Wedding Schedules - Why They Matter

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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Wedding Photography vs Wedding Videography: Which one is more important?

Well, i’ll save you some time, I might be a little biased by saying that in my opinion, wedding photography is more important, but I do believe that to be unquestionably true. Having said that though, there are things that wedding videography is able to capture and convey that photography just cannot. But in the long run, decades later, the photos will be seen more, shown more, and used to show what your wedding day was like. So let’s talk about why I think the photography is more important, and to be fair, what videography does that photography cannot.

Wedding Photography:

A professional wedding photographer captures the essence of the wedding day in a series of photographs. The photographer's task is to capture the bride and groom's emotions, the guests' reactions, the venue's beauty, and the small details that make the day special.

Wedding photography is an essential part of weddings because photographs provide a lasting memory of the day. They capture the essence of the wedding day and can be shared with family and friends for years to come. Wedding photographs are also essential for creating wedding albums, which are a cherished possession for many couples.

While the photographs can capture emotions, the essence of the day, what it can’t capture, are the kind words that your friends and family might say during a speech. The wedding video can act as a permanent time capsule for the couple, so they can revisit their wedding day, the happiest day of their lives, whenever they want.

Wedding Videography:

Wedding videography is an essential part of weddings because videos provide a dynamic memory of the day. They capture the essence of the wedding day in a way that photographs cannot. Wedding videos allow the viewer to experience the day as if they were there, capturing the emotions and energy of the day.

Like wedding photography, wedding videography has evolved over the years, and today, there are various styles of wedding videography to choose from. Traditional wedding videography involves capturing the ceremony and reception, while contemporary wedding videography focuses on telling a story through the video.

While what both the photos & videos capture aren’t exactly the same, and there are plenty of things the videos can capture that photos just can’t, the main difference is how it’s watched and enjoyed. It’s not something you can keep in your wallet, or hang on the wall. It’s something you can post online, or set-up to watch on the Tv. It’s a great way to enjoy and re-live your wedding day, but it’s not as accessible.

So… Which is more important?

While the photographs can capture emotions, the essence of the day, what it can’t capture, are the kind words that your friends and family might say during a speech. The wedding video can act as a permanent time capsule for the couple, so they can revisit their wedding day, the happiest day of their lives, whenever they want.

But here’s the problem with that. After the initial ‘watching party’ of the wedding video, the video itself is rarely dug up and shown, only on anniversary’s or on request. When you meet people and they ask “how was your wedding day?”, or you want to show how your wedding day looked, you pull out a photo, or show them a photo on your phone. Even for your kids, and extended family one day, the photos will always take priority when you want people to ‘see’ your wedding day.

Now i’m not saying at all that wedding videography isn’t worth it, or worth having - it acts as a permanent time capsule, and I think that’s a good way of seeing it. Of course you should have the biggest day of your life captured, so that when you DO want to look back on the day, it’s absolutely possible.

Both the photography and videography is important, they both serve different purposes. I just think the photography is a bit more important because of how timeless photos are. They’ll be used more to remember the day, show the day, represent the day.

My advice?

1. If you have a limited budget, ALWAYS get the photographer over the videographer. ALWAYS

2. If possible. get the photography and the videography from the same company. They’ll often work together, and will be able to work more effectively, making sure everyone does a great job.

3. If you know the speeches will be emotional and worth capturing, or perhaps having the church ceremony and full mass captured means a lot to you, video is absolutely worth it.

4. Don’t pick a budget option for either. If someone is only asking for $500 for a video, or for the photos, it’ll be $500 down the drain sadly. Just don’t do it.

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What goes into photographing a wedding?

As a wedding photographer, capturing the beauty, emotion, and memories of a couple's special day is both an honour and a huge responsibility, but, it requires a unique set of skills and expertise to do it well. Here are some of the things that go into photographing a wedding, and how I work to create beautiful, timeless images that the couple will treasure for years to come.

1. Preparation

The first step in photographing a wedding is preparation. This includes meeting with the couple to discuss their expectations, preferences, and vision for their big day. I ask them questions about the venue, their wedding theme, the number of guests, cultural or religious aspects, and the timeline of events. This helps me get a sense of what to expect, and allows me to plan for things like lighting and equipment. It's also a good opportunity to get to know the couple, their personalities, and their style, which helps me tailor my approach to their specific needs. Some couples really love the editorial and posed style of photos, while others are more relaxed and are after more candid and spontaneous styled photos.

