The phrase “knowledge is power” could have been created to describe wedding photography. The more knowledge you have about the day, about the ceremony and about the order of events, the easier it will be to get the shots you need. The best way to get this information is to collaborate with the wedding couple about what happens and when it happens. If the couple is going to do a walk-through of the wedding site, see if you can tag along. It will give you a great overview of the ceremony site and ideas of what to expect when you are photographing the wedding.
Many weddings have a wedding planner that will keep things moving along, from before the bride shows up to hair and makeup to after the newlyweds drive off to start their life together. It is a good idea to speak with the wedding planner and make sure that they know how long you will need for the family and individual portraits and to get information about the wedding plan. Knowing when and where each of the following takes place will help you with your selection of backgrounds, lenses, and even where to shoot. Most weddings follow a simple order:
- Wedding party arrives
- Hair and make-up begin
- Bride and groom get ready
- Pre-ceremony portraits, as seen in first picture
- Guests arrive
- Wedding party gets into place
- Processional
- Bride walks down the aisle
- Ceremony begins
- Special readings
- Vows, as seen in Above picture
- Ring exchange
- Any special ceremony moments
- Bride and groom’s first kiss
- Ceremony ends
- Bride and groom walk up the aisle
- Pre-reception portraits
- Reception begins
- First dance
- Dinner
- Toasts
- Dancing
- Garter toss
- Bouquet toss
- Cake cutting
- X Bride and groom depart
Make sure you know where and when all the events are going to take place.
