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Hello future bride and groom!

 

In order to ensure a smooth process and also avoid delays, here are some instructions and tips to prepare you and your procession for your big day.

 

Remember, every wedding is different, but what follows is intended to allow you to visualize and plan for the unexpected. It is certain that we are able to adapt on the ground regardless of the circumstances. Also the advice is based on our past experiences.

 

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Wedding Eve:

 

Girls:

1. Make sure you have all the accessories you will wear on the wedding day (earrings, shoes, etc.)

2. Reconfirm the appointment with the hairdresser, make-up artist, arrival, limousine

3. If you do your hair/makeup at home, make a list of names and a schedule. In this way it will avoid the loss of time of who passes when.

4. Usually the bride is the last to have her makeup done, so we can capture her makeup when we arrive.

5. Checking dresses.

 

Men:

1. Make sure you have all the accessories you are going to wear.

2. Important Check the suit before the wedding day to avoid surprises. Each member of the bridal party as well as the bride should try on their suit at least once before the wedding to make sure nothing is missing (button, tie, knot, etc.).

3. Avoid going to the hairdresser the morning of the wedding unless you have a pre-arranged appointment at 8:00 am

 

D-Day: Prepventilation

Time allotted: 90-120 minutes.

The arrival time will depend on the scheduled departure time for the ceremony.

 

Girls:

1. Prepare a box containing the essential elements for the photos: jewellery, wedding ring if at the bride, shoe, bouquet of the bride's flower that you can give to the photographers when they arrive;

2. Have the dress already hung in a favorable place (if in front of a window using the curtain hanger, flower pot hook hanging from the ceiling, etc.) Avoid just leaving it on the bed as this does not enhance the dress .

3. For the make-up of the bride, choose a placeclose to a large window to promote natural light.

 

 

1. Procedure:

   1. Upon our arrival, we will first capture the decoration, accessories and jewelry related to the wedding. Keep the space of the premises as orderly as possible. The ideal is to mainly use the same room in the home to store clothes, bags, etc.;

   2. If the members of the procession have a bathrobe to take pictures, it is important to have it on you when we arrive. During the make-up of the bride, we will be able to take some individual photos of the girls with the bathrobe and at the same time, there will be a possibility to leave wishes to the bride and groom if you have opted for a video service as well. We will capture the bride's makeup when the makeup artist tells us that she is nearing the end of the makeup.

   3. Once the bride is made up, we will take group photos with the bathrobe. The time allotted will be approximately 10 minutes.

   4. The procession will then be called upon to put on their dress.

   5. For the bride, we will only intervene when it is time to tie the back of the dress. In the meantime, we will capture the other members of the procession, individual and group photos. This will be the last opportunity for members of the procession to leave a video message for the camera. Important, we cannot guarantee that the entire procession will be able to leave a video message as this is optional.

   6. When it is time to capture the attachment of the dress, ideally this will be done by the godmother  so it will be important that it be ready before. The mother of the bride will be able to help with the installation of the jewellery. Once again, prioritize a place with natural light.

   7. Avoid the comings and goings of the other members of the procession during this moment, the ideal would be that he has  only in this room the bride, the mother (or representative) and the godmother. The dad is also entitled to his daughter's "First Look" so he must not be present at this time as well. Make sure the room is tidy.

   8. Once the bride is ready, we will continue with the photos with the godmother, the mother as well as the individual bride.

   9. Thereafter, the father of the bride will be able to join his daughter and we will be able to capture the First Look, father / daughter.

   10. Individual photos of the groom will be taken at this time and those before leaving the room. If you have opted for the video service, this will be an opportunity for you to leave a message for your future husband. You can prepare mini-vows or a letter (different from what you will recite during the ceremony if stress is a blocking factor for you). At this time, the ideal is for the bride to be alone.

   11. The procession will be called upon to welcome the bride for her unveiling when leaving the bedroom or room dedicated to her  preparation.

   12. We will take advantage of this moment to take photos with the family and members of the procession present on the scene. Inside and out. Other individual photos of the bride will also be taken.

