Category: News View all posts
Creating a timeline
September 14, 2009
filed in News
Today I feel VERY compelled to write to my fellow photographers and clients about something that t is SO important to planning a wedding. A timeline. A timeline that reflects a stress free RELAXED day. We all know stress doesn't ever help anything! After shooting too many weddings with a crammed schedule and limited time for photos, I am 100 percent positive I am right about this :) Its always a bummer when you are only given such limited time for photos and are not able to work to your fullest. We all seem to know how this goes oh too well.
To the photographers:
When you meet with your clients, be sure to stress stress stress how important photo time is during the wedding. Encourage your bride and groom to see each other before the wedding. I know know know that the moment the bride and groom have when they first see each other for the first time is SO important and special and not everyone wants to do the first glance BUT its something to at least talk about during the consultation. Doing this seems to leave enough time for a variety of photos and the emotions before the ceremony seem to be more clam. I find that my best photos come from before the ceremony AND after. This also gives you time to do family photos before the ceremony which leaves more time after the ceremony to take more photos of the couple AND even maybe time for the couple to enjoy the cocktail hour with all the guests. I know this well because as I have been planning my own wedding, I realized that seeing Stephen before the ceremony would be the best. It would allow more time for photos and we would be more happy after the wedding is finished because we have more photos to look back on! :) Unfortunately, clients often pick ceremony times before speaking with you and sometimes don't leave enough or any room for photo time. What do you do? Well, you cant do much about the schedule but you can work fast :) I often find myself working quickly through family photos or suggesting the bride and groom take an extra 10 minutes to squeeze in before the reception begins. People may eat 10 minutes later but at least the bride and groom will have more photos to keep forever. If you are provided with VERY limited time, be sure to let your bride and groom know their expectations might need to be adjusted. I say this because a client hires you based off what they have seen on your website and blog and if you are not provided with the same amount of time like the rest of your weddings, you might leave the wedding with less photos, taken in less creative spots, due to the lack of poor planning which is beyond YOUR control. You can only do with what you are given.
To the bride and groom:If you read what I wrote to the photographers above, this may sound familiar. Again, I reiterate the importance of a schedule. It is only for YOUR best interest that you plan your wedding around what you will have forever... which is of course a wonderful marriage but also long lasting photographs. I have shot too many weddings that were very poorly planned. I have BEAUTIFUL photos from every wedding but I am not always able to work my creativity out to my fullest if I am given a very very short limited time. Don't get me wrong, I work really great with limited time but I know I can do even BETTER if I am given the proper amount of time. YOU will feel relaxed and comfortable during the photo time and not rushed. I find that we can take more time with family photos, bridal party photos and most importantly, the bride and groom. It gives us as the photographers more time to work around the venue and really absorb YOU through the camera. Light is extremely important when shooting a wedding and I can't stress enough how important it is to work with your photographer on time and lighting. We see things differently than you do and we just need more time to really allow our creativity to flow. PLEASE consider this when planning your wedding schedule. EVERY client deserves a fabulous wedding with amazing photographs and we ALL want to give you the best but like anyone, we need time to do that :) You will remember your wedding better if you take time to absorb it all in! If anyone needs an example schedule, I would LOVE to send one over. I have created my own wedding schedule for my own wedding and I would LOVE to share it with you! I really hope this was helpful and hope everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday! I will be sharing a video post again this week and would love some more questions! Leave a comment! Margo begged me this morning to give her another appearance on the blog ... so I just couldn't resist!
September 14, 2009
filed in News
T
oday I feel VERY compelled to write to my fellow photographers and clients about something that t is SO important to planning a wedding. A timeline. A timeline that reflects a stress free RELAXED day. We all know stress doesn't ever help anything! After shooting too many weddings with a crammed schedule and limited time for photos, I am 100 percent positive I am right about this :) Its always a bummer when you are only given such limited time for photos and are not able to work to your fullest. We all seem to know how this goes oh too well. To the photographers:
When you meet with your clients, be sure to stress stress stress how important photo time is during the wedding. Encourage your bride and groom to see each other before the wedding. I know know know that the moment the bride and groom have when they first see each other for the first time is SO important and special and not everyone wants to do the first glance BUT its something to at least talk about during the consultation. Doing this seems to leave enough time for a variety of photos and the emotions before the ceremony seem to be more clam. I find that my best photos come from before the ceremony AND after. This also gives you time to do family photos before the ceremony which leaves more time after the ceremony to take more photos of the couple AND even maybe time for the couple to enjoy the cocktail hour with all the guests. I know this well because as I have been planning my own wedding, I realized that seeing Stephen before the ceremony would be the best. It would allow more time for photos and we would be more happy after the wedding is finished because we have more photos to look back on! :) Unfortunately, clients often pick ceremony times before speaking with you and sometimes don't leave enough or any room for photo time. What do you do? Well, you cant do much about the schedule but you can work fast :) I often find myself working quickly through family photos or suggesting the bride and groom take an extra 10 minutes to squeeze in before the reception begins. People may eat 10 minutes later but at least the bride and groom will have more photos to keep forever. If you are provided with VERY limited time, be sure to let your bride and groom know their expectations might need to be adjusted. I say this because a client hires you based off what they have seen on your website and blog and if you are not provided with the same amount of time like the rest of your weddings, you might leave the wedding with less photos, taken in less creative spots, due to the lack of poor planning which is beyond YOUR control. You can only do with what you are given.
To the bride and groom:If you read what I wrote to the photographers above, this may sound familiar. Again, I reiterate the importance of a schedule. It is only for YOUR best interest that you plan your wedding around what you will have forever... which is of course a wonderful marriage but also long lasting photographs. I have shot too many weddings that were very poorly planned. I have BEAUTIFUL photos from every wedding but I am not always able to work my creativity out to my fullest if I am given a very very short limited time. Don't get me wrong, I work really great with limited time but I know I can do even BETTER if I am given the proper amount of time. YOU will feel relaxed and comfortable during the photo time and not rushed. I find that we can take more time with family photos, bridal party photos and most importantly, the bride and groom. It gives us as the photographers more time to work around the venue and really absorb YOU through the camera. Light is extremely important when shooting a wedding and I can't stress enough how important it is to work with your photographer on time and lighting. We see things differently than you do and we just need more time to really allow our creativity to flow. PLEASE consider this when planning your wedding schedule. EVERY client deserves a fabulous wedding with amazing photographs and we ALL want to give you the best but like anyone, we need time to do that :) You will remember your wedding better if you take time to absorb it all in! If anyone needs an example schedule, I would LOVE to send one over. I have created my own wedding schedule for my own wedding and I would LOVE to share it with you! I really hope this was helpful and hope everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday! I will be sharing a video post again this week and would love some more questions! Leave a comment! Margo begged me this morning to give her another appearance on the blog ... so I just couldn't resist!
