Making sure your photo/video coverage proceeds smoothly!
The Itinerary
This is the most crucial item we need to make sure we capture everything and the day proceeds smoothly.
The itinerary should be organized and include as much information as possible.
It should include a detailed schedule with addresses as well as contact information for key vendors.
If you have a wedding planner or coordinator, they should be making something like this for you which you can just send over our way. If not, please see the PDF link for an example from a past wedding we've captured. This is an extremely detailed example. We understand not every wedding itinerary can be as detailed as this, so if we were to label the most important things to include they are the following:
1. Timeline with scheduled hours of coverage
2. Addresses for groom/bride in the morning, ceremony, and reception
3. Contact information for other photo/video team if required
Please keep in mind that if an event is not listed in the schedule, we cannot guarantee that we will capture it. It's important to note special performances, speeches, games, etc.
Things to have ready for bridal/groom prep
We like to tell a story with our photos and videos which starts with your preparation in the morning. Please don't put on your accessories or wedding attire before we arrive! We like to capture the little details to help build to your wedding day.
Other than your dress or suit, if possible you can also have prepared for us the following:
Bride
Accessories: Engagement ring and wedding rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, basically any jewellery you'll be wearing the day of
Shoes
Alternate dresses
Stationary: Two wedding invitations, save the date
Copy of vows or letters written to each other
Groom
Accessories: Tie clip, cuff links, rings (if not kept with bride), basically any jewellery you'll be wearing the day of.
Shoes
Copy of vows or letters written to each other (if not kept with bride)
Family and Friend group formals (Not wedding party formals)(Photography coverage only)
This usually takes place immediately after the ceremony. In order to make sure this proceeds smoothly and quickly, please provide us a list of groups/family/friends so we can efficiently call the groups one after another. Please see the adjacent PDF for an example list.
If you really want to make this part of the day go by even faster, you can print multiple copies of this list out for people attending your ceremony to keep. This way, they can get be ready and prepared for their names to be called next.
We'll call the groups ourselves if we're covering your wedding photography. We don't cover this for video.
Please allot at least 30 to 45 minutes for this depending on how many people are attending your ceremony. If we use less time, that's great! We can use it to either relax or push into our wedding party formals.
How much time to allot for wedding party formals?
If we're doing photography for your wedding, we need a minimum of one hour of actual shooting time. That is, one hour of shooting time and not including travel time. With one hour of actual shooting time, this still may feel rushed depending on the size of your bridal party. Ideally, we'd like at least 1.5 hours of shooting time (again, not including travel time).
If you want to shoot at more than one location, please remember to consider travel time between locations.
If we're doing only videography for your wedding, we'll mostly let your photographer lead and we'll interject here and there to direct you for some movement. Ideally, you can schedule about 10 to 15 minutes for just videography as directing for video can be vastly different than directing for photo.
An unplugged Ceremony
If you're considering whether or not to have an unplugged ceremony (i.e., no phones or cameras from guests), I'll let the facebook post do the talking.
You can ask your officiant to make an announcement at the beginning your ceremony that phones/cameras are not permitted as there are professional photographers and videographers around to capture the moments. I've even had couples go so far as to have signs asking guests to just enjoy the moment and put the electronics away.
