A Day in the Life of a Wedding Photographer
Most people think wedding photography is simple and straightforward.
Attend any wedding and you'll see a sea of point and shoots and eager uncles racing to get the best shot and bribing family members to pose for the camera.
The truth is that most people have no idea of what a day in the life of a wedding photographer is really like.
The wedding photographer not only takes pictures, he has to rely on a photographic (pun intended) memory to make sure to include all of the key players of the day.
The wedding photographer has to remember that the bride's parents are divorced and Dad can't stand Mom's new husband, or that Aunt Edna and Aunt Jill have been estranged for years and shouldn't be asked to pose together.
(This all depends on your family's history of course).
The photographer has to keep track of the timeline of the day, keep an excellent relationship with the wedding coordinator all while keeping his eyes open for the perfect shot.
Let's not forget taking care of the equipment and assuring it's functioning correctly.
Can you imagine what would happen if his batteries went dead just as the couple was pronounced? Very, very bad indeed.
Step into a day in the life of a wedding photographer.
8:00 a.
m.
- Clean lenses and cameras.
Store and pack all lenses, tripods, flashes and extra equipment.
Double check to make sure all contracts are packed as well as receipt books and phone numbers of any coordinators or key contact people at the event.
9:00 a.
m.
- Arrive at the bride's home to photograph preparation including bridal makeup, hairstyling and dressing.
Send assistant photographer to photograph the groom at his home or hotel room.
11:00 a.
m.
- Arrive at the ceremony location, scouting out any areas that will provide exceptional scenery or lighting for additional shots.
During daytime weddings, the lighting from outside is usually sufficient, which means we can avoid using the flash.
We still take a few test shots to gauge the lighting in the venue before the bridal party and the guests arrive.
After doing a lighting test, we check in with the wedding coordinator.
Meet with and debrief any assistant photographers, apprentices or other assistants.
12:00 p.
m.
- Set up the bridal party shots and shoot photos of all members of the bridal party including the parents of the couple.
The assistant photographer will grab shots of the groom and his groomsmen separately.
In most cases the bridal party is photographed at a site away from the ceremony site.
In these cases, we have to travel back to the ceremony site after the family formal photos.
1:00 - Photograph guests as they arrive.
Deal with guests who insist on being photographed.
Review checklist of key shots.
Work with the coordinator to identify key family members and friends the couple wants to be photographed.
2:00-3:00 - Get in place to shoot the ceremony from every angle.
Capture key shots such as the bride's entrance, the groom standing at the altar and their reaction as they see each other for the first time.
3:00-4:00 - Follow the couple from the ceremony site, capturing the couple's exit.
Complete shooting of the bridal party who were not photographed before the ceremony.
4:00-6:00 - Arrive at the reception site to take shots of the venue before the guests arrive.
Photograph the cocktail hour as guests file in.
Send the assistant photographer to capture shots of the couple's getaway car.
6:00-7:00 - Shoot the arrival of the couple at the reception, first dance, toasts and dinner.
Grab a quick bite and a short break while guests enjoy dinner and the couple greets their family and friends.
7:00-9:00 - Set up a photo booth for guests to take individual photos.
Capture more shots of the people on the VIP (very important people) list.
Politely make sure amateur photographers don't interfere with my shots.
9:00-12:00 - Photograph cake cutting, then dancing and entertainment, capturing shots of the bridal party dancing and celebrating.
12:00 - Get shots of the bouquet catch and the garter toss.
12:00-1:00 a.
m.
- Gather supplies and collect payment from the wedding coordinator or other representative.
1:30-2:00 a.
m.
- Arrive home and back up photos to my computer or disk.
Unpack camera and equipment and pat myself on the back for another job well done.
The following 3 - 4 days involve carefully selecting an manipulating the photographs, during this process it is common to send out a sample DVD of images to the newly weds to make sure they are happy with the selection process.
Once the proofs have been agreed and confirmed the album is produced, again this can take several days to complete and send out.
I discovered all of this hidden detail when working with as a Wedding Photographer in Surrey, UK.
