A Typical Wedding Day
...our approach to photographing a typical wedding.

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To help you understand what to expect from Creative Arts, we've written this overview to show how we conduct ourselves on a typical wedding day.

Of course, no two weddings are exactly same. Your family's special traditions, your ethnic heritage, and your wedding hall influence how we photograph your wedding. Our routine is flexible. This overview is only meant to show you our approach to photographing a typical wedding.

Photographs of the Bridal Party

We will arrive about an hour before your photos are scheduled start. This allows us to set up our equipment and find suitable settings for location shots. Creative Arts does not charge an additional fee for this setup time.

Once the on-site planning and set up are complete, it's a good time to photograph the bride and bridesmaids as they make their final preparations. This is also the time when we're able to capture those spontaneous moments between a bride and her mother, her grandmother, and her close friends. We're there to record the events, not participate in them. We will remain discrete and unobtrusive.

We like to include still-life images in your wedding-day photos, so while we're in the room with the bride and her family, we look for suitable still-life images. Sometimes it's the simplest things that evoke an emotional memory"shoes, hankies, jewelry, flowers, and gifts. If there is something that you particularly treasure, please let us know so we include it in your collection of wedding-day images.

While the bride finishes her preparations, we begin capturing some of the location details such as altar arrangements and views of the church wedding hall. When she is ready, we proceed to the selected areas for location pictures.

Usually, we start with full-length photos of the bride and work our way in for close-up portraits. If there is suitable natural light coming through a window or doorway, we will take several natural-light bridal portraits.

Pictures of the bridal party, family and friends are next. With the help of my assistant, we can usually photograph the various group portraits quickly. This session can last up to 45 minutes if the size of the family and bridal party is exceptionally large, or if the bride has requested a large number of group portraits. Advance planning between the bride and Creative Arts will help speed this process along.

When finished, the bride returns to an area where the groom cannot see her. She can use this time to touch-up her makeup, have a little refreshment, and collect her thoughts before the ceremony.

Photographs of the Groom's Party

We repeat the entire process with the groom's party and his family. Unlike the bridal party, the men often have difficulty with their formal attire. We can, and often do, help the groomsmen with their boutonnieres, bow ties, and vests.

Once the groomsmen are suitably attired, we take portraits of the groom, the groomsmen, and the groom's family. As long as everything goes smoothly, the last posed photos should be completed about thirty minutes before the ceremony's scheduled start time.

Photographs of Arriving Guests & Other Participants

During the time remaining before the ceremony, we photograph guests as they are escorted to their seats and relatives meeting and relating to each other. We also photograph casual portraits of musicians and vocalists, guest book attendants, ushers, and other wedding participants. This is also a good time for us to capture the ambiance of the location.

As we check on the bride and groom for last minute candid moments, my assistant will put away the equipment and begin setting up for the ceremony.

The Wedding Ceremony

Pictures are taken during throughout ceremony, as long as it is permitted by the church or wedding hall, and is desired by the family. Storytelling images are taken throughout the ceremony, starting with the procession and ending with the recession. All the while, we will remain discretely inconspicuous.

During the ceremony itself, we will photograph wide-angle images of the church or wedding hall, showing the wedding party and guests. We will also photograph close-ups of the bride and groom using zoom lenses to get the close-ups without intruding on the ceremony.

Throughout the ceremony, we try to capture spontaneous expressions and emotions between bride and groom. When the bride looks at the groom as he says his vows, or when the groom places the ring on his bride's finger, perhaps when they both react to something funny or something especially meaningful, and, of course, when the groom kisses the bride these are special moments. Photographs of these shared emotions will help the couple remember and relive the ceremony for the rest of their lives.

After the Ceremony

After the ceremony, the newlyweds, the wedding party and the immediate family gather for more poses. If the reception is scheduled immediately following the ceremony, this session is kept short and simple. We are usually finished in thirty minutes or less.

We like to photograph additional candid images of the newlywed couple as they leave for the reception, especially if there is a special send-off from friends and family with birdseed or bubbles.

The Reception

At the reception, we rarely pose photographs. This is the time for the newlywed couple to have fun. We use the time during the cocktail hour and dinner to set up equipment and capture lots of candid shots. We will also take detail pictures of the reception hall, the wedding cake, any special decorations, and memorable still-life images. Some couples want to use the cocktail hour for creative portraits at another location before they arrive at the reception.

Traditional wedding events such as the toast, cutting the wedding cake, the first bridal dance, and the bouquet and garter toss are excellent photo opportunities. While some brides schedule these events to follow one-after-the-other, other brides spread them out throughout the evening. Either way, these are opportunities to photograph many memorable moments. In between events, we will photograph interactions between friends, family and the newlyweds.

The final photographs of the evening will be taken as the newlywed couple is leaving.

By the end of a typical wedding, we will have captured over 1,000 images - most of which you will have never noticed.

To receive a estimate now, submit information about your wedding by clicking here and we will contact you within 24 hours. To arrange a free consultation for a more personalized quote call us at (540) 722-9000.