WHY WE NEED MORE THAN 10 MINUTES IN A WEDDING TIMELINE

Because.

See I could totally end this blog with that one word. I won’t leave you hangin though. Let me break down this common problem and also dive in to an alternative resolution to having this part of your WEDDING TIMELINE not be an issue for anyone. A WEDDING TIMELINE is one of the most important aspects of the day hands down. It keeps everyone on the same page and is crucial in bringing order to chaos ( you know what I mean ).

For me personally I like to have about an hour of time with JUST the couple. That gives more flexibility for variety , creating rad images and takes away from rushing everywhere. I HATE to rush couples. Here’s why, when you rush you eliminate all aspects of organic moments. Everything becomes posed because there is NO time to enjoy the present. For some of you, you may be thinking ” ehh that’s not a bad thing ” but hear me out, later you’ll regret it……….UNLESS you specifically planned to not have more than 10 minutes for creatives in your WEDDING TIMELINE. I’ll get to that at the end, I promise it’ll be cool to think about.

1909 TOPANGA WEDDING

When it comes to timelines there is one intangible that I always remind everyone of, the time it takes to leave the prep room, get down the elevator and then to the location. Sometimes that alone can take 10-15 minutes! And that’s if we’re kicking major ass. So when we have a WEDDING TIMELINE that doesn’t allow for flex room vendors will almost always find themselves behind on time…which leads to rushing….which leads to less variety and creativity. Don’t believe me? Ask any of your friends how their timeline went. Some will say great ( because hey there are some fucking awesome wedding planners out there who know what’s up, like Natalie Sofer, Tricia Dalhgren, Heather Brunsell and AQUAFUZION ) but others will undoubtedly say UGH I wish we had more time. By building in an hour of time with JUST the couple that allows us to flex and allocate to something else if we’re running behind. See where I’m going with this? To put it plain and simple, give us an hour. If we don’t use it all that’s great! We can get you into cocktail hour to party with friends or give you a nice break to avoid photo burnout.

Be vigilant in giving time to us.

KNOLLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB WEDDING

Here’s the flipside though. Every once in while I get a couple who doesn’t want anything taking away from them being with their guests. They don’t want formals, they don’t want family pictures or anything organized like that. Which is why I created a totally collection for them, the On The Run collection. 100% black and white documentary style. No formals or posing allowed AT ALL. I digress though. When these couples tell me they want this style it is because they value the candid moments of them being with their family showing the true emotions rather then the cookie cutter style formals.

It makes a huge amount of sense and honestly I wish everyone had this mind state. This allows 100% of the day to be used for celebrating and having a kick ass time WITH your family and guests rather than being a ghost to them. Also it makes creating the WEDDING TIMELINE a breeze.

FAIRMONT MIRIMAR WEDDING

Pure documentary is popular in a lot of countries in Europe. Don’t be fooled though, out west many people say their ” documentary ” but in reality they aren’t in the true essence of the word. Reportage or docu style is just that, covering the aspects of the moments uninterrupted. The truth in emotion. Or as TwoMann says ” the magic in the normalcy of our lives “. The power of this mindstate is incredible and irrefutable.

Is it for everyone? No. It takes confidence and humility to be at peak vulnerability. Some say ” we’re not good at pictures and are always so awkward please pose us ” well guess what, no one is good at pictures unless your a model or actor. 95% of us don’t know how to look good in pictures but what you do know how to do is have fun and show the person next to you how much you love them. These moments beat poses 10/10 times. With the exception of a few almost every single one of my clients have said that in one way or another. Trust. What makes the difference is the inherent way I see the world differently.

So to recap. If you want a ton of portraits and creatives give me a solid hour and we’ll crush it. If you don’t then lets rock it EU style and focus on organic moments the entire day. My ideal WEDDING TIMELINE is a hybrid of the two. If I could have absolute say then that’s what I’d choose. For family pictures just parents / siblings. For portraits/creatives 1 hour. For everything else just show everyone who came your undying love and attention. Show them a good time and show them your party side.

Stay gold.

 

 

While you’re here feel free to check out some of the other incredible weddings I’ve been a part of  as well as advice you’ll need when debating that First Look!

May + Mike | FCC Los Angeles Wedding

First Looks. Traditional VS Modern and why you should always choose the latter.

Leslie + Vlad | El Encanto Santa Barbara Wedding

Ryan + Trent | El Matador Malibu Engagement

 Emily + Joseph | Hacienda Heights Country Club Wedding

Gail + Brian | Figueroa Mountain Wedding

I want to tell YOUR story and be you’re PASADENA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER! Chat with me today to see if your date is still available!

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