The Pro Photo Business Forum

Wedding Day Game Plan
by: Bryan Lindsey
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Some brides are super organized and come up with an itinerary for their wedding day. We like those brides. Those brides show up on time. They don’t leave early. They know who is going to be where, and when. Some brides have a wedding planner who has an itinerary – even better.

But what about those brides who don’t seem as organized? What about the ones who don’t have a plan? What about the ones unconcerned about when things have to start and end? It is a very good idea to establish a few things before the wedding day. Of course our contract stipulates our start and end times, but we also want to know (1) When will the bride arrive? (2) When will the groom arrive? (3) Will there be opportunity to shoot groups before the wedding, either formal or informal? (4) How much time is there to shoot formals after the ceremony, and can formals reasonably be completed in that time frame? (5) How long does it take to get from the ceremony to the reception? (6) What is the game plan for the reception? Eat first? Dance first? (7) Are there any special events or “surprises” planned? When? Bouquet, garter, and cake-cut don’t need to be planned to the minute, but (8) will there be a big send-off, and does it look like it will happen before our contracted stop-time?

Hopefully the bride has designated someone to help run the show and we can ask THAT person these questions if there is a need for clarity. I’ve never been a bride myself, but I imagine that I would not be too happy with a photographer who asked me all 8 questions above, regardless of the circumstances.

If we know “the plan,” we can make sure that we fit perfectly into that plan and we can tactfully speak up if we see any time constraints that we will be unable to work with. Of course, the time for this is BEFORE the wedding, not during. It may help to contact the bride a week before the wedding (I do this anyway to triple-check the time/place) and include some of these questions. Not all brides will appreciate the need for this type of planning, so we may need to take it upon ourselves to bring up the subject. Believe me, it will be a lot easier on us if we do.

Bryan Lindsey: Houston Wedding Photographer

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Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography
Houston Wedding and Portrait Photographer