The life of a wedding photographer is a blend of artistry, precision, and emotional connection. Capturing one of the most important days in a couple’s life is a responsibility I embrace with enthusiasm and dedication. Finding the right balance between knowing when to just step back and let a moment happen on its own and also finding the right angle to be at to capture that moment. Here’s a glimpse into a typical wedding day from my perspective, where every moment counts and every shot tells a story.
Early Morning: Preparations
Just like any sport, photographing a wedding takes preparation. Although we pack our bags the day before the wedding day, we often double check that we have all the last batteries on the charge packed and get a few snacks ready in our bags for a quick bite if the day doesn’t warrant any kind of break. We make sure we have our detailed timeline on our phones for quick access when we need an address or just to make sure we are on schedule. Then we like to put on some music and get ready, eat a good and filling breakfast and pack the car up.
Arrival at the getting ready location & details
We like to start our day at a wedding by stopping in the say hi and see how the bride is doing and if we can get her anything. We then start promptly with detail shots of the paper goods, jewelry, rings, florals, shoes, dress, etc. We like to start with details because it is a good way for us to “warm up” for photographing the wedding.
Getting Ready
Once we capture all your details we carefully place everything back where it came from so you can easily find it and then we start capturing candid getting ready shots. We like to stay hidden for these parts, as the bride and bridal party aren’t quite dressed yet and this is a time for you to enjoy time with your best friends. We love it when you include fun drinks, opening champagne, or want to do a reveal of the bride with your bridesmaids during this time. Oftentimes our second photographer is off capturing the groom and his groomsmen in the same way.
First Look
First looks are some of our favorite intimate moments of a wedding day. Sometimes a bride and groom will opt to save this for down the aisle but we love it when they don’t. The flexibility of having a first look also helps when weather is in the forecast. Photographing weddings mainly in the southeast, our couples almost always prefer for their portraits to be outdoors, and we don’t blame them! We also love a first look because it allows a natural and intimate moment to happen where we can also be staged in the perfect angles to capture both of your reactions of seeing each other for the first time. This is also a time when the bride and groom share letters or even private vows to each other.
Ceremony
Once we finish up capturing your first looks and bridal party it is often time for us to grab detail shots of the ceremony. We love to get there before guests start arriving so we can photograph the full vibe of your space including florals, color scheme, rentals and the overall feel. We then continue to photograph guests arriving until the ceremony starts. We love capturing a wedding with one photographer to capture the grooms reaction (yes, even if you had a first look prior) and to capture the bride as she walks down the aisle. But our favorite part of the wedding day is the moment the bride and groom share their first kiss and celebrate walking back down the aisle as husband and wife for the first time.
Portraits
We always recommend capturing portraits after your ceremony, unless there is a weather related issue. We recommend this because the lighting is going to be the best and it also allows some time away for you and your new spouse.
Reception
Along with capturing details of your reception, we capture all the beautiful moments, like speeches, dances and partying.
Post Wedding
After arriving back home post wedding we make sure to back up your memory cards in two places to make sure they are safe for us to begin culling and editing!
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