I always think about this right before wedding season starts each year. Wedding season starts for me this weekend so no time better than the present to write this! Plus I get asked this a lot so hopefully it will be useful information to some people!
So here we go...
I go to my 1st wedding of the season which typically is an 8 hour day. I usually get there 2 hours before the ceremony begins. I start out with some candid shots of the bride. I then go over to the groom, get some candid shots of him and take him and his groomsman off to get some formal shots done. I then go back to the bride get a few more candids and take her and her bridesmaids to get formal shots. By this time it's almost ceremony time.
We are about 2 hours in.
I go get into position for the ceremony. I spend time during the ceremony getting close shots, wide shots, whatever the guides of the ceremony venue allows (which sometimes is difficult because they won't let you go past a certain point and you can't use your flash). You have to watch each moment to make sure you get the important shots like lighting the unity candles and the kiss!
The receiving line is next. After that I have a short break to use the restroom and call to say hello and love you to my little girl and husband.
Next are formals. Rounding everyone up, getting the bride and groom stationary and moving people in and out. These are usually standard shots but not quite when the real fun begins.
Now on to the real fun!
The casually posed pictures! This is where I take the bridal party out to have a good time. It's nice to just let them be themselves and have fun with these pictures. There is never a dull moment!
This takes us up to about half way through the day.
Onto the reception. The most candid part of the whole day! You will hardly even know i'm there at this point.
Speech, eat, cake, dance, bouquet, garter, dance, fun!
I get maybe a 1/2 hour to rest the whole day. The rest of the time i'm on my feet capturing all the action!
There ends the night.
But wait...that's not all!
My part is not done yet!
I spend a week editing. I have about 1,000 images to sort through and edit. This is when I open my laptop at about 9am and don't close it until about midnight. Obviously I take time to eat and play with my baby girl throughout the day but this is my life just about every day.
Then if I have other sessions or albums to design I have to work those into the wedding editing. This is where your wedding pictures end up taking 4-8 weeks to get back.
A lot of photographers send their albums off to be designed and their pictures to be edited to save themselves from time and stress but I look at it as it's MY work why would I let someone else put their artistic touches on MY work.
By mid-summer i'm usually backed up by 3-4 weddings but i've never missed my 8 week deadline. I'm proud of that! It really is a lot of work though.
When the season ends around end of November I've done this over about 25 times.
I spend the next few months doing portrait sessions, finishing album orders and organizing my tax information until starting it all over again!
So here we go...
I go to my 1st wedding of the season which typically is an 8 hour day. I usually get there 2 hours before the ceremony begins. I start out with some candid shots of the bride. I then go over to the groom, get some candid shots of him and take him and his groomsman off to get some formal shots done. I then go back to the bride get a few more candids and take her and her bridesmaids to get formal shots. By this time it's almost ceremony time.
We are about 2 hours in.
I go get into position for the ceremony. I spend time during the ceremony getting close shots, wide shots, whatever the guides of the ceremony venue allows (which sometimes is difficult because they won't let you go past a certain point and you can't use your flash). You have to watch each moment to make sure you get the important shots like lighting the unity candles and the kiss!
The receiving line is next. After that I have a short break to use the restroom and call to say hello and love you to my little girl and husband.
Next are formals. Rounding everyone up, getting the bride and groom stationary and moving people in and out. These are usually standard shots but not quite when the real fun begins.
Now on to the real fun!
The casually posed pictures! This is where I take the bridal party out to have a good time. It's nice to just let them be themselves and have fun with these pictures. There is never a dull moment!
This takes us up to about half way through the day.
Onto the reception. The most candid part of the whole day! You will hardly even know i'm there at this point.
Speech, eat, cake, dance, bouquet, garter, dance, fun!
I get maybe a 1/2 hour to rest the whole day. The rest of the time i'm on my feet capturing all the action!
There ends the night.
But wait...that's not all!
My part is not done yet!
I spend a week editing. I have about 1,000 images to sort through and edit. This is when I open my laptop at about 9am and don't close it until about midnight. Obviously I take time to eat and play with my baby girl throughout the day but this is my life just about every day.
Then if I have other sessions or albums to design I have to work those into the wedding editing. This is where your wedding pictures end up taking 4-8 weeks to get back.
A lot of photographers send their albums off to be designed and their pictures to be edited to save themselves from time and stress but I look at it as it's MY work why would I let someone else put their artistic touches on MY work.
By mid-summer i'm usually backed up by 3-4 weddings but i've never missed my 8 week deadline. I'm proud of that! It really is a lot of work though.
When the season ends around end of November I've done this over about 25 times.
I spend the next few months doing portrait sessions, finishing album orders and organizing my tax information until starting it all over again!
So mix into that trying to raise a toddler, be a good wife, make dinners, clean the house and have a personal life and you have one crazy life!
But don't get me wrong, I LOVE this crazy life.
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2 comments:
All your hard work is definitely reflected in the final product. You are very talented!
well said jill. great post.
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