   13. Thereafter it will be the departure for the ceremony.

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Men:

1. As for the bride, have the accessories ready such as shoes, wedding rings, perfume, glasses, tie, etc.

2. If possible, hang the jacket in a strategic place. In the case of the groom, it can be placed on the bed.

3. The godfather can help the groom to prepare;

4. Once the groom is ready, he can also leave a message for his wife. Reminder that this is what you will be watching in 10 years so avoid a simple 5 second message. As mentioned above, you can prepare wishes for this moment as well.

5. Individual photos of each member of the procession will be taken and they will also have the opportunity to leave a video message to the bride and groom (if you have opted for two videographers)

6. Group, procession and family photos will be taken inside and outside.

7. Reminder to keep the premises as tidy as possible, as this will be part of the decor.

8. Thereafter, it will be the departure for the ceremony

 

 

 

D-Day: Ceremony

Recommended time: 1 hour.

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Reminder:

1. Do not have GUM in your mouth throughout the ceremony. The movement of the mouth is captured in photo and multiplied in video!

2. Make sure you don't have any cell phones. For men, the ideal is to put it in the pocket inside the jacket. A full cell phone or wallet leaves a bump on the pants which is not nice on a photo.

3. If you have coordinators, please make sure they pass on the message that guests must remain in their seats during the procession entrance and throughout the ceremony. If they take photos with their cell phones, avoid tilting their camera in the aisle.  The host of the ceremony can take care of passing this message before the entrance of the procession. 

4. If possible, discuss the expected time with the celebrant to avoid delays. Under no circumstances should a ceremony last two hours, as this will impact the time allowed for photos.45 min to an hour should be enough.

5. Advice from experience, avoid busy programs during the ceremony and take into consideration that it is not a concert but a wedding:-).

6. Once the ceremony is over, group photos will be taken in front of the church. All the procession as well as the guests will be able to participate. Time allotted: 10 minutes

7. Avoid wasting precious time greeting all your guests, because between the ceremony and the reception, the time dedicated to photos is important.

8. If the weather permits, we can go back inside the church to use the decor to take some pictures with the bride and groom.

9. We strongly recommend this practice because it allows you to vary the decor of the photos.

 

 

D-Day: Photo shoot

Recommended time:  90 minutes

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1. If you plan to use the bathroom, ideally do so at the church, as it is not always certain that there will be a toilet where the photos will be taken.

2. The place will be chosen in advance and will have to be transmitted to the limousines, however if there is a delay or in case of rain, we may have to choose an alternative.

3. During the photo session, please avoid havingGUM and this applies to the whole procession!

4. For the procession, it is important to avoid disappearing while going to the convenience store or to a fast food restaurant as this will delay the photo shoot.

5. Procedure:

   1. Upon arrival at the scene, one of the photographers will take pictures of the couple to start (so that if we are short of time or caught in the rain, we will have had time to take pictures of the bride and groom. ) The other photographer will take pictures of the procession, couples and relatives.Time allocated for this first part: 20 minutes. 

   2. We will continue with group photos with all those present including non-members of the procession. It is certain that the photo session is mainly reserved for the procession but 9 times out of 10, people are added. Then photos by smaller group of non-members of the procession with the bride and groom. The time allotted will be a maximum of 15 minutes.. Subsequently, non-members will be invited to leave the premises and go to the reception or to wait at the cars unfortunately in order to avoid loss of time and distraction. It will be the responsibility of the coordinators to ensure that it  Only the members of the procession remain.

   3. A photo of the official procession and bride and groom only will be taken again.

   4. The bride and groom will be asked to stay in the center and we will continue with the traditional photos in this order:

      1. Married to parents (including all combinations ex: married to bride's parents, etc.)

      2. Married with the immediate family member of the procession (family photos) brother/sister.

      3. Married with children

      4. Parents and children will be asked to return to the limos once completed.

      5. Married with witnesses only

      6. Married with witnesses and symmetrical procession

         1. Explanation: There are situations where there are 6 bridesmaids, 6 groomsmen and 5 bridesmaids. This creates a non-symmetrical situation for a traditional photo (women being on the bride's side) so ladies-in-waiting not being with a partner will be taken in the next sequence.

