How Much Time You Need for Getting Ready Photos on your Wedding Day

One of the main questions I get from brides is how much time do you need for getting ready photos on your wedding day? It’s really important to know this answer as you build your timeline with your wedding planner so I’m going to share some insight and my personal preferences when it comes to planning time well!

When I send my photo timeline to the bride and her planner I always request 60 to 90 minutes for the getting ready photos. This allows Nick and I time to gather all of the details, find the perfect spots and get our creative juices flowing. This time is really important for photographers and will be cherished by you, the more time we have the more details we will be able to creatively capture.

Details, Details, Details Darling!

When Nick and I arrive we always stop by to see the bride and grab the dress first thing. We typically take the dress and the styled hanger (which we always bring) out of the bridal suite to capture some photos of it. It’s important that we do this first since we don’t want the groom or any one else that might show up early to see the dress. We also do this first so that the dress can be re-steamed and ready to go when it’s time to be put on. After the dress has been captured we focus on the details shots of the rings, the invitation suite, shoes, gifts etc. Capturing these details takes up the most time and I generally plan for 30-45 minutes on this portion of the day, depending on the amount of bridal details.

Once the details are finished we will split up, Nick going with the guys and I staying with the ladies to photograph the bride and bridesmaids getting ready. You will truly love these images so make sure you allot plenty of time for them to be captured. When the hair and make up are finished I will spend about 15-20 minutes photographing the bride getting into her gown, shoes and jewelry. Generally, we like to stage these photos to make sure we get the best lighting and angles, so let your mom know she may be zipping or buttoning your gown for more than 15 seconds!  The Groom is typically much faster at getting ready since all he really has to do is shower and get dressed but Nick likes about 15 minutes to capture him buttoning his coat, putt on cuff links, tying his shoes, combing his hair etc.

We like to send our brides a ‘details’ bag before the wedding with a checklist of all the items that go in it, if you have all of your details in one place it really allows for more time to capture them.

 

Candid Photos and the Moments in Between

The getting ready time with your bridesmaids and family gives us the opportunity to capture beautiful, genuine and joyful candids of your morning. Having at least an hour for getting ready photos will ensure everyone in your bridal party is comfortable and familiar with us by the time the ceremony starts, this will make the rest of the day’s portraits fun and exciting for everyone. These photos will be loved long past the morning of your wedding day and when you see your gallery you will relive it all like it was yesterday.

 

When it comes to planning enough time on your wedding day for getting ready photos make sure you allot at least 60 to 90 minutes for the photographers to capture all of your details and moments beautifully! The more time you schedule for your photographer to shoot at the beginning of the day the more you will love the story told at the end of it!