The Photo Concierge

Top Five Wedding Day Tips

January 19, 2023 Leah Rife
The Photo Concierge
Top Five Wedding Day Tips
Show Notes

Welcome back to season 2 of The Photo Concierge Podcast! I took an abrupt break during busy season last year, but I'm back and excited for season 2!

Top 5 Wedding Day tips

1. Consider doing a first look with your partner on your wedding day

  • It prioritizes time prior to the ceremony for photos when guests aren’t present
  • It allows guests to be more present with guests after the ceremony
  • It can allow family photos to be done prior to the ceremony sometimes

Check out Episode 3 Season 1 on First Looks vs. No First Looks


2. Consider hiring a wedding planner for your wedding day

  • A planner allows you to have quality time with your family and guests on their wedding day
  • A planner ensures a seamless wedding day and allows couples to be fully present
  • Planners coordinate vendor schedules and timelines and keeps all vendors running smoothly
  • Allows family who would otherwise become an unofficial wedding planner on the day of to be present with the couple

Some planners and coordinators I recommend:

It’s Kee Events

Vance Taylor Designs

Merry Me Events

Audrey Kate Coordinates


3. Consider hiring transportation on your wedding day

  • Transportation is important when you have multiple locations for your wedding party to be at
  • Helpful if you have a church ceremony, photos in between, and a separate reception venue
  • Safer for allowing wedding party to enjoy drinks without needing to have a designate driver
  • Easier for larger wedding parties getting to photo locations


4. Consider skipping the huge family photo groupings or limiting family photos to just immediate family

  • Asking yourself what family photo groupings are really important - will you frame them or put them in an album?
  • What is a “should” on your wedding day and what’s something you and your partner really want?
  • