When planning your wedding timeline and schedule, it can feel a overwhelming! There are so many parts to the wedding day that you may even wonder how you will ever fit everything in. The temptation is often to devote a short amount of time to each item on your list to cram as much in as you can, but is this always the best option? How can you more effectively plan and schedule your big day to ensure you day goes exactly as you've dreamed and you have all of the gorgeous photos as well?
First, consider which photos of the entire day are of most importance to you (excluding the actual ceremony time). Would it be portraits of the bride and groom alone--family formal photos--the decor and all of the little details that you spent time planning and preparing--bridal party photos with your friends? Choose your top TWO categories. Allot the most amount of time for these two areas.
(Personal Opinion! As a married woman, a wedding photographer and frequent wedding attendee... The portraits of the bride and groom are by far the most important part of the day! These are the photos you will hang in your home, show off to your children and grandchildren, and treasure as the years pass by. I highly recommend a minimum of 45 minutes for this part of your day to ensure you have all of the beautiful shots you desire.)
Next, consider which part of the day is least important and ways you can reduce the time on that area to create more time for your top priority photos. Maybe you can combine family formals into larger groupings instead of individuals to save time. You also may want to shorten your bridal party portrait time by only capturing a few beautiful poses including everyone as opposed to spending a lot of time creating multiple, intricate poses.
By prioritizing your photo desires for your wedding day, you are ensuring that you have exactly the photos you desire! Discuss these priorities with your photographer in advance and let them know what is most important for you personally.