Single Photographer Covering Bride & Groom Prep

Hi Everyone,

I have a wedding to photograph next month where the Bride and Groom are getting ready in two different locations, approx 20 minutes drive apart.

The Bride wishes me to arrive with her at 11am, then photograph her, her family and her leaving for the church in the wedding car, which is also at a different location. The Ceremony is at 1pm.

The Groom would like me to get some shots of him and his Best Man etc before they too leave for the church, but I can't be in two places at once. Looking at the timeline, I have to concede that I can only photograph the bride before the wedding, and will photograph the groom and his family after the ceremony, before the wedding reception.

How does everyone handle the 'can't be in two places at once' situation when shooting alone? I've previously hopped from one to another and back again in the past, but usually with more time available.

If they don't want a second shooter, I let them know in order for me to shoot the groom getting ready, they need to set the timeline up accordingly. This is explained to them during the consult and the follow-up meeting/phone call/email when we are planning things out.

I was shooting an engagement session yesterday. Afterwards, we had a sit-down to discuss the day. The couple had no idea about the timeline so I carefully explained to them about various aspects of the day including shooting the groom getting ready.

The time it takes to take the groomsmen shots is not that great in comparison to doing the ladies. Sometimes I don't have time to do the men if they won't spring for the second shooter but we do a set of them when the group shots are done between the ceremony and the reception. If having the men shots done at the specific location then you have to push for more time. With a wedding at 1300 I would telling the bride that I will be at her location by 1000ish. That means that she will be ready closer to 1100. Either way one of the groups is going to be ready alot earlier than they like but the men could easily do a couple of changes of clothes to facilitate this if you could talk them into being ready before the women. Many of the shots that I would typically take of the groom and his parents end of being replicated at a different time in the day if the bride's time ends up being late which is typical. How much time do you have after the ceremony. A couple of times I have taken the groom and his parents back to his house because they had something they really wanted as a background. This was done between the ceremony and reception. It's all about explaining the timeline properly to your client and they meet them if they want you to get done what they desire. I have a statement in my contract that I will not be held responsible for missed shots if any of the wedding party runs significantly late.

nicksan wrote in post #16080385
If they don't want a second shooter, I let them know in order for me to shoot the groom getting ready, they need to set the timeline up accordingly. This is explained to them during the consult and the follow-up meeting/phone call/email when we are planning things out.

I was shooting an engagement session yesterday. Afterwards, we had a sit-down to discuss the day. The couple had no idea about the timeline so I carefully explained to them about various aspects of the day including shooting the groom getting ready.

+1

You have to look at movements carefully for a wedding day because if you have agreed to photograph the bride leaving for the ceremony you have already created an issue for yourself in that you will be behind the bride and in danger of not being there ready when she arrives at the ceremony location.

If you are shooting on your own you have to accept that you can't be there to capture everything and also explain this to the bride and groom and agree a sensible and realistic schedule of your movements on the day that enables you to capture the important bits.

When the ceremony is at a different location to the bridal prep and I am shooting on my own I try and get to the ceremony location half an hour before the start of the ceremony to make sure I can park, get some shots of the boys, speak to the vicar or registrar etc. but that means leaving the bride relatively early as many don't want to throw the dress on until just before they leave so its always a bit of a compromise when planning. Even more so on the day, things can run late and you can end up leaving just before the bride or worse still just after her which is a potential nightmare.

You obviously don't want to be in a situation whereby you are dictating the timings of the day as its their wedding day but you just have to make sure they understand what you can and cant capture on the day to avoid potential disappointments.

And another thought

After doing this for 5 yrs now, building albums and getting products for clients.....The guys getting ready shots are on the bottom of the priority list for the majority of weddings we photograph. They rarely make it to an album. Maybe a adjusting the tie shot and thats about it. The girls stuff gets 2 pages. It not a real high priority for most guys. They would rather have shots with their buddies.

Am I the only one who feels this way ?

umphotography wrote in post #16081311
And another thought

After doing this for 5 yrs now, building albums and getting products for clients.....The guys getting ready shots are on the bottom of the priority list for the majority of weddings we photograph. They rarely make it to an album. Maybe a adjusting the tie shot and thats about it. The girls stuff gets 2 pages. It not a real high priority for most guys. They would rather have shots with their buddies.

Am I the only one who feels this way ?

