Planning a wedding – The Devil is in the detail.
Success happens when preparation and opportunity meet. Never under estimate the importance of planning each wedding from the outset. Here’s my complete guide to getting the planning right…
Taken on my Canon 10D IR, Hand held with my 16 - 35mm f/2.8 lens. All the pictures in this feature were taken by Damien or Julie Lovegrove during the making of the excellent new DVD 'The Big Day the Lovegrove Way'.
Well before the big day, plan all the details of the wedding schedule and your involvement like a military operation. Why? Firstly, because you want to achieve high standards and you need to use your time efficiently and secondly, because you don’t want anything to take you by surprise. So instead of waiting for problems to happen, try to identify them as early as possible.
Problem 1:
Couple A’s wedding ceremony is booked for noon. The ceremony might run to 1pm if the bride is fashionably late and then add a further 15 minutes outside the church for confetti and so on. If there is a thirty-minute journey to the reception and the wedding breakfast is booked for 2:00 PM. This would leave virtually no time to photograph the bride and groom or the formal groups. To achieve good coverage, clearly more photography time needs to be negotiated. Negotiate now, six months before the wedding, not 6 weeks before.
Solution 1:
The wedding is put back to 2pm. The guests will have had a brunch or pub lunch en route, and the bride has more time to get ready. The bride and groom arrive at the reception at 3.45 have pictures galore, mingle and go in for the wedding breakfast at 6.00. The meal is over by 8.45 then the party can get underway till midnight. The bride and groom only have to provide their guests with one meal so there is more money available for photographs.
Canon 5D, ISO 640, f/3.2 at 1/100th second. A simple contre-jour bridal portrait in true Lovegrove style. I love having a dark tree canopy cut out the light from the camera direction leaving my subject rim lit.
Problem 2:
A 4pm ceremony at a Castle in Scotland in February probably rules out any pictures of the bride and groom together in daylight. If you are happy to use available light and/or make your own, then this might not be a major problem. On the other hand…
Solution 2:
If you point out what exciting pictures of the couple you could take using daylight in the castle grounds, the bride and groom might be happy to be ready by 2pm for an hour of photography before the guests start to arrive for the ceremony.
Stay creative and open-minded with wedding day planning and most problems will disappear. But get in there early at the booking stage, never try to force changes on a bride once her wedding day plans are finalised.
Canon 5D, ISO 1250, f/4, 1/15th second. I set the camera to manual exposure for this signature dusk portrait. My 580 EX2 was zoomed into 105mm and rigged on a stand just out of shot on the left of the camera. I triggered it using my STE2 transmitter.
Top tip:
Don’t be afraid to say NO to a booking rather than take on a wedding with a fundamentally flawed time plan. Setting yourself up to fail in this way will have a terrible knock-on effect that could pull you down emotionally. The psychological and financial consequences of disappointing a bride can last for years.
Logistics:
If our first shooting location on the morning of a wedding is more than ninety minutes from our home, Julie and I prefer to stay in a hotel close to the venue the night before the wedding. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule. If our start time is late in the day or we can drive to the wedding using minor roads that avoid congestion, we will travel on the day. The key principle for us is to keep stress at bay. Being stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway behind an accident that could take hours to clear is not something I’m prepared to risk. Being late for a wedding is simply not an option.
So reduce risks, stay professional and plan creatively. If the shooting day is twelve hours, or the combined shoot and travel time is more than fourteen hours, we always stay the night of the wedding too. Driving at night when tired is not a risk we are willing to take. Always remember that you are your own most valuable asset, so look after yourself. Besides, If you shoot weddings with your partner, a few nights away in a good hotel are always fun. Better still, this is a kind of fun that is tax-deductible!
Book early to get the best rates and secure the sea views etc.
Julie shot this frame before the wedding. Even though the bride thought she was behind schedule Julie still managed to put together a striking set of pre ceremony bridal portraits. Nikon D200, ISO 800, f/5, at 1/80th second using a 17mm lens.
When you create a time plan for the day, be accurate with journey times. I’ve often heard a Groom say something like, “the reception is only about ten minutes away” only to find the journey takes us half an hour. Remember to factor in local events like major sporting fixtures as well as the usual traffic for that particular time of day. Use the Internet to research your journey and programme your sat nav if you have one.
Once your logistical plan has been keyed in, always share it with the bride and groom. It might seem quite busy or unnecessarily complicated at first, but with the couples’ help and offers of solutions or lifts, it will become manageable. Stay flexible! Right up to the morning of the wedding, plans will change. Rain may force the guys to cancel the golf or shooting. This will have a ripple effect and trigger plan B (if you’ve remembered to make one!).
I took this picture of the groom’s dog using my Canon 5D. I worked handheld ISO 800, f/4, at 1/200th second. It is important to include all the loved ones in your pictures including pets.