It immediately justified the cost of hiring a professional wedding photographer, a cost many people think is too high.
Attend any wedding and you'll see a sea of point and shoots and eager uncles racing to get the best shot and bribing family members to pose for the camera.
The truth is that most people have no idea of what a day in the life of a wedding photographer is really like.
The wedding photographer not only takes pictures, he has to rely on a photographic (pun intended) memory to make sure to include all of the key players of the day.
The wedding photographer has to remember that the bride's parents are divorced and Dad can't stand Mom's new husband, or that Aunt Edna and Aunt Jill have been estranged for years and shouldn't be asked to pose together.
(This all depends on your family's history of course).
The photographer has to keep track of the timeline of the day, keep an excellent relationship with the wedding coordinator all while keeping his eyes open for the perfect shot.
Let's not forget taking care of the equipment and assuring it's functioning correctly.
Can you imagine what would happen if his batteries went dead just as the couple was pronounced? Very, very bad indeed.
Step into a day in the life of a wedding photographer.
8:00 a.
m.
- Clean lenses and cameras.
Store and pack all lenses, tripods, flashes and extra equipment.
Double check to make sure all contracts are packed as well as receipt books and phone numbers of any coordinators or key contact people at the event.
9:00 a.
m.
- Arrive at the bride's home to photograph preparation including bridal makeup, hairstyling and dressing.
Send assistant photographer to photograph the groom at his home or hotel room.
11:00 a.
m.
- Arrive at the ceremony location, scouting out any areas that will provide exceptional scenery or lighting for additional shots.
During daytime weddings, the lighting from outside is usually sufficient, which means we can avoid using the flash.
We still take a few test shots to gauge the lighting in the venue before the bridal party and the guests arrive.
After doing a lighting test, we check in with the wedding coordinator.
Meet with and debrief any assistant photographers, apprentices or other assistants.
12:00 p.
m.
- Set up the bridal party shots and shoot photos of all members of the bridal party including the parents of the couple.
The assistant photographer will grab shots of the groom and his groomsmen separately.
In most cases the bridal party is photographed at a site away from the ceremony site.
In these cases, we have to travel back to the ceremony site after the family formal photos.
1:00 - Photograph guests as they arrive.
Deal with guests who insist on being photographed.
Review checklist of key shots.
Work with the coordinator to identify key family members and friends the couple wants to be photographed.
2:00-3:00 - Get in place to shoot the ceremony from every angle.
Capture key shots such as the bride's entrance, the groom standing at the altar and their reaction as they see each other for the first time.
3:00-4:00 - Follow the couple from the ceremony site, capturing the couple's exit.
Complete shooting of the bridal party who were not photographed before the ceremony.
4:00-6:00 - Arrive at the reception site to take shots of the venue before the guests arrive.
Photograph the cocktail hour as guests file in.
Send the assistant photographer to capture shots of the couple's getaway car.
6:00-7:00 - Shoot the arrival of the couple at the reception, first dance, toasts and dinner.
Grab a quick bite and a short break while guests enjoy dinner and the couple greets their family and friends.
7:00-9:00 - Set up a photo booth for guests to take individual photos.
Capture more shots of the people on the VIP (very important people) list.
Politely make sure amateur photographers don't interfere with my shots.
9:00-12:00 - Photograph cake cutting, then dancing and entertainment, capturing shots of the bridal party dancing and celebrating.
12:00 - Get shots of the bouquet catch and the garter toss.
12:00-1:00 a.
m.
- Gather supplies and collect payment from the wedding coordinator or other representative.
1:30-2:00 a.
m.
- Arrive home and back up photos to my computer or disk.
Unpack camera and equipment and pat myself on the back for another job well done.
The following 3 - 4 days involve carefully selecting an manipulating the photographs, during this process it is common to send out a sample DVD of images to the newly weds to make sure they are happy with the selection process.
Once the proofs have been agreed and confirmed the album is produced, again this can take several days to complete and send out.
I discovered all of this hidden detail when working with as a Wedding Photographer in Surrey, UK.
It immediately justified the cost of hiring a professional wedding photographer, a cost many people think is too high.
