There is a lot of planning that goes into a wedding and without a doubt, the photographer you choose is a huge part of your decision. Whilst this is a once in a lifetime day for you, remember that your photographer has likely worked many weddings and has a good idea of how the day will pan out.

In this article, I’ll be guiding you through a rundown of how a wedding day usually goes from the perspective of a wedding photographer. Keep in mind that every wedding can be completely different and no two weddings are the same which can affect the schedule of the day.

In summary, a full wedding day for me will usually look something like this:

Capturing the Details

Getting Ready

The Ceremony 

Family and Group Photos

The Reception

Grand Exit

RINGS, DRESS, SHOES, & OTHER DETAILS

A wedding photographer doesn’t just capture your marriage, they capture all those moments behind the scenes that are just as memorable as the rest. I love to start any full wedding day by gathering all the wedding details to photograph; things like wedding invites, flower bouquets, perfume, jewellery, shoes, the wedding dress, and any other special details that you’ll want to remember. 

GETTING READY

One of the most exciting parts of your wedding day will be getting ready. The bride and bridesmaids will be having fun with hair and makeup preparations whilst the groom and his groomsmen will be perfecting their suits and ties. My favourite photos that I try to get of the bride and bridesmaids are of the process of having their hair and makeup done as well as capturing the bridesmaids helping the bride with her dress. I also love to capture the bride putting on her jewellery, dress, and shoes. These photos turn out even better when there’s a great source of natural window lighting to give a better dimension to the photos.

When the groom and his groomsmen are getting ready, I love to capture details such as the cufflinks, tie, shoes, watch, gifts, as well as some fun shots of the boys having a drink and a laugh before the ceremony begins. It’s also very important to remember that if the girls and boys are getting ready in two different locations, hiring a second photographer would be ideal as I or any other photographer cannot be in two places at once! It’s likely your photographer will be able to recommend who else you can hire if you are needing two photographers so don’t be afraid to ask them, they’re there to help!

THE CEREMONY

The ceremony is where the magic happens and will arguably be the most important section of your wedding day. Before the excitement begins, I make sure to get shots of the groom and guests waiting at the venue so I can capture the anticipation.

The next unmissable moment is the bride arriving. I love to get natural candid shots of the bride getting out of the car and making her way towards the venue. This can also be a fantastic time to get bridal party shots, sometimes these will include the bride and sometimes it’ll be just the bridesmaids, it totally depends on how the ceremony pans out however there’s always time to get those perfect pictures after the ceremony.

One of the best things you can witness at a wedding is that moment when the bride walks down the aisle and she and the groom see each other for the first time. It often is a moment full of emotions and the reaction from the guests is usually excellent to capture, it’s usually a mixture of tears and smiles!

As the vows take place, I focus on capturing the moments that are so special to the couple as they share these memories with each other. It’s the best time to get simplified shots purely capturing the love they have for each other as they focus on saying their vows and then go for the first kiss.

The couple then usually moves over to a table to complete the signing of the registry which can sound like a boring task but is actually a very important part of the ceremony which makes everything official and is a great moment to capture. From this point on the bride and groom are now officially a married couple and they usually will then walk down the aisle together.

FAMILY & GROUP PORTRAITS

I always want to make sure that family photos are exactly the way the couple wants them, so what I do is one month before the wedding I ask the couple to make a list of all the family group shots that they’d like so that nobody gets missed out. These photos can be classic shots, fun ones or we can do a bit of both! To make sure that I can get the photos of the different family groups that the bride and groom have specified in advance, I usually will ask for a helper, who is often either the best man or maid of honour, so that they can guide me as to who is who and make sure the group photos run smoothly and as we agreed in advance.

Now that the ceremony is over, the bride can relax with her bridesmaids and make time for some amazing bridal photos. The groom can also chill with his groomsmen and then shortly follow with some boys-only photos. These can be elegant, fun or absolutely whatever you want them to be. We will often get some nice posed pictures of the bridal party and groomsmen however it can be nice to get candid photos that are completely natural and just show the girls having fun, the boys having a laugh and enjoying the day. 

COUPLE PORTRAITS

When I’ve finished up with the group shots and family photos, it’s time to steal the couple away for a little while to get some stunning shots of just the two of them. They may have planned where they’d like their photos or sometimes we will just go for a walk around the venue to find the perfect spot. This is when we get some of the most intimate moments as the main pressure from the day is over and the bride and groom are away from everyone else for a little while.

RECEPTION

During the reception, it’s always lovely to take time photographing all the details that the couple has spent so much time choosing for their reception. Small decorations, table favours, personalised name tags and other little details can be really memorable and make the day special. What better way to remember these details than having gorgeous keepsake photos capturing everything from the day.

 During this time I make sure to get photos of the venue inside and out because the venue is such a huge part of the reception as every venue has its own character and vibe. I love to be able to capture the venue’s magic in my photographs.

There is so much else that happens at the reception which I make sure to photograph. The speeches and toasts are usually full of emotion and they’re really wonderful to capture, especially getting the reactions from everyone whether they’re laughing or showing heartfelt emotions. The cake cutting is usually next and here I make sure to not only get some fun pictures of the cake being cut but I’ll also make sure I capture some quality photos of the cake before it’s been touched.

Then, possibly the most anticipated moment of the evening… the first dance. A beautiful moment for the bride and groom and everyone spectating, I’ll capture the smiles, the laughs and all the dance moves. This doesn’t only apply to the bride and groom's dance, I make sure to capture some fun pictures of everyone having a great time on the dance-floor. The general party vibes for the rest of the evening can bring out some of the best photos as everyone forgets they are being photographed and just relaxes and let's go to have a great time singing and dancing!

Possibly the only part of the day that doesn’t get captured, during meal times I take a small break from capturing photos so everyone can enjoy their food. The best moments won’t be captured whilst everyone is sitting down eating so it’s best to save the extra photos until the rest of the reception commences after eating.

 GRAND EXIT

At the end of the night, the final photos will be taken of the bride and groom leaving the venue, shortly followed by their guests. If there are sparklers for the grand exit this can lead to some excellent photos where I’ll capture the couple surrounded by the warm light of the sparklers as it’s usually getting dark at this point. If you are purchasing sparkles, I recommend getting the longer ones as these burn brighter and longer and will photograph much better.

AFTER THE WEDDING

The exact reason you will hire a wedding photographer is likely because once the day is over, all you will have to remember is the photographs of the day. This is why it’s so important to choose a wedding photographer that suits you as a couple and is going to capture everything exactly the way you want.

I encourage all of my couples to download, backup, and print their photos.