Timeline Tips for Getting the Best Wedding Photos

In the months leading up to the big day my clients frequently ask how they can organize their wedding day timelines to get the absolute best from their wedding photos.  Over the many years that I’ve been shooting weddings, I’ve definitely learned a lot along the way. I’ve decided to put together a resource with some tips that I feel are essential to making your wedding photography flow as smoothly as possible and help to provide you with lasting moments that you can look back on for years to come. Please note these suggestions take into account photography coverage lasting anywhere from 6 to 8 hours.

Getting Ready PHOTOS

(Recommended Time: 45 mins to 1 hour)

Getting ready is such a fun part of the day to shoot!  It’s a great opportunity to capture some really nice candid moments of the couple surrounded by their family and friends as they anticipate the day ahead.  This time also helps to re-connect my clients and I to one another and let folks know that I’m there to have fun and help out however I can.  This is also a great time to document all of the details before they've been exposed to the long day.  I love shooting wedding dresses, shoes, bouquets and boutonnieres, programs, and all of the little decorations that you've worked so hard on.

For the best getting ready photos, I recommend picking a well organized room that is basking in natural light.  If you’ve added a second photographer, we’re happy to split up and document both of you during this time.

First Look Photos

(Recommended Time: 15 to 20 minutes)

First looks are super popular these days.  It's an amazing moment to capture candidly and a nice way for the couple to relieve some pre-ceremony jitters.  It also provides the chance to capture the joy of seeing one another for the first time away from all the guests.  It also can help free up your timeline a bit and allow you and your partner to take portraits with family your wedding party before the ceremony. Although first looks are nice they are definitely not necessary, I love shooting the traditional approach too.

Wedding Party Portraits

(Recommended Time: 20 to 25 minutes)

These photos can happen at a number of different times throughout your day.  Depending on where final preparations are happening, these photos can take place once you're all ready to go.  If you opt for a second photographer, we can split up and save time and shoot both sides independently. If you are opting for the first look, these portraits can happen after we've spent some time with just the two of you.  Alternatively, these portraits can also take place after your family portraits and before your reception.

Family Portraits 

(Recommended Time: 30 to 40 minutes)

Formal family portraits are that part of the day that most couples know needs to happen but often fret about how it will happen.  I always encourage couples to set aside anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes for this portion of your day.  If we're able to keep the groupings to an essential minimum (immediate family) then this part of the day can go smoothly and often be wrapped up before our allotted window of time.  I try my best to expedite this process in order to get you and your guests back to celebrating.  Before your wedding day, I'll ask you to provide me with a list of family groupings that are important to document.  More often than not family portraits happen immediately after the ceremony. Keep in mind if you do opt for a first look, family portraits can happen before the ceremony too.

Couple Portraits 

(Recommended Time: 20 to 30 minutes)

Beyond the first look it’s always nice to take some time with you and your partner to shoot some portraits of just the two of you.  Best case scenario is that we are given a minimum of 20 minutes around sunset.  Some couples look at this as a quick mini session that takes place around the venue.  If a couple is looking to create something really special I’m always down to travel nearby to a designated spot to work away from the bustle of the event and really focus on the couple.  Obviously if we travel elsewhere a more generous time window will be needed.

Dance Floor Photos

I love being there when the dance floor opens up and people start to really cut loose and have fun. Taking photos of your friends and family getting low with Lil’ Jon makes my day and my clients are always so pumped to see photos of their grandma on the dance floor. I find that an hour or so of dancing coverage usually does the trick.

Sample Wedding Day Timeline

When building your timeline it’s important to think about light and how it will look on your wedding day. I often suggest to check out what time sunset is on your wedding day and build your timeline around that. This helps to ensure that nice golden light (“magic hour”) for your couple portraits. Of course, I’m always flexible when it comes to timeline logistics. If we can’t quite get the timing right, that’s OK. We’ll still get great photos. Depending on your venue and the weather, we might need to make adjustments.

It’s also important to consider light during your ceremony. How does the light hit your ceremony location? Will you and your guests be in bright sun or a mix of half shade and half sun? If you can pick a time when your ceremony takes place in the shade that’s awesome otherwise aim for when the sun is up and behind you and your ceremony location.