Another big factor in the preparation before a wedding day is scouting for locations to photograph, organising other shooters to assist you on the day, prepping your equipment for the day. and making multiple plans to be prepared for bad weather or other uncontrollable events that can be a big hurdle on the day. All this takes time, but it’s really a big difference between just being good at taking photos, and being a wedding photographer. Having the confidence to say “let’s go here”, “let’s do this”, gives the couple your photographing confidence in you and your work, and let’s them enjoy their day.

2. Equipment

Wedding photography requires a lot of specialised (expensive) equipment. This includes multiple camera bodies, a variety of lenses to capture different angles and focal lengths, and an assortment of lighting equipment like flashes, reflectors, and softboxes. I also bring backup equipment, just in case something malfunctions or breaks during the day.

All of this does not come cheap, my collection of camera bodies. lenses, lights have cost me over $20,000 over the years. Having the best equipment available makes a huge difference, not only in the quality of the photos, but it can also help to speed up the day. The cost of the equipment plays a large part in the price of a lot of wedding photographers and videographers, for the same reason a tradesman isn’t cheap, because you expect them to have the specialised equipment to get the job done.

3. Capturing the Day

When the day finally arrives, it's time to start capturing the moments. I arrive early to scout the location and capture some detail shots of the venue, decorations, and other elements. Throughout the day, I aim to capture a mix of candid and posed shots, as well as a range of emotions and interactions between the couple, their families, and guests. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it really is. You have to find a way to sometimes be in 3 places at once, or put yourself in a position where you know certain things are likely to happen.

After a quick scout of the venue, I always start with the getting ready shots for the bride and groom, and their respective bridal parties. This time in the day is usually pretty relaxed, but there’s a sense of nerves in the air, as they both know the importance of the day. My job isn’t just to capture their outfits and morning routine, but to reassure, calm, and help get them out the door and to the ceremony on time.

I won’t give you the blow-by-blow of every part of the day and my approach to it, but there are some parts that can be a bit tricky for us wedding photographers. Being a good wedding photographer is knowing what to look out for, and how to either overcome it, or best deal with it. Sometimes it’s as easy as talking to the venue owner, moving the couple etc, but sometimes it can just come down to the unflattering lighting at a venue, or the weather for the day.

One of the biggest challenges of wedding photography in my opinion, is how draining it can actually be. Don’t get me wrong, no wedding photographer is in the business because they don’t love it and can handle the drain, but it’s something that isn’t really known unless you’re in the industry. Photographing a 15hr day, while being at your peak enthusiasm, alertness, positivity, running around everywhere, all while carrying several cameras and a bag of other lenses and gear can be absolutely exhausting! That’s why it means so much to us when we get great reviews, and kind words from our couple, because we’ve absolutely given it our all for them on their big day - and we’d do it all over again.

4. Post-Processing

Or in other-words, “why does it take so long to get my photos!?”

After the wedding day is over, my work is far from finished. Post-processing is an essential part of creating beautiful, timeless images, as it always the longest part. A lot of people assume that you slap a filter over the top, or they don’t realise that we have to quite literally go through thousands of images - the days of our parents only getting a hundred photos from a few rolls of film are over!

The three main parts of editing are culling, the edit, and touch-ups.

We begin with culling, because we need to cut down the amount of photos by removing duplicates, blurry shots, unflattering angles etc. This can take anywhere from half a day, to a week depending on how experienced the photographer is. And yes, we’re literally just pressing “next” photo a million times all day to approve a photo or not.

Then with the initial edit, we’ll edit a few photos from different sections of the day, and apply them to that whole section, and go over each one to adjust some smaller details. This is to help create a consistent look throughout! There are new AI software programs that can do this for you, but they’re still not amazing, and still require us to go over them all and make small adjustments.

For the final touch-ups, we’ll take some of the best images of the whole day, and remove distractions, or fix blinking eyes etc. This can be quite time consuming, which is why we don’t do it for every photo, only a select few. For example, in the photo below, I spent a lot more time touching up the sky. It required a lot of masks, trial and error, and removal of distractions - but it was worth it!

5. Delivering the Images

The final step in the wedding photography process is delivering the images to the couple. I typically provide the images in both digital and physical formats, and I work with the couple to determine the best way to present them. I’ve found sending a digital collection is the best method, because they can easily share and download their favourites!

In conclusion, photographing a wedding is a challenging but rewarding experience. It requires a lot of preparation, specialised equipment, a keen eye for capturing the right moments, and a lot of experience to be confident enough for any scenario. But the end result is a collection of images that will be cherished by the couple and their families for a lifetime. If you're getting married soon, I hope this post has given you some insight into the work that goes into creating beautiful wedding images.

• Jake

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