      7. Married with maid of honor or people walking alone.

      8. Bride with maid of honor, bride with groomsman

      9. Groom with Groomsman, Bride with Groomsmen.

      10. Time allowed for traditional photos: 20 minutes

   5. Photos with the Freestyle procession (use of decor, concept, etc.)

   6. The procession will be asked to leave the premises and we will only stay with the bride and groom

   7. We will end the session with other photos of the couple only

   8. Time allocated for the conclusion of the photos of the couple: 20 minutes

 

 

D-Day: Reception

 

Important, please do not forget the seats for the First Class team.

Be sure to confirm the procession entry list with the host and the music with the DJ. From experience, we advise you not to leave carte blanche for the entrance music of the procession to the DJ. If your procession knows in advance what they will be returning to, they will be prepared to put on a show! This will also avoid unpleasant surprises.

Communication is essential for all departments.

 

1. After a moment of rest for the newlyweds, weather permitting, we will take photos in the entrance (staircase, decorations) of the reception room just before the procession enters the room.

2. If this is not possible, this can be done during the reception (if the bride and groom are not too tired of course)

3. During the evening, we will go around the tables to photograph the guests. Generally, this round table is done without the bride and groom, however if you wish, please inform us in advance if you want to go around the table by taking photos with your guests. Please take into consideration that this will however triple the time to take these photos.

4. Another option is that following the entrance of the bride and groom, they remain on the dance floor afterwards we can take a close-up photo of the bride and groom with all the guests present on the dance floor.  Thereafter the bride and groom can stay on the dance floor and we can, with the collaboration of the host, invite two tables at a time, the guests to come and take photos with the bride and groom in the center. The advantage of this method is that from the start you are guaranteed to have souvenir photos with your guests and you can take the opportunity to greet them at the same time. Remember that some will travel far to attend the wedding so this approach will help avoid oversights.Time to allocate 25 minutes

5. Here is a reception program order that we recommend and which greatly facilitates the task of the team.

   1. Entrance of the procession;

   2. Choreography if applicable;

   3. Photos with guests;

   4. Speeches: Limit the number of speeches, as this lengthens the evening and guests will generally disconnect. If you have video service, your guests will still be able to leave messages on camera for you to view from the comfort of your home.

   5. The photo in front of the cake should be taken generally towards the beginning of the evening.

   6. For games, we advise you to opt for games where the host and the DJ work together. A game with music increases participation.

      1. Example:

         1. Lipsing

         2. Dance competition

         3. apple game

      2. fashion show, etc.

      3. Important, limit the number of games! We're not at a *Game Night*

   7. If you want to create an atmosphere, we advise you to open the dance floor from the beginning. This way your guests can dance while waiting for their meal. Your DJ will also be at work faster (good way to get your money's worth!) The party doesn't just start at 11pm but as soon as you enter so we advise you to discuss with your DJ to avoid sleepy songs, example Celine Dion, My heat will Go on. Very nice song but that may put off your guests.

   8. After the last meal is served, here is an example of an effective end process:

      1. Removal of the garter

         1. Invite the men to come and support the groom for the withdrawal, this way they will already be present on the dance floor so there will be less time wasted looking for single men.

         2. Garter Throw

      2.  Tossing the bouquet.

         1. Prepare the bouquet you are going to throw in advance. Usually the bride never throws her own bouquet.

      3. If it's on the program, dance from 30 seconds to a minute of the catchers of the bouquet and the garter.

      4. If it is on the program, dance of the groom with the mother, the bride with the father. Important to ensure that the animator conveys the message to clear the dance floor.

      5. 1st official dance of the newlyweds. Once the dance is over, invite the procession to come  join the bride and groom on the track as well as the guests.

      6. The ball is officially open!

 

Remember that the tips mentioned above are based on our past experience so can be useful for planning your day. We wish you a very good preparation and see you soon!

 

The First Class Pictures team