A typical wedding time plan
(names of the people are fictitious)
Richard (the Groom):
10.00 Damien to meet Richard and guys for clay pigeon shooting. Smiths Farm, Combe Hay, Near Bath courtesy of Frank Shellard, Wellow Trekking Centre, Little Horsecroft Farm, Ford Road, Wellow. Meet at Wellow Trekking Centre BA2 8QF (1 hour from the Lovegrove studio) take the 350z.
1.30 Guys go to Richard’s home: The Winding House. Wick Lane. Pensford. BS49 4BU (15 minutes drive)
1.45 All guys to get ready for the wedding and have a buffet lunch.
2.45 All guys to be ready for a few photographs and then leave for Babington House Hotel, Kilmersden, Somerset. BS54 3NJ (15 minutes drive)
3.15 Be at Babington for a few photos before greeting guests.
Nicole (the Bride):
2.0 Julie to be with Nicole and the girls at Babington House Hotel, Kilmersden, Somerset. BS54 3NJ (1 hour drive from the Lovegrove studio. Take the Xtrail with lighting kit and framed prints from the pre wedding shoot )
3.15 All hair and make up to be finished.
3.40 All girls to be ready for a few informal photos.
3.55 Gather in the foyer for the procession to the chapel.
Both:
4.00 Ceremony in chapel – John Mosley to give Bride away.
4.45 Ceremony finishes. Confetti and milling outside chapel – Champagne and canapés are served.
5.00 Photos with Richard and Nicole only, away from the guests.
5.30 Group Photos as per separate list (each Usher to be given a copy)
5.50 Time to chat to guests while Julie and Damien photograph candidly, capture table details and terrace restaurant.
6.15 Ushers to gather all the guests onto the front lawn.
6.20 Big group picture of everyone on the front lawn.
6.30 Called through to dinner. Julie and Damien seated with the guests.
6.45 Speeches and Cutting the cake immediately, followed by Dinner.
9.30 1st Dance in the bar area. Rock & Roll routine. (surprise for all the guests)
9.40 Fireworks.
10.00 Belly Dancer in the bar. (surprise for all the guests)
10.30 Dancing until midnight and beyond.
10.45 Damien and Julie to leave shortly after the party starts.
Notes:
• Nicole’s father died in 2002
• Mother of Bride – Judith Collet
• Parents of Groom – Jo & Colin Pearl
• Best Man – Chris Hammond (0789 4568760)
• Usher – Ben (Richard’s son) & Gavin Young
• Chief bridesmaid – Katy Pearl (Richard’s daughter) (0788 5643401)
• Bridesmaid – Tasha,
• Ring bearer – Sam Patrick (Richards’s son)
• John Mosley – giving bride away
• Flower girls – Georgia and Olivia Rowlands
Canon 5D, ISO 1250, f/3.5, 1/15th second. By the time I took this picture it was dark and diffucult to focus. The STE2 transmitter I used to trigger the flash has a very useful focus aid light built in. This is one of the key factors why I use it in the dark rather than use my excellent Pocket Wizards. I held the camera over my head and pointed it in the right direction using experience and intuition as my framing guide. The random tree illumination was from some fairly low wattage spotlights set into the ground.
To see our military planning in action get yourself a copy of our lavish new DVD entitled ‘The Big Day The Lovegrove Way’ You will see Julie and I shoot a complete wedding from start to finish. Every nuance of our strategy is laid bare.
Damien Lovegrove
I stay and take the speeches and toasts at the breakfast , I wait until the Bride & Groom have their first dance , shoot them on motor-drive , then I’m OFF , I’m GONE before the drinking gets serious and guests , sometimes the Groom , start to luck funny , dribble etc with staring eyes !!!
I have a friend who freelances full-time for the local press with his Canon 7D and big L lenses , so he arrives to cover the reception for me because he loves doing it and all the socialising & boozing , and being the centre of attention himself , I bung him a hundred quid , paid for by the Bride & Groom . He delivers the cards to me personally after the wedding , then he gets his hundred quid !
I have always shot the Bride & Groom cutting the cake BEFORE the reception , in a mock up , privately , away from everybody else , I get much better pictures that way ( they don’t actually cut the cake ! ) . And at the same time I get shots of them , arms intertwined , with glasses , drinking to one another and to their happy marriage in the years ahead .
Here in Ireland the Photographer is given the complete freedom of the altar , where at one stage I actually end up standing beside the priest to get fabulous closeups of the hands at ther placement of the rings .
I get several shots of them signing the Registry in the church sacristy .
I always make sure to get shots of them too from the organ loft , with a big powerful Metz Mecablitz Hammerhead , the length of the church , with them on the altar , and in one print I sandwich therm in looking down on themselves from the church roof or dome over the altar .
And I don’t believe in this commonly abused
word by wedding photographers here ( not Pro’s ) , “Unobtrusive ” .
You can’t shoot a big wedding without being obtrusive , but only for twenty minutes or so , when I usually end up barking out orders across the churchyard like a Sergeant – Major !
