When we started planning our wedding last year, I knew that I wanted photos with my new husband! I wanted to stand and hold his hand by a bright colored wall! I wanted him to kiss me on the forehead and I wanted to smile at the camera with him! I knew that none of this would be possible without making time for photos on our wedding day!

Wedding days are busy! You wake up super early to meet with your hair stylist and make up artist! Everyone is busy prepping the ceremony and reception location! Flowers are being delivered! Your bridesmaids are prepping for their toast speeches and the day is a little short of complete chaos at times! But it is very important to plan time throughout your day for posed and more natural photos!

Here are a few examples of different times during the day that you can plan for photographs!

Getting dressed

This is an awesome time to get a photo of you with your bridesmaids helping you into your dress! 

Just after getting into your dress (before leaving the hotel room)

Your hair and makeup is complete and your Mom has just helped you into your wedding gown! We will take 5-10 minutes for photographs in the hotel room! If we have more than 10 minutes, that’s awesome, but it doesn’t take long to take a few bridal portraits!

During dinner time

Dinner typically falls during the ideal time of the day for outdoor lighting! Once you’ve had a chance to eat, we may steal you away for a few more photographs of you and your honey! This is the time that we can truly be creative and get lots of photos of the two of you as a couple! We can make magic happen in 15-20 minutes and then you’re back to the reception to mingle and enjoy your reception!

Right after the ceremony (during cocktail hour)

This is the time of the day when most posed and naturally posed photographs happen! All of your guest will exit the ceremony and head over to the cocktail hour! We always ask that you keep your immediate family close by so that we can take the family formal photos at (or near) the ceremony site! Next we typically take photos of the bridal party and then photos of just the two of you outdoors if weather permits! We ask for at least an hour for these photos! More time is awesome too!

The end of the night

Sometimes we will grab the bride and groom for a photo or two towards the end of the night! Especially if we haven’t had any time for couples photos earlier in the day or if we want to do some cool lighting photos! If the reception has ended early, we may spend a little longer! If not, we will take just a few minutes to get a few intimate photographs!