I always want to talk with a bride and groom about timing. Typically, photos are taken between the ceremony and the reception. There is a bit of a juggling act here, as you want to be sure you have enough time to take all the necessary photos, but on the other hand, you don’t want your out-of town guests sitting around waiting for you for too long.
I typically recommend an hour and a half for photos of the bride’s immediate family, the groom’s immediate family, the wedding party and the bride and groom session alone.
This time might be longer if...
you consider:
- Traveling time – this is not included in the one and a half estimate. You’ll have to add more time if multiple carloads of people have to arrive before photos can begin.
- Large families or a large wedding party - more people in the photos means more organizing of those people. Often someone goes missing, others get caught up in talking with each other, etc.
- More group photos – if you want more than just your immediate family captured, or want several different combinations of people, you’ll need more time, as well.
- Children – Cute, but not always cooperative when a camera is pointed their way. Factor in more time for more children, especially the younger they are.
If you take all the above into consideration, you won’t be rushed during the photo session, and you’ll be in great shape if anything unexpected happens. If the times flies and the group photos are a done sooner than expected, you would have time to mingle a bit with your guests before the reception begins.
Or, you could take a few unexpected and precious minutes to spend some time alone with your new spouse on your wedding day.
