Twisted Oaks Studio, the award-winning Philadelphia wedding photographers describe in detail how to properly plan for each part of your wedding day. Each and every client’s day is unique and different from the next, and depending on how you wish to have it captured will dictate how much time to allocate for each part of the day.
The breakdown below should be used a good starting point for putting your wedding day timeline together. The majority of our clients like to place a greater emphasis on the bride and groom portraits and therefore set aside more time than suggested. One of the benefits of being a Twisted Oaks client is that we put a lot of emphasis on the client/photographer relationship and the communication between the two. No matter who your Lead Photographer is, you will have the opportunity to work with them on your timeline a couple of months in advance to make sure that everything is prepared and ready to go well before your big day arrives. The ultimate goal is to provide a unique experience that offers much more than just photography, although that is obviously our favorite part!
RINGS, SHOES, DRESS, AND OTHER DETAILS
* Ideal Time Allotment – 20 minutes
* Ideal Time of the Day – Morning
* Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite
* ADVICE – Having at least 20 minutes for details (30 if details are extremely important) ensures that we have plenty of time to get that creative photo of the dress, rings, shoes, bouquets, and the other details of the day.
There are times when a hotel room is too crowded or simply unappealing; we have to take the dress all the way down to the lobby or even outside. This can take some time, but as you can see from the results, it’s well worth the additional work.
PREPARATION
* Ideal Time Allotment – 45 minutes to 1 hour
* Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Early Afternoon
* Ideal Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, or the Client’s Home
* ADVICE – Having 45 minutes to an hour of preparation is ideal for our style. During this time, we are getting close-ups of the bride getting her hair and makeup finished up as well as candid moments of the bridal party. Keep in mind, these are some of the most emotional and fun times of the day, so you don’t want to cut it short. We also don’t need to be there as you’re rolling out of bed. The bride may also want to make sure that her hair and makeup are done before we arrive, or at least close to it if she doesn’t want any photos taken beforehand.
One photographer will be with the bride while the second is with the groom. While it doesn’t take guys an hour to get dressed, there are still tons of great moments during this time between the groom and his family and friends. We like to spend the majority of this time capturing natural and real moments instead of staging posed photos.
We assist with making sure that you are in the best available light for the more important moments, but this is a special part of the day where we prefer everyone to be themselves and candid.
BRIDE & GROOM PORTRAITS
* Ideal Time Allotment – 1+ hour
* Ideal Time of the Day – Late Afternoon (Sunset)
* Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Any Place Chosen beforehand
* ADVICE – The couple session should be around 1 hour (sometimes more) and should take place ideally 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. This is the best time, in terms of lighting, which allows us to provide that unique style that you hired us for.
If you booked your venue because of the spectacular view of the city, ocean, or the gorgeous grapevines of a winery, it’s essential to follow this advice in your timeline.
If your timeline simply doesn’t allow for there to be a full hour set aside during this specific time of day then it can be split up. Couples’ portraits can be taken earlier in the day and then again before or during sunset. It’s important to keep all of this in mind when planning how the timeline gets pieced together and we are more than happy to help walk you through it.
FIRST LOOK
* Ideal Time Allotment – 30-60 minutes
* Ideal Time of the Day – Morning or Early Afternoon
* Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Empty Venue Hallway (shaded areas with natural light)
* ADVICE – The first look should be around 30 to 45 minutes. During this time, the bride and groom enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day. While the actual first look might only be 5-10 minutes, the rest of the time is spent on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom.
Ideally, we are saving the bulk of the couples’ session for later (see the “couples session” section below). However, if there is no other time in the day, it is best to allocate another 45 minutes to an hour here so that we make sure we have enough photos of just you two.
WEDDING PARTY PHOTOS
* Ideal Time Allotment – 30-40 minutes
* Ideal Time of the Day – Afternoon
* Ideal Location -Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site Location
* ADVICE – Wedding Party Photos should be around 30 – 40 minutes. During this time, we get a variety of shots in a variety of poses. We start off with the basic, classic photos focused on great expressions and lighting.
Then we move into a set of fun and creative shots. Finally, we know how much your wedding party means to you, so we are sure to get pictures with you and each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen individually.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
* Ideal Time Allotment – 30-40 minutes
* Ideal Time of the Day – Afternoon
* Ideal Location – Off-site Location, Church, Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, etc.
* ADVICE – Immediate Family Photos should take another 30-40 minutes. Plan on 3 minutes per group on average. For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30-minute time slot.
We all know how much weddings mean to the immediate family, and we want to make sure we’re capturing enough pictures with them.