Today’s blog post is for the brides and grooms who want to learn more about how you can ensure you’re getting the reception images of your dreams for your wedding. This post may also come in super handy if you’re in the middle of planning your wedding and you’re curious about how your wedding photographer schedules your timeline so you can have those beautiful images of untouched reception areas. I absolutely adore having the chance to share tips with my couples in our For Brides blog series and I’m confident that this post is going to be a helpful addition!
Most of our brides check the little box in their questionnaire telling us that we’ll have time to have access to their reception hall before guests arrive so we’re able to capture detail portraits of all of the design work they put into planning their Big Day. We’re also pretty sure that if you were to talk with our couples, they’ll probably tell you that capturing the people at their wedding and the moments that happen as the day unfolds is more important to them than the details are. I would have to agree with this sentiment! After all, your friends and family are there to celebrate your love and union and offer you well-wishes for many years to come. We believe that magic happens when people really connect with each other and that’s exactly why we we’re there to capture those memories as they’re unfolding. However, I would also like to add that there are many reasons why I’m so passionate about capturing your details.
Why Should I Focus on the Details?
The decor and color scheme you chose together as a representation of you both as a couple is what sets your wedding apart from everyone else’s! You’ve put in a lot of planning. A lot of money was invested into your wedding day. And if your decor and details aren’t photographed, how are you going to remember them for what they really were? Flowers wither and dry up, plates are washed and put away, linen is folded and stored, the chairs are stacked, and the room quickly becomes just another empty wedding hall. After the day is done and the champagne flutes are emptied, the one thing you have left over (besides your rings and marriage certificate) are your photographs.
Also, keep in mind that if you choose to have a wedding album printed your detail portraits are the perfect thing your photographer can use to tie everything together for a beautiful presentation.
What Can I do to Get the Best Images?
- If it’s possible to hold your cocktail hour in a different location than your reception hall, we highly recommend doing this! This will ensure that your photographer will have plenty of time to have access to your reception without worrying about guests laying down coats and purses, or people moving chairs around. Untouched reception details are the best details to capture! Besides, most of the time my couples see their reception area for the first time alongside their guests. Wedding days are busy days and you’ll be pulled in all sorts of directions. Allowing us the chance to capture these untouched details will provide you with the opportunity to see all of the beautiful choices you made together – as they were set up by your hard working vendors. We’ve also found that while we’re in the reception area during cocktail hour photographing your details it will give us the opportunity to set up our lighting equipment and talk to the DJ & wedding planner about your grand entrance!
- Having your wedding planner (or even a family member) keep an eye on the reception location to remind guests that cocktail hour is in a different location is also a really great way to eliminate distractions and reduce the chances of people in the background of your reception photos.
- If you’re not able to separate cocktail hour location and reception location, we completely understand! By filling out our detailed questionnaire we’re able to see when the reception hall will be fully dressed and ready to present for portraits. We’ll also work really closely with your planner to make sure we can fit this prime photographic opportunity into your timeline without any hassle.
We hope that this blog post helps answer some questions you might have about planning your portrait timeline within your wedding day! For more tips on wedding planning and wedding photography coverage, follow along with our For Brides blog series.
