Avoiding Wedding Day Scheduling Mistakes

Wedding scheduling mistakes are easy to make. Wedding photographers pay close attention to schedules set for a wedding day, so it’s a good idea for brides and grooms to consult with the photographer when setting a time schedule for the day.

This will prevent some of the wedding scheduling mistakes that involve the photographer that can take place on a wedding day.

Here are three mistakes I have seen that brides and grooms can make on their wedding day that will impact the wedding photographer:

Not including the photographer in scheduling

Not checking with the photographer when setting the day’s schedule. Engaged couples may not be aware of how much time a photographer needs to get the photos desired on a wedding day. Taking the formal portraits of the family, which usually takes place before the wedding, takes a certain amount of time. Depending on how big the family is, the time needed could be take longer than expected. Setting up formal groupings for the formal portraits is challenging, particularly when not all the people who need to be in the photo are present. Precious time is wasted when someone has to go look for a brother or sister who is off doing something else when formal portraits are being taken. I generally a lot 60 to 90 minutes for these portraits, so it is important for couples to be aware of that and consult with the photographer before scheduling events for the day.

Not doing a first look

I won’t say that not having a first look event is a mistake by the bride and groom, but it does make the job of the photographer that much more difficult. More and more couples are opting for this pre-ceremony reveal, where a bride and groom set a private time to see each other before the ceremony. Some couples still want to go the traditional route and not see each other before the wedding. I get that and will support that decision. But I will tell you that it will make the photo session more rushed because all the family formals will have to take place between the ceremony and the reception. This may also mean there will be no time to get many bride and groom portraits, which in my opinion should be the most valued by the couple.

Not including the videographer in wedding day scheduling

Coordinating the schedule with the videographer as well as the photographer can be a significant mistake. Here’s an example. I was the videographer at a wedding a couple of years ago. I was setting up for the first look in the church sanctuary. Setting up for the first look is no easy job. It entails proper placement of camera and lights. I had informed the bride that I would be in the sanctuary setting up for the first look. During this time, the photographer went to the bride and set up the first look in a totally separate location. I exited the sanctuary to get the bride and groom for the first look only to learn that the photographer had already set this up. This was a classic case of a lack of communication between the photographer, videographer and bride. It is important for the bride and groom to consult with the photographer AND videographer to get images of important wedding day events.