Below is a basic summer timeline for 8 hours of wedding photography coverage. For more details and logistics and for an easy to edit wedding day timeline download one from me here.

1:45pm	Photographer arrives	Chris Brodell
2:00pm - 2:30pm	Getting Ready Photos	Photographer
2:30pm - 2:45pm	First Look	Photographer
3:00pm - 3:30pm	Wedding Party Photos	Wedding Party
4:00pm - 4:30pm	Ceremony	Officiant
4:30pm - 5:30pm	Cocktail Hour	Catering
4:30pm -5:10pm	Immediate Family Photos	Photographer
6:20pm	Dinner begins	Catering
7:20pm	Toasts	DJ
8:00pm	Couple portraits	Photographer
8:30pm	Sunset
9:45pm	Photographer departs	Photographer

Every wedding is different and every couple has different priorities.  These are simply some things to think about.  As you begin to plan your wedding day, please don't hesitate to ask me any questions you might have or check out my wedding guide. I want to help you make your day enjoyable and stress free!

My Favorite Wedding Trend

One of my favorite wedding trends of the last couple of years has been the late night wedding snack. Whether it’s pizza, french fries, donuts, or ice cream; you’re guests will love the extra fuel for the dance floor. Below are some of my favorite local vendors in Portland who offer delicious catering options for weddings.

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Wood Fired Pizza

Portland is becoming quite the pizza town and it feels like just about every major street has a spot to grab a tasty slice. Ash Wood Fired pizza makes their sourdough crust from scratch and serves up pies out of a cute little food truck. You can try a taste at their new food cart on SE Division St and visit their website for catering here.

Photo Credit: ASH Woodfired

Tacos

It is hard to say no to tacos at any time but you would be especially hard pressed to find a wedding guest that that would say no to these delicious hand held treats after a night of cutting it up on the dance floor. The taco pedaler will be there at the ready to dish out a variety of tacos packed with local ingredients wrapped up in hand-pressed tortillas when your guests need a pick-me-up. Meat and vegan options will keep everyone on all sides of the family happy. Hire them for your event at https://www.tacopedalerpdx.com

Photo Credit: Taco Pedaler

French Fries and Sliders

Nothing helps sober guests up like fried potatoes, right? It’s science or something. Pair these delicious morsels with a tiny burger and you have yourself a delightful late night snack that is sure to keep your guests going until they send you off with a line of sparklers. PDX liders has two mobile trucks for hire that can serve both large and small scale events (or just you if you are very hungry). If your guests can’t get enough they can visit one of their the brick and mortar locations in both Sellwood and on Division. Book them for your wedding at https://pdxsliders.com

Photo Credit: PDX Sliders

Donuts
If you live in Portland you know that donuts are kind of thing here. We’ve got Voodoo, Blue Star, Doe, and a whole bunch of other mom and pop shops and while it’s a tough competition, my favorite of the bunch is without a doubt Pip’s. Nothing beats them when they’re fresh and warm out of the fryer, drizzled in chocolate, and covered in sugar. The Pip’s Mobile operation is cute as can be and is ready to sling warm, delicious donuts to you and your wedding guests. Book them for your wedding at http://www.pipsmobile.com

Photo Credit: Pips Mobile

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Regardless of weather (or of the question)-ice cream is always the answer. Ruby Jewel combines artisan cookies with small batch ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches that your guests will want to eat (even after eating tacos, sliders and tiny donuts). I really don’t need to hype up ice cream all that much because it is a dessert that speaks for itself but Ruby Jewel really takes ice cream to the next level of enjoyment. You can also order a variety of different flavors from their catering menu which ensures that all of your guests will leave the reception happy. Learn more at http://www.rubyjewel.com

Photo Credit: Ruby Jewel

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Did I miss your favorite late night wedding snack? Drop me a line here and I’ll add it to the list.

Mt Tabor Engagement Session

I love photography, coffee, and hiking and I struck gold as all three were featured in Eita and Julia’s recent engagement session on Mt. Tabor. These two were warm, playful, and easy to work with and also came with the benefit of a cute backstory, the theme of which we tied into our shoot. It is always gratifying to be able to highlight meaningful aspects of my client’s lives in their photo sessions.

