Indianapolis Boutique Wedding Photographers

Last week we went over a few things just to help you start planning your wedding day timeline.  I apparently got a little over zealous and used most of my tips, so this week we only have a few more.

1. Getting ready at the same location:

We always recommend getting ready at one location, specifically a hotel close to your venue if possible. Many couples choose to get ready at their parents’ homes, and we definitely get why: 1) it saves money and 2) their is a certain sentimental factor. These really are both great reasons, but from our experiences, it rarely turns out as expected. Getting ready at home is usually much more stressful than you anticipate. You now have family, bridesmaids, friends, makeup artists, hair stylists, and delivery people all at the house, and you or your parents often end up playing host rather than enjoying the morning. Plus, with everyone in one location we can easily get photos of both the ladies and the gentleman without commuting and spending the extra time driving around town. Above all we suggest this because we want you to be able to relax, enjoy yourself, and take in the morning, rather than watch it go by in a blur.

As an added bonus with the extra time you have, you can write a sweet little note to your wife/husband to be.

Most hotels have a bar, which I’ve never heard a groomsman complain about

2. Providing transportation

If you’re really looking to save time, providing transportation for the bridal party is a big plus, specifically if we’re doing photos downtown or commuting. If everyone rides together than you don’t have to worry about finding parking, dealing with traffic, or losing groomsmen along the way.

3. Planning for family formals

Trying to organize family can sometimes be like herding cats. (yes, that’s an illustration my grandpa would use, but still it’s apropos) To help with this we try to limit the “Family Formals” to immediate family {Grandparents, Parents, & Siblings} This way your family photos don’t take time away from photos with your new hubby, and you can go straight to the reception without making all of the guests wait. For photos with aunts, uncles, and cousins we’ve found it easiest to take those at the reception.

4. Enjoy yourself

As much as you plan, you can’t prepare for everything. So make sure you take time and enjoy it.

These are just a few things we’ve learned a long the way. Hopefully they will help when you’re planning things out

Aside from deciding who to invite to the wedding (or where to sit them at the reception) one of the hardest parts of planning your wedding is figuring out the timeline.  If you have a planner, Awesome! They will take care of most of that for you. If not, (and you want one) let us know, and we’ll send you to an amazing one. But just to give you an idea of how to plan ahead we’ve put together a few things that will be helpful in planning your timeline. We’ve broken it up into 2 parts just because it’s a lot of information

1.  How much time should I allot for photos?

In an ideal scenario we suggest setting aside 30 minutes per group being photographed (bridesmaids, groomsman, bridal party, & family) and 45 min for the Bride + Groom. So all in all 2:45 -3 hrs We can for sure do it in less time, but this gives us plenty of time to be creative, and as an added bonus it has a built in buffer just in case things are running behind. I know, I know, weddings never run behind. : ) Don’t forget travel time either. If you’re wanting photos somewhere away from the ceremony/reception venue make sure you allot enough time to get there and back.

2. When should we do our First Look?

First Looks are AH-MAZING. When else on your wedding day are you going to get time for just the two of you?? But explaining that is a post in and of itself. So if you’re planning a first look you should consider scheduling it about 3 hours (+ travel time) before the ceremony. This way we can get all of your photos taken before the wedding and you go straight to the reception/cocktail hour with your guests.

3. What about a receiving line?

Something that is often overlooked in the timeline is the receiving line. Nothing can eat away your time like a receiving line. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that we don’t like receiving lines, but they always take longer than expected. If you want a receiving line we suggest one of two things:  1.) Allot 30 seconds of time per guest. So for every 100 guest plan to add 45 min.  or 2) Greet the guests by table at the reception. This eliminates a lot of awkward hugging, and lets your guests head straight to the reception instead of standing in line to exit.

4. Should I plan a cocktail hour? How long should it be?

We always suggest a cocktail hour, for two main reasons. 1) This gives us time to sneak you and your new hubby away to get a few glowy sunset photos before the reception.  2) It gives us time to photograph all your amazing details at the reception before guest enter. If everyone heads straight to the reception venue after the wedding it’s sometime difficult to get all the detail photos before people arrive. If you’re doing a first reveal then 45 min- 1hr is plenty long enough, but if you’re not seeing each other before the wedding, you should try to set aside 1:30-2hrs between ceremony and reception so we can finish all of the photos.

Next week we’ll post a few more tips to help when planning your timeline!