It really depends on the couple, but yeah, I find that most guys are good with the handful of shots like you mentioned. I can shoot the groom getting ready in like 10 minutes or less.

nicksan wrote in post #16081484
It really depends on the couple, but yeah, I find that most guys are good with the handful of shots like you mentioned. I can shoot the groom getting ready in like 10 minutes or less.

yup. guys getting ready shots and all the guys formals are done while the bride is still in the dressing room putting on shoes. Cracks me up. Ive even had the girls take long enough so i can get all the goofball guy shots done before the ceremony......5o minutes max for the guys for everything

Looks like you're going to have to arrive at the groom's house before going to shoot the bride. Arrive between 9:00-9:30 and that should give you plenty of time to get everything you need before heading over to the bride's house.

umphotography wrote in post #16081311
And another thought

After doing this for 5 yrs now, building albums and getting products for clients.....The guys getting ready shots are on the bottom of the priority list for the majority of weddings we photograph. They rarely make it to an album. Maybe a adjusting the tie shot and thats about it. The girls stuff gets 2 pages. It not a real high priority for most guys. They would rather have shots with their buddies.

Am I the only one who feels this way ?

This has not been my experience. When I shoot the guys getting ready, it always consumes one full spread and then another half or full of any portraits taken during that portion of the day.

To get back to the original question, I used to try to do this early on in my career and I simply don't anymore. If they're both getting ready in the same hotel, I'll do it. It's nothing to grab a couple of cameras, run down the hall, and get what I need in 10-15 minutes and come back.

But different locations don't make sense. The guys don't want to be ready early enough for me to do them before the bride even starts. And the bride doesn't want to sit around dressed and ready to go were to go and do the guys after, especially since they need to leave before her anyway.

So when you do this, it's during the middle of the bride getting ready. As soon as I need to pack up my gear, load the truck, drive over, unpack, shoot, re-pack, drive back to the bride's house, and get her finishing up, it just doesn't make sense; too much time is lost to things other than photography. That and this greatly increases the length of my day.

So I tell them they have three choices: I will need to hire and they will need to pay for a second photographer, they can get ready in the same hotel, or if they really want me to do it in different locations it will greatly grow the length of their day and I will need to charge them nearly as much as a second photographer would cost.

In the timings I plan out with the couple I make sure where possible I can get both the girls and the guys. My last wedding had a one hour trip each way between the two. I regularly shoot both the guys and girls on my own (95% of the time) as I'm a solo shooter. It is simply down to timings and planning. Really not that hard. I spend 30 minutes with the guys and the rest of the time with the girls.

I once had only 10-15 minutes to shoot the guys before the ceremony, which would have been fine, but I had an equipment malfunction. I ended up with one shot of the guys in a circle laughing together and one portrait of just him. Both were good and the couple loved them.

I tell the bride that guy's prep shots take 5 minutes. It's basically shots of them putting on cufflinks and ties, which I can do minutes before the ceremony starts while they are waiting. Or.... I can arrange a huge side trip, take away over an hour of bridal prep time, just to get the same shots.

Therefore, I do most of my guy's prep shots minutes before the ceremony. Keeps things simple.

I even have a second shooter, but I tell them that I want us both with the bride all morning because they'd simply get a whole lot more value out of us being with the girls.

Thank you for all of the replies guys - it's great to get the opinions of so many people I admire and respect on this site.

I agree with all of the comments - packing up and driving to the groom in the middle of the morning isn't a possibility. I have mentioned going there first, but I agree that this may be too early. I've run across hotels in the past to catch the guys for 15 minutes (often delivering the button holes!) but to do this in different locations is too stressful and eats up too much time.

The bride wishes for me to shoot her in the dress before she leaves, and I've mentioned for her to tell the driver to 'take the long way round' so I can be at the church before her - but this too is all added stress for me - especially as I'll be last to arrive and need to park etc without holding up proceedings. I will suggest to do the car shots at the church on arrival, and family shots after the ceremony - when everyone is less tense (including me!) and we're at the church. We'll also have the car at the reception venue too, which is a good fallback.

I am lucky with this wedding that I have from 2pm-3pm at the church after, then say 3pm-6pm before the wedding breakfast is served at the reception venue - so lots of time to get shots with groups (her family and her, his family and the boys) after the ceremony itself.

It's all about managing expectations and getting my ideas (based on experience) across to the couple (who as yet have none) and helping them make best use of my time without having to direct their day.

It is what it is, no one can manipulate time. They either pay for a second shooter, allow enough time for me to shoot both prep sessions or they pick one. I always make sure this is discussed well in advance of the wedding day though.