is a great little bit of eye candy for the walk down the aisle and provides for great photos!
Group photos
Family and group photos usually run after the ceremony. If you are after a large group photo of all the guests, it's best to get this straight after the ceremony when everyone is still gathered together. People can take some time to arrange, especially when it's a family reunion and everyones chatty. It's best to ask some bridal party members to help round people up if it's a big crowd. The photographers won't know who everyone is, so ask a bridal party member or close family member who knows both sides of the families to help gather people for the group photos.
Bridal Party Photos
Bridal party photos or otherwise called - the bridal session, couple photos, beauty photos. Either way it’s time where the photographer gets group photos of the whole bridal party and then some photos of the bride and groom. This usually starts after the group and family photos and tends to take place at one or more locations- a beach, a park, a headland, city back streets, a vineyard etc. Ideally you want to pick a location with nice, natural light. Time can get away on this photo shoot so be sure to explain the travel details as clear as possible if there are a few locations. This usually takes place around ‘magic hour’ just before sunset which is a short period of time when the light is at its softest. It provides an amazing cast of pastel colours and soft light. Great for photography! A good idea is to plan your bridal party photos around this time period and work backwards. Bridal party shoots usually finish with the couple photos at sunset. e.g - If the sun sets at 6pm, plan to start these photos by 5pm at the latest so it gives you an hour of photos.
Reception
Receptions include entrance, speeches, first dance, cutting the cake, eating and send off. Some people have all their speeches in one block, others break it up in segments throughout the night. Some people have sit down formal meals, others have stand up finger food. Some people have lavish, grand wedding cakes, while others have unique cheese boards or cheesecakes. Receptions can last awhile so if you are trying to cut down on hours for a photographer due to budget, think about when the moments you want to capture happen during the night. Usually all the key moments are at the start of the night and the tail end is mostly all the crazy drunk dancing. Having a sparkler send off for the couple with all the guests can be popular too.
Itinerary
Timing is everything with weddings so it's best to get everyone on the same page. Write down your start and end times for each segment, i.e. groom's prep, bride's prep, ceremony. Look up in Google maps the travel time to each location and write it down. Calculate the time, plus a few extra minutes for traffic.
Is it weekday wedding? Peak hour work traffic etc..
Is it a weekend wedding? Saturday traffic etc..
Navigation
If it's a location wedding on a farm or in a rural area, check if it's even on Google maps. I've been to many weddings that don't register on Google or Apple maps, and it can get a little stressful. If it's not in Google maps, describe the directions in clear and simple detail . You can even make up a few wedding street signs that point guests in the right direction.
Contacts
It helps to list important contacts and numbers in the itinerary. The bride and groom's contact number and a groomsman and bridesmaid's number. A lot of the time the bride can't carry a phone on her, so having someone next to her with a phone is a good idea.
Storage
Once you receive your wedding photos on USB or digital download, it's best practice to back it up more than once. Ideally you want to store it on 3 seperate hard drive locations. It’s good practice to store a copy in the ‘cloud’ or at another family members home.
