While many wedding day timelines exist on the internet, I wanted to create something more specific. The goal I wanted to make was a visual timeline that helps people visually understand the importance and value of planning things out.

On a typical wedding, I capture anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 images and deliver 1,500 images on average. I capture each moment of the day in a way that captures the story of each couple’s love to last forever. Because at the end of the wedding day, all you’ll have are the photos.

After capturing more than 300 weddings – one thing I wanted to do was to give firsthand insight into things couples planning their wedding might not fully realize. 

Most, if not all weddings I capture are for couples who have a high value in priority for photos on their wedding day. With that said the most important thing I always tell couples who are planning their wedding is to consider a realistic timeline.

One of the biggest setbacks on a wedding day I’ve experienced is timelines that don’t factor in delays. Things like traffic that can delay hair and makeup artists, or a car accident/flat tire can delay getting from one location to another.

While hiring a planner is a must, there are also things to consider for yourself when planning the wedding. These things include:

• Are detail photos important for you?
• Do you want bridal party photos while you’re getting ready?
• If the groom/bride are getting ready in different locations – how long of a distance is it?

The idea is to control what you can, and then allow the vision, vendors, and your family to follow the vision. Minimizing stressful moments is key and while there is no way to eliminate stress on a wedding day – it’s important to take every moment you can because it goes by in a snap.

The best and absolute most important thing any couple can do when planning their wedding is to allow gaps of space in between the change of phases on a wedding day. This allows the photographer to capture each respective scene of the day.

The more priorities that are communicated and preplanned – the better and more photos people will receive. That’s the ultimate secret recipe for maximizing the photos you’ll receive from your wedding day.

Let’s take a look at why photos of moments getting ready are important.

Let’s be honest, no one really wants a camera in their face while they are getting ready for one of the most significant days of their lives. So what I like to do is turn it into storytelling. 

When planning a wedding, consider the arrival time of the photographer. This is a factor in capturing moments like what you see below.

Next, let’s take a look at moments when the bride and groom are getting ready.

Why is this important? Well, this is where things start to get real. Everything you’ve planned for up to this moment is finally taking shape. Check out these moments to see visually why it’s so important to have time allowed to capture images just before the ceremony.

Ceremony images – the pinnacle of the wedding day

So this is why your friends and family surround you all – to see the fullness of joy for your love to each other. There is nothing like the moments of butterflies in seeing each other down the aisle. I do everything I can to capture images that reflect the love uniquely.

Next up – After the ceremony family photos and portraits

This is also an important moment of the day. This allows for newly married couples to have photos taken with their family and closest friends. But also it’s a time that allows, for the first time in the day, time with just each other. Typically portraits follow the family photos and for around 30 to 45 minutes (sometimes longer) it’s just the two of them.

One thing that plays a factor in this moment is the engagement session. This is where trusting the photographer plays a huge factor. Not only is the vision of your wedding day but making sure the photographer understands your vision is their absolute priority. What I like to do to put the icing on the cake is create unique, one-of-a-kind visuals that complement the vision they have to create something really unique.

The reception

Honestly, this is where the bulk of photos from all of the wedding day are usually taken for me. There’s nothing like a place to celebrate the love for each other than being surrounded by family and friends on the dance floor.

While each reception is wildly different, I typically use up to 6 lights to make sure people are well-lit. No one likes dark and gloomy photos at the reception. Why am I mentioning this? Well, this usually takes me about 15 minutes to set up and be sure everything is good to go. I do my best to make sure I don’t take longer than 15 minutes, but you can see the results in my usual lighting setup for receptions.

Here’s what happens when I capture wedding receptions.

And that’s it! If you are recently engaged let’s connect! I’d love to learn more about your wedding day plans.