Wedding Photography Planning , Day-Of Timeline

Who better to help with your wedding photography planning than a wedding photographer?! As I detailed in last week’s post on how to get amazing wedding photos, there are certain things you can do to ensure your wedding photos are everything you want them to be. Today is the first post in a series on wedding photography planning that will help you (and your photographer) get those amazing wedding photos you’re dreaming of!

To get those amazing wedding photos, you now know you have to make photography a priority. Once you’ve designated photography as a priority in your mind, the first step in wedding photography planning is to consult with your wedding photographer regarding your day-of timeline. I suggest this even if you hire a wedding coordinator. Hire your wedding photographer first, then bring them in on the discussions regarding the timeline with the coordinator. There are a hundred things to consider for your timeline, but underlining them all are the photos you want to capture. Your photographer will be able to take your photography priorities into account and tell you the best time of day (considering light and timing) to take each type of photo. For example, if the most important photos to you are portraits and you’re working with a natural light photographer (like me!), your photographer will probably suggest to plan your day around giving you plenty of time at magic hour to take portraits. If you’re most looking forward to taking family photos, your photographer may suggest extending that portion of the day and adding a cocktail hour to entertain your other guests while you & your family are taking family photos. If you have a lot you want to fit in during the day, the photographer could also offer suggestions on how to quickly but thoroughly document some less important things to make time for what’s really important to you so that you don’t miss anything & have a complete story in photos of your day. These are just some examples of why you would want to consult your wedding photographer when planning your day-of timeline. In my experience, finalizing your timeline before consulting your photographer leads to a lot of rushing & cramming to capture the photos that are most important to you. I want my clients to get the photos they want, but also have fun & enjoy themselves while we’re doing so. The best way to do this is to make the day-of timeline a collaborative process that includes your wedding photographer.