In order to allow your wedding day to flow better it is a good idea to get a few of your formals taken care of before the ceremony. My suggestion is for the ladies to be ready to take pictures 2 hours before the wedding. Why 2 hours? To be honest you can blame it on the older relatives… the ones the drive from a far distance…. they tend to show up an hour and a half before the ceremony start time. Of course they just can’t wait to see you and chat for a few minutes. Multiply this time 3 or 4 different groups and we are out of time.
The other reason for this is it is often HOT in the summer and it allows you some time to get back in your prep room and cool down and freshen up before the start of the ceremony. Some time to just relax after a often chaotic day up to that point in time.
Here is a general list of the formals I capture before the ceremony:
- Bride alone
- Bride with bridesmaids
- Bride with her Mom and Dad and any other family members.
- Bride with groomsmen (optional – if time and prep locations allow)
- Time permitting the Bride with each bridesmaid
The same shots are then taken with the groom and the groomsmen. The style of shots can vary from wedding to wedding due to locations and personalities. Every wedding is unique in that regard. They all have their own dynamics.
Having said this every wedding is different. Sometimes we have enough time to get all these shots and other times we can’t Don’t worry about it though, we can get any important shots after the ceremony during the formals. The key is in planning and allowing enough time to get the shots you want, but not letting it bother you if for some reason we don’t. After all – it is your wedding day, so enjoy it. Let me worry about the photography.
If your plan includes prep coverage and 2 photographers then we will be there to capture images of the bride and groom getting ready. One of the things I suggest the bride to plan on is wearing something so that I will not be forced to leave the room when she changes into her dress. Some simple clothing that will allow her to put on her dress and then simply remove it. If you do not want to do this then I will leave the room and return to get a shot of the mom/bridesmaids buttoning up your dress and putting on your veil, shoes and any other accessories.
Formals after the ceremony
The first picture is with the person that performed the ceremony.
The second will be with any small kids with little attention span.
Sometimes I do a very large group shot first. This is a chance for the bride and groom to get their cousins, aunts and uncles, extended family members – along with their friends in a big group shot. After that we dismiss everybody that will not be in another shot.
Then we progress through the following shots:
- Bride and Groom with each sides Grandparents
- … with each set of Parents and siblings
- … with any other family members
- Bride with Groomsmen
- Groom with Bridesmaids
- Complete Wedding Party
- Bride and Groom alone
I am open to any suggestions for shots you might have. Don’t feel you are going to hurt my feelings. Again, it is your wedding and I want to take care of you.
the bride and groom seeing each other before the wedding CEREMONY
I will admit that I was late to come around to this concept. I still remember seeing my lovely wife come through those doors at my own wedding… and how beautiful she was. I would post an image of it, but our photographer didn’t capture one.
My attitude on this changed after I had one of my couples insist on seeing each other before their wedding after hearing from several of their friends who had done the same. The concept is a sound one now that I’ve experienced it and here are the reasons why.
First, it allows the bride and groom to actually freely interact after seeing each other. It is a very emotional moment! The reason is there is nothing else to distract from the moment. The thing I remember at my own wedding is my wanting to tell my wife how beautiful she looked in her dress – along with a few other things, but I couldn’t say too much because we had a ceremony to do with an audience observing.
The added benefit is that we can get all of the formals out of the way before the ceremony. This eliminates the down time for your guest waiting on your reception to start while formals are being taken. It allows you to quickly flow from the wedding to the ceremony. Everything flows beautifully. The need for a cocktail hours is eliminated as well.
Having said all of this I fully support your decision to not see each other before your wedding ceremony. I can handle it either way. Just let me know what you decide to do.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
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