Because I want the Bride & Groom to have something worthwhile of their Big Day for every day of their lives , in this I am passionate .
( BTW I make sure to get all these important shots on Medium Format film , Bronica SQA loaded with colour , Mamiya 645 with True Black-and-White , that I D&P myself in my own darkroom , and also scan to computer ) .
Hope this is helpful .
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your review of how thing used to be done. I started my career shooting weddings in 1998 to offer brides something different, fresh and exciting. At that time the industry was full of shooters working to the Guild of Wedding Photographers manual. We shook up the industry and nearly everyone moved on at about the same time. Thankfully now wedding photography is less photography by numbers and more creative.
Kindest regards,
Damien.
Hi Damien, I have your DVD’s and book which I find most useful.
Can you tell me why you shoot the Bride & Groom on their own first before the group shots, I tend to shoot the groups first so that I can get everyone else out of the way.
Also do you have a set check list that you fill out when discussing the wedding arrangements with the couple before their wedding? & what information do you request.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for your kind words. We shoot the couple straight away because the B&G are the first to leave the Church and the first to arrive at the reception. So while the other guests roll up and powder their noses we get the shoot out of the way. The B&G can then make an entrance at their reception with no time lost.
Regards, Damien.
Having just finished reading your book the complete guide to professional wedding photography i had to take a look at your web site. I am just starting out in a photography business with my first two weddings booked for september and december this year.Buying and reading your book has been the best thing i have done so far. I only hope i can take some of your advise with me and start working towards producing photos as excellent as yours in the years to come. Thankyou
Hi Chris,
All the information you need is here.
Damien.
Just watched the DVD, very good; can you tell us more on how to take infrared picures please?
Hi Luis,
Thanks for your kind words. Yes you are right I neglected to fully answer Pat’s question re pre ceremony pictures. My response to Pat’s question is that Julie and I had our ‘couple’ pictures taken before our wedding and we thought nothing of it and at several times throughout our career we have photographed the bride and groom before the wedding. These have all been civil ceremonies or blessings. It is not uncommon for a couple to get married earlier in the week at the local town hall and to have a blessing on the Saturday. The ceremony is virtually identical and only those in the know would know. The couple even go off into another room to sign a certificate of commitment. The congregation often don’t know.
We are a far less superstitious lot here in the UK. Several of our Bride and Grooms have shared a room the night before their wedding.
I hope this helps.
Oh, and my brother Harley Lovegrove was our wedding Photographer.
Kindest regards, Damien.
Damien,
Thank you very much for sharing your expertise so freely. You’ve set a very high bar for your paid advice :)
Can you please address the question from Pat about pre-ceremony shoots with the Bride and Groom. I’m not sure how it is in Britain, but here in the US our brides tend to be on the superstitious side. I know mine was!
Best Regards,
Luis
Thank you all for your kind words and valuable contributions.
Damien.
Hi all ! I just discovered your blog and I have to say it is fantastic and full of good advices ! After two years of training practices with my two dslr, I start to have some customers and no doubt your articles will help me a lot ! thank you very much for sharing your knowledges, greetings and happy new year !
Really great write up! I am always generous with planning time…. if it’s a short 10 minute drive, I give it 15. If the couple thinks the receiving line will take 10 minutes, I allot 30 minutes. I also try to make sure we plan to be done formals 30-60 minutes before they need to be at the reception; if we finish in time, they get a much needed rest (and some time with each other), or if we take longer we are still safe.
Excellent advice as usual. Its so useful to have the insight of your knowledge built on the lessons of your experience.
I am freelance and have worked for wedding photographers, covering weddings on their behalf and have found that some of them are so entrenched in their thinking that they sort out the planning of detail and timings just a few weeks before the wedding. As uyou rightly point out it leaves little latitude for error and mishaps, plus it doesn’t always give the the bride and groom oportunity to really feel relaxed.
Your formula of getting a framework of timings before details are agreed with stylists, wedding co-ordinators, and catering staff, makes perfect sense to me.
If I branch out on my own, this is definitely the formula that I will adopt.
Every good wish for 2009
Dave
After to many weddings chasing brides down the stairs. Trying to photograph her whilst she races to the waiting car. I now insist on 20 – 30 mins after the dress is on to photograph the bride. I also repeat this after the service and group shots by having 20 – 30 mins with the bride and groom alone to capture the “mantlepiece” photograph. But if you dont mention it they will not include it in the times of the day. and as Damien said you will get very stressed indeed.
Happy new year
Dave
Great article to finish the year with!
I often find that enough time is not allowed between the ceremony and wedding breakfast, so have to negotiate more time.
I’ve heard of photographing the couple before the ceremony for winter weddings before but never asked a couple. In your experience is this something couples readily accept given that it’s meant to be unlucky to the see bride before the ceremony?
It could also be an opportunity to suggest a Trash The Dress session the following day instead…
Happy New Year!