Communicate Your Wedding Photography Timeline

 Wedding season is in full swing and I'm loving every minute.  It has been very busy resulting in some anemic blogging!However, I will try to keep pace with the blog world with posting ideas and concepts as we roll along through this hot and humid NY summer.

Photography by Amber J Photography

THE TIMELINE:  The timeline of your wedding is a plan you set in motion for certain events to happen at a certain time. 
You must communicate well with family and friends about your photography desires. It is never fun for us as photographers to try and track people down or to have guests impatiently waiting in the reception hall as we try to finish the task of photographing important images the bride and groom would like to capture following the ceremony. It is even worse when you don't get the photographs you desire because family and friends didn't know.
Just a few tips to keep things rolling...

REALIZE:
A timeline is a great idea, but real time sometimes happens differently. Consider that sometimes a  groomsman goes missing, someone inevitably has to use the bathroom,  travel time from the ceremony to where pictures are going to be taken takes longer than expected.   This all eats time and the minutes tick away rather quickly. Allow an extra half hour to what you feel is necessary.  I have yet to have too much time to photograph :)

COMMUNICATE:
If you want to have every cousin, aunt and uncle together in a photo because it's the first time in 10 years you have all seen each other - GREAT! Let's do it. However, make sure every cousin, aunt and uncle KNOW they are going to be asked to do this photo.  Send out a blast email, make a few phone calls, somehow let everyone in on the idea.  It takes forever to try and rally up large groups if they do not know what is expected of them.  If they know prior to the wedding they will be photographed around 4p.m. - then we save time and frustration gathering the troops.

THE LIST
It's always great to have a list of photography ideas. This should be talked through with your photographer WELL before the wedding.  Many times a bride has fantastic ideas on that list, but fails to communicate them to her bridal party and family.  Communicating a list of ideas and effective times for your family and bridal to be available for photographs eliminates a ton of frustration and allows for even better photographs. The bride who clearly communicates her desires gets exactly what she wants.

As you plan your day, talk with your photographer. Ask questions.  An experienced photographer has worked many weddings and will have a solid idea of where you need to allow time and what you need to do.

Happy planning!!