Do you drive...?

Do you drive to a different location with bride and groom to take pictures or do you take them wherever the wedding and/or reception is.

I see pictures all the time where the location is just so beautiful that I wonder if some of you take them to certain places. Or is it just pure luck?

If you do go to a different location, how much time are you willing to spend in the drive and how much time does it need all together for pics?

I usually take photos of the couple wherever they got married. Then I steal the wedding party and couple away and take some more at a different location. Then I take pictures of the couple only, and if they want, we can go to another location. I know many great spots around my city for photos, and they usually come to me for suggestions on where I think I should take them.

So yes, I drive around a lot.

So how much time do you take away from the reception then, doing those shots?

The weddings that I have done were always scheduled fairly tight so that I was happy if I was able to get any posed shots at all. I always tell my clients that 30 minutes is minimum, better 1 hour, but it doesnt always work that way.

You have to gauge this based on how much time there is between the wedding and the reception. I will try and do at least two different locations. If I am in the loop early enough, I try to ask the wedding party for at least 2 hours between the wedding and reception.

I prescout the area, ask the couple if they have any favorite spots, etc. Seems to work well.

That is something I always mention whenever I meet a couple. I say, "it doesn't matter who you choose to do your photographs, just be sure to have at least a couple of hours for photos. The posed group shots are the photos grandma and mom like, but the shots of just you both are the ones that YOU will like the most, so just make sure you leave at least an hour and half for JUST YOU TWO."

If it's early enough in the game, then they usually plan their day accordingly. Many times, the bride says, "wow, I never thought of that! I'll make sure to do that"

And if they've already planned it, and didn't leave you enough time, then tell them straight out there won't be many shots to choose from, but we'll do the best we can with the time we have.

Yeah thats what I have been telling them since all my couples so far came to me AFTER the day was already planned out and booked.

I have 1.5 hours between the ceremony and reception. I have asked the photographers I am interviewing to come back to my house and take pictures with our dog and most are happy to do so since it's on the way to the reception. But I make sure to share it up front.

I do whatever a bride and groom reasonably ask on a wedding day. If they want to spend 4 hours walking around a lake taking photos while the guests wait, that's what we do. If they want 10 mins of photos at the front of a dark church, that's what we do. If they want to go thru the McDonalds drive thru, that's where we're going.

i ask the B&G, usually the reception/ceremony locations are generally nice...if not then i suggest going to a different place, and then ask them where if they dont know i make suggestions. It depends how much time you have from the cremony to the reception if its 2hrs BONUS if its like 30 mins, stay where you are and compromise!

We usually take the bride and groom to a few spots around town. Fortunatly being in a fairly well off area, there's a lot of really nice spots.

If there is time between wedding and reception and I know of a great place to go, Ill ask the bride and groom if they are interested in doing so, It never hurts to ask.