Photographer schedule for your day

Since I am beginning to make appts with photographers, I was wondering a few things with those that have already booked.

If you are getting ready at home or wherever and want pictures there, how early are you telling the photographer to appear at the location.

For those getting married in a catholic church: How much time have you allocated to take for pictures after the ceremony.

We are trying to decide when we should have our ceremony, which my priest has noted 5:00 but we can do it earlier if we want. My church only does one wedding on Fridays. My reception hall says we should be there 2 hrs before the cocktail hour (7:30) for pix on their grounds. Which I find to be too much time.
I think it shouldn't be no more than 1 hr.
Given that, say our ceremony begins at 5:00 pm and we are done by 5:30, with pix, releasing of the doves would be around 6:00 pm and us jumping in the limo to head to the reception that is 15 minutes away and begin taking pix there we should be done by 7:30.
Am I making sense? Would the 1/2 hr for the pix and everything else be enough at the church?

HELP!

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

I think my photographer said they would be at my house 2 hours before I'm to be at the church. Our church time and reception has a 3 hour time gap. Our reception is only 15 minutes away. I don't know if thats too much time but thats what it is.

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

My photographer is arriving at 12:30 p.m. and my church starts at 2 p.m. It is going to be a full mass (about an hour). We figure that by the time we say our hellos and congrats to everyone and talk our pictures that we should be out of there around 3:30-3:45. Our pre-cocktail hour starts at 5:30 p.m. and we are about 40 minutes to the reception. We are going to take our pictures at the reception during our pre-cocktail hour so that we can join our guests at 6 - 6:15 p.m. for our cocktail hour.

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

Check with your photographer on this one. Im having my photographer arrive at 2PM for a 3PM departure, then photos in 2 spots in NYC, then my ceremony at 6:15PM. But every photographers works differently.

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

Sonicstef,

So when I speak to prospective photographers, should I tell them my ideas and take it from there?

I am still waiting to hear from CB brides on taking pix on the grounds. I guess photographers that have been there before can give me an estimate on that too. I might as well call my BM and double check on the 2 hr time frame he gave me to take pix in the grounds.

Thank goodness I thought of all these questions before I went to see anyone!

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

Wanda, what kinds of questions do you have about the grounds???

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

I know they have an outside area b/c I saw a pic of it and it was setup for a ceremony. I just can't remember where it is! It wasn't anything big.
Other than that just the two waterfalls in front and the main entrance. And inside the entrance and the studio they have. Do they have two? I thought I was told two. Please bear with me. The last time I was in CB was on Shamma's big day. It feels so long ago. So I am not remembering much.

Shamma after reading your post on the other thread, I am doing the complete opposite. I want to take more pics at CB rather than on outside grounds somewhere else. My church has a nice garden area so I will be there for sometime. But that is about it. I am not one that deals well with the cold or heat. March is such an iffy month. So we opted do that instead. The last thing FH said he wants, is to see me b******* b/c of the weather!

DUH In answer to your question Shamma-I was wondering about how long it would take to cover all of those places in CB.

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

I believe they have 2 studios at CB.
My photographer told me he wants about an hour and a half at the cb.
Honestly, I think the photographers are the professionals and know better than us.. It might seem like a long time but maybe between changing film or lugging there stuff around here and there.. etcc.. time can go by fast.
I dont think that 2 hours between getting out of the church, driving to your reception site, touching up lipstick or whatever would be enough time.
If anything, put 4;30 on your invites and try to start everything before 5?

*shrugs*

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

My wedding was on a Sunday, with a full mass. My photographer was at the house 1 hour before we had to leave for the ceremony (which was a 5 minute drive from my house). We had a 40 minute drive to the reception. We got there right before cocktail hour began and took pictures throughout the cocktail hour. We felt a little rushed - at no fault of our photographer. If your photographer says 2 hours, he may be right. Between having to find family members and getting everyone in order, we could have used another 30 minutes that we just didn't have. I think it's better to not be rushed and be able to relax if you get all your pictures done early.

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

So if the ceremony starts at 4:00 and takes 30 minutes, we would be at the church till about 5:00 with the pix and all maybe 5:15 the latest with the 2 hours to spare at CB. That sounds about right. So we can make the entire cocktail hour which is what we are shooting for. We don't want to be taking out of the middle of the reception for pix.

Thanks all for the help on this.

Re: Photographer schedule for your day

Here's my day:

1:00pm Photographer arrives
3:00pm Full mass at church begins
4:00pm Mass ends
7:00pm Cocktail hour begins

I wanted enough time between the church and the hall for pictures. I'm 3 blocks from my church and 10 miles from the hall.