For Eita and Julia it was their love of coffee that brought them together and helped to cement their relationship. In an ultimate meet-cute style, these two met at a coffee shop in Taiwan and proceeded to do a coffee shop tour together through Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. They currently live together in LA and are experts in exploring their local coffee scene. They contacted me prior to their trip to Portland with the intention of documenting their first trip to this beautiful City of Bridges. It wouldn’t be representative of the couple- or Portland for that matter- without a chance to hold part of their session at the original Stumptown location on Division. It helped that Julia sent over a vision board with the look and style of images that she liked as I was able to help plan a shoot that encapsulated the vibe that this couple would cherish.

In true Portland fashion, we experienced both the warmth of the caffeinated indoors and also had the chance to visit our friendly neighborhood volcanic cinder cone- Mt. Tabor. Mt. Tabor is a personal favorite of mine and I loved showing Eita and Julia around. We couldn’t have gotten more lucky in terms of light. The fog was dense throughout the city but when we arrived at the top of the mountain the morning sun broke through and treated us to quite the show. Playing with sun rays helped elevate the already cute couples photos to the next level.

I look forward to combining my caffeine and photography passions together as often as I can in the future!. Thank you Eita and Julia for a great engagement session.

Peninsula Park Rose Garden Wedding

Even though we love the colors of fall, we are basking in memories of late summer with this wedding at the Peninsula Park Rose Garden in North Portland. Viktoria and Alex chose to have their ceremony in the neighborhood where they live and we love that they kept it local and were able to celebrate their wedding day in a place with a personal connection to them. In fact, meaningful location selection was integrated into the whole day as the reception was held a local joint called Bad Habit, where it just so happens that this couple had one of their first dates.

Viktoria and her wedding party put the finishing touches on the looks of the day at Shipwreck, which turned out to have an attic nook that was perfect for pre-wedding pictures! It was a great opportunity to get some pictures of Viktoria’s intricate and elegant beaded dress and capture the moment in which Viktoria’s mother first saw her in her gown.

After the wedding party was ready to go, it was time to walk over to the park where the ceremony would be held and we weren’t disappointed by the beautiful late summer light on the way. It was tons of fun to be able to shoot the couple exchanging their vows in the natural light surrounded by their closest friends and family (plus their cute little one!) under the park gazebo. We were definitely able to get our steps in during this active wedding as the entire party walked from the park to the reception venue together. It was during this walking that we were able to get some fun, casual, celebratory photographs that show off the walking wedding “parade.”

This wedding may have been intimate but it was evident that the couple was surrounded by a lovely and lively group of friends as they danced and celebrated the night away.

Powell Butte Engagement Session

Recently I was lucky to shoot an engagement session at Powell Butte with Grace and Thomas. We met on a warm Summer evening at a large nature park with dense woods and open meadows. I had been excited to shoot at this location for awhile and when Grace mentioned they wanted somewhere scenic but not too far away from downtown Portland, I knew just where to go. 

I know that my clients aren't professional models and I regularly hear concerns about feeling awkward in front of a camera. For me, it's not only important to take great photos of my clients that are flattering but also create an experience and an environment that sets my clients at ease during their shoot; engagement sessions are great for this. These sessions are such a good opportunity for me to get to the know the couple aside from the hustle and bustle of their wedding day. They also allow my clients to get to know me and see how I work. During an engagement session, I work with my clients to find poses that are natural and comfortable all while exploring beautiful scenery and having a fun time together. 

My session with Grace and Thomas started with a meander through a grove of shady old trees, which provided a backdrop for vibrant photos with soft light. As our shoot progressed, I was able to get some great shots of the two looking out over the scenic vistas of Southeast Portland. Grace and Thomas, were easy to work with and fell into natural poses that highlighted their comfort and ease with one another in front of the camera. Best of all they were down to hike, explore, and find all of the nice light. Photographing Grace and Thomas on the hillsides and overlooking the vistas of Portland was a perfect way to capture the beautiful simplicity of two people who really care about each other.

I wish these two all the happiness as they start their life in the Pacific Northwest together!