Weddings are undoubtedly one of the most special and memorable moments in a couple's life. As a wedding photographer, I have witnessed numerous weddings over the years, and I can confidently say that a well-planned wedding schedule can make all the difference in capturing the perfect shots and creating a seamless experience for the couple and their guests. Wedding schedules matter and they're essential.
A well-planned schedule ensures that everything runs smoothly
The wedding day is undoubtedly a hectic affair, and there are numerous events that need to happen in a particular order. Having a well-planned schedule ensures that everything runs smoothly, and there are no unnecessary delays. This is particularly important for a wedding photographer, as we need to capture every moment, and any delay can significantly impact the quality and quantity of photos we capture.
For instance, if the bride is running late, it can throw off the entire schedule, and we may have to rush through the getting-ready shots, which may not turn out as well as we'd hoped. Similarly, if the ceremony starts late, we may have less time to capture the family and couple portraits, and we may miss out on some key shots. A well-planned schedule ensures that all events happen on time, giving us ample time to capture the perfect shots.
My suggestion when starting your wedding schedule, don’t try and schedule things ‘accurately’, assume things will take longer. It’s also a good idea to add ‘buffers’ throughout the day. So plan to have an hour or so somewhere in the day where you and your bridal party can just chill, so if things do get delayed, we can ‘eat’ into this time to ensure everything can still go the way you’ve planned it!
A schedule helps us plan ahead
As a wedding photographer, I always like to plan ahead and think about how I want to capture each event. Having a schedule helps me plan ahead and think about the best angles, lighting, and camera settings for each event. This ensures that I'm fully prepared to capture every moment, and I don't miss out on any critical shots.
For instance, if I know that the couple will be walking down the aisle at a particular time, I can plan ahead and position myself in the best possible spot to capture the moment. Similarly, if I know that the couple will be cutting the cake at a particular time, I can think about the best lighting and camera settings for the shot.
A lot of this happens behind the scenes that couples never see. They never see us speaking to the venue managers to work out the best lighting, if things are moving etc, but it all makes a difference.
Scheduling during the reception lets me know when i’ll be able to get some awesome shots of the rings! This isn’t always possible if there’s no schedule, or if the wedding gets too delayed.
A schedule helps us manage our time effectively
Wedding photography is a time-sensitive affair, and we need to manage our time effectively to ensure that we capture all the key moments. Having a schedule helps us manage our time effectively, ensuring that we have enough time to capture all the necessary shots.
For instance, if we know that we have only 30 minutes to capture the family portraits, we can plan ahead and think about the best way to position the family members, ensuring that we capture all the necessary shots in the allotted time. We’ll also prepare for these shots ahead of time by finding the locations, and where they need to stand etc.
Knowing our time limitations when photographing the bridal party after the ceremony is critical. It determines where we can go, how long we spend with each person, different poses, variations or locations. If we know we won’t have too long, we’ll spend time beforehand planning, so we can effectively use our time, and get you to the reception with time to relax beforehand, instead of in a rush and late.
It’s a good idea to schedule some photos at the reception venue too, even if you take a few, it helps ensure you have time to relax before your formal entrance.
A schedule helps us communicate with other vendors
Weddings involve numerous vendors, including caterers, florists, musicians, and more. Having a well-planned schedule helps us communicate with other vendors effectively, ensuring that everyone is on the same page. It’s a lot more critical to the success of the day, and our photos/videos than people probably realise, and people rarely see it or even think it happens. Making sure everyone is on the same schedule, and same game plan, means the day with go more smoothly, and we’ll be able to capture every moment.
For instance, if we know that the couple will be cutting the cake at a particular time, we can communicate with the caterers and ensure that the cake is ready on time. Similarly, if we know that the couple will be having their first dance at a particular time, we can communicate with the DJ and ensure that the music is ready on time and we can coordinate with the Celebrant/Priest before the ceremony to confirm moments in the ceremony.
Communicating with the MC meant we learnt the bride was going to surprise her husband with a Saxophone performance - the MC might have forgotten to tell us otherwise, and it was not on the schedule (to keep it a secret).
Scheduling your photoshoot
One thing every couple asks during the initial conversation or meeting with them, is how much time should they schedule in for the photoshoot, and it’s something you should always ask! Every photographer is different, and it does also change depending on what kind of photos you’d like. Before the wedding day, everyone should know where you’re going to take photos, times and durations.
I always tell my couples that I NEED; 30 minutes for family/friends portraits and at least 1 hour photographing the bridal party. This does not include any travel, or golden hour photos during the sunset. It’s a good idea to listen to your photographer and make sure you can schedule in that long for them, otherwise you might not end up with as many photos that you wanted, or the photoshoot might be rushed. this is also important so we know how long we have between the photoshoot, and when guests will enter the reception. We love to grab some photos of the room while it’s empty, and some details of the room before everyone storms in.
It’s worth spending a little extra time during the photoshoot, and creating photos that you’ll look back on, so when discussing with your photographer the schedule for your photoshoot, don’t be afraid to spend more time from the day with them!
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