“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
An experienced event and wedding photographer is worth their weight in gold to ensure an easy flow of a wedding day. They will be mindful of the context of the day and how much time is needed to cover everything photographically. They know how long it takes to walk from point A to point B, the weather, where the sun is in the sky that time of the year, how long it takes to photograph groups, and to multiply out different time factors so the bride and groom aren’t left with only 15 minutes for portraits out of an 8 hour day.
Making a timeline and photo plan requires honest conversations about expectations, keeping things real is the #1 job of the person who helps create the timeline. Experience is the best teacher, after photographing over 400 weddings, I can say I’ve seen timelines go sideways because I wasn’t totally honest with my clients in the early stages. I expected coordinators at venues to keep things (people) in line and snap their fingers when things got behind to magically get us back on schedule. I quickly learned that doesn’t work. It’s really the photographer who has to stay on task and keep everyone in order. The best wedding days start with a realistic timeline; every moment has to be accounted for, from walking from the car to inside the venue. Every 5 minutes counts.
There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re racing the clock on a wedding day. I know how to pad timelines so that everyone feels relaxed and has a memorable experience.
