6 Things I Do at Every Wedding

I don’t and can’t plan out every minute of the day, because a large part of photography is just being present to see what’s happening around me. But the one thing I need a list for every single time is portraits. I want to make sure we don’t forget anyone important! So I’ll send out a shot list about 3-4 weeks before the wedding. Most of the shot list is a checklist, pre-filled with common common groupings like photos with parents, siblings, wedding party, so my clients don’t have to start from scratch. They also have the opportunity to add any additional groupings or important people. Since there are often a lot of people in from out of town, I don’t chance it, and there are too many things happening on a wedding day for the bride and groom to remember. A list makes for a smoother flow to the day.

Before the wedding, I’ll work with my clients on the timeline. I want to make sure we have enough time to do all the portraits they want with friends and family, so the longer their list is, the more time we’ll need. I also want to plan for at least 20-30 minutes alone with the bride and groom so they get a good variety of portraits.

The schedule also includes the timing of things like cake cutting, toasts, and bouquet toss. That way I can make sure that if I need to set up lighting in a specific spot or change lenses I can be ready to go when that event starts. It’s also a good idea to get in the habit of checking your battery level and how many images you have left on the memory card so you don’t run out of either one in the middle of something important.

I always joke that there is no such thing as “on time” in Atlanta. The traffic here is so unpredictable that you’re either late or early, never right on time. Since being late isn't an option, I’m going to be early. Being early also allows me to look around the venue and check out the light, and scope out great locations for shooting. Even if I’ve been to a venue before, I’ll look around again each time, since lighting can vary a lot depending on the time of day and the time of year. So it’s during this time that I can come up with a plan for where we’ll shoot portraits.

Another nice thing about being early is that I HATE being stressed. So when I’m early, I can take my time setting up my gear, lights, camera, and take a moment to breathe and center myself so I’m totally focused on my clients when my photography time begins.

At almost every wedding, there comes a time when someone needs something. Safety pins? Got 'em! Scissors? Yep! Shout wipes? You bet. After 200 weddings I know exactly what to bring and I'm always ready to help!

Before any event, like the ceremony, I’ll gather my team and plan who will stand where and which lenses we’ll use for each part of the ceremony. I’ll break it down into the procession, the main ceremony, and the recession, since our locations and the shots I want will differ for each part.

I also plan shots before the portraits. I’ll plan where I want to shoot the bride and groom portraits, and where to shoot larger groups like the wedding party and extended family. That way, my assistant can be ready with whatever lenses and lighting I need.

It is very rare for everything at a wedding to go as planned. Most of the time, at least part of my super duper plan doesn’t work at the time. Sometimes weather moves us indoors, or the light changes in a particular location, or something runs late so that we don’t get as much time for portraits as expected. So no matter how well I plan, I’m constantly evaluating what’s actually happening so that we can adjust timing, locations, the shot list, or the light. Sometimes I’ll even start shooting as the sun sets and have to change the light mid-shoot to adapt. No matter how good your plan is, flexibility matters more when things change.