Schedule the time...

In keeping with my advice for new brides, I wanted to bring up the subject of scheduling. This is probably the one I feel most passionately about as it directly involves me and my ability to take amazing photos of all you lovely girls on your big day.

Schedule. Time. For Pictures. I speak with dozens of brides each year about their photos and scheduling of the big day. Most all of them say the pictures are the most important thing to them. (picture me doing a little happy dance). Yet, I've not come across many who build enough time into the day to get the fun and creative pictures that a church just doesn't allow for.

So...my suggestion. If you can, and if you feel comfortable...schedule the ceremony in the afternoon but don't have your reception start until a couple hours later. Example, ceremony at 3:30, reception at 6:00. Now, this probably means you need to have some type of appetizers and music playing prior to you getting there so your guests who arrive early aren't bored and hungry.

But...I can't stress this enough, it makes it difficult for us photographers, even in our fabulousness to get a million creative photos if we have only 12.43 minutes to do it.

I schedule a lot of time for the photos prior to the ceremony so that afterwards, I can spend the time with the bride/groom, their wedding party and any other important people, getting fun and creative pictures at a seperate venue. Sometimes this means outside. Sometimes this means another indoor location (which in FW there aren't many).

Anyway, my point being...if you can help it, if you're comfortable with it, if it doesn't stress you out...schedule the time for photos. Trust me, in a month, a year, ten years from now...your guests will NOT care if there is a couple hours between the ceremony and the reception. But, you WILL care that you took the time to go and get some amazing photos done of your fabulous selves on your wedding day!

If you're a bride planning a wedding, let's have some coffee and chat about your day. I have lots and LOTS of awesome ideas :)