Let’s face it. Weddings are hectic, stressful, and fast-paced. There are so many moving parts to your overall day that it almost doesn’t feel like it’s YOUR big day if you don’t plan properly. And, when everything is said and done, the only thing you have down the road will be your memories and photographs.
Running out of time is the biggest reason why couples skip over the couple’s session, so it’s important to plan for at least 30-minutes to an hour for the bride and groom to step away and capture wedding day pictures.
It allows you to take it all in for a moment
Limit your bride and groom portraits to you and your photographer. Have the family and bridal party enjoy cocktail hour and take this time to RELAX. The rest of your day will be dancing, toasting, hugging relatives and chatting with friends. That basically leaves zero time for you and your boo to just take a moment and enjoy the feeling without a room full of people staring at you.
It may just be the only time you get pictures of just the two of you.
It’s possible you may not have thought of this, but wedding guests are inevitably avid photo-bombers. You’d be surprised at how difficult it is for your photographer to dodge every Uncle Jim, Aunt Sue, and “my cousin with the really good camera” and not have someone in the background competing for their own picture like real life paparazzi. And how crushed will you be when you are picking out which photos to frame that there isn’t a single photo with just the two of you?
So what are some good ways to plan for bride & groom portraits?
Make a timeline
First, you are going to want to develop a wedding photography timeline to keep yourself *relatively* on track for the big day.
Photograph during downtime
Try to schedule your portraits during the idlest time of the day. Cocktail hour is perfect for this because you are leaving your guests content with something to do to keep them occupied so you can enjoy your photo experience without interruption. Just make sure you have someone set aside your meal so you can fuel up when you return!
Have a first look
If you don’t mind stepping away from the typical wedding day traditions, having a first look is an excellent way to knock out bride and groom photos. Couple’s today love the first look because the lack of distractions and pressure of being watched let couples relax and take in the experience and emotions they are feeling without needing to “put on a show” which makes for some truly emotionally-packed images.
Bride & groom portraits should hold a priority for your wedding day. After you’ve put in all the time, money, planning, and energy into your event, it would be a shame to forget to get photographic documentation of your very special day!
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