What Do Wedding Photographers do All Day at a Wedding?

Alex Perkins
Jan 27, 2024
4 min read

Afternoon everyone!

What a lot of photographers tend to forget is your wedding day is NOT a photoshoot. I'm not into doing big ellaborate groupshot setups and whipping out big flashes and putting you in trendy poses as I really find it detracts from the feel of your day.

So, I bet you're asking yourselves. What do we do?

The Morning

Here, I can only speak from my own experience. This may differ to your photographer, but this is how a typical wedding day goes.

I arrive with you about 2 hours before your ceremony. This is normally enough time to get the final bits of the preparations, some of the details, and you and your closest family and friends interacting.

If your partner is getting ready nearby, I'll pop between you and them to make sure you have every aspect of your day captured. (The Guys usually need far less time to capture those moments. Buttoning shirt, putting on waistcoat and jacket, closing cufflinks, any other details and bosh!)

The Ceremony

We head to the ceremony, if you're getting married in somewhere that has little room to move, I'd normally stay near the front to photograph you both and the reactions of your family and friends, and if you book a second photographer, they will stay at the back of the ceremony making sure that that alternative angle is caught. This is usually the most nerve-wracking part of the day. You see your partner and guests for the first time, so you'll be glad to hear once this is done, We get to the wedding reception. This is where you can relax. Have a few drinks, greet your guests and chill. I'll hang back and capture you greeting your guests and other guests mingling.

The Formals

As it's the part of the day most couples enjoy the least, We'll try and get the group shots done as soon as possible (starting with the big one!) before your guests head off to the bar or pop back to their rooms and we don't have to waste too much time hunting people down for your smaller group shots.

The Couple Shots

Dependent on weather and the time of year, after the group shots we may head off and shoot the couple portraits, here we can spend as much time doing so as you want. If you only want 10 minutes, we can do it. Want an hour? Lets go! All I know is this is the only time on the day where you may have a little bit of time together as just the two of you. Make the most of it. We won't be doing any silly posing however I will guide you into interactions, and they will be the little moments that you will be looking back on for years to come.

Once this is done, its your time to really relax. I literally disappear into the sidelines after this. I'll pop and take some photos of the meticulously organised room where you'll be eating, and get the room shots, detail shots (place names, table names, cake etc) and finish off capturing more candids before you head in.

The Speeches

Your guests will be seated and you'll be announced into the room. We'll get some photos of that, and before your meal comes, I'll capture those first few moments where people are talking, maybe introducing themselves to each other and the speeches if you opt to have your speeches before your wedding breakfast.

This is where I will leave you in peace for up to a couple of hours, this time will be used to backup photos taken so far, have a bite to eat, ensure my lenses all have the right caps on them (you'll be surprised how messy a camera bag can get

) however, I will not be far away as moments still happen and need to be ready to capture anything as and when needed!

More Portraits... Maybe?

After food, if we get a good sunset, I may steal you both for another 10 minutes to make the most of golden hour then I will go around individual groups of your guests asking them to get together for a group shot (at this point, guests may be a few drinks in and will be more willing to have their photos taken) and capture even more candids from the sidelines so I can capture as many people from your day as possible.

The Evening

Then, the party starts. Here, I'm afraid I will not be stood at the sidelines shooting with a long lens trying to get shots from afar. This is one of my favourite parts of the day as music has always played a huge part of my life, so I will be in the middle of the dance floor with you and your guests, shooting with a wide angle lens making sure we really capture the action!

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Even though this is a typical wedding day with us, I am absolutely not strict on it. Your wedding day completely revolves around YOU. If there is something you want to do, we'll do it, if theres something you don't, we won't. It really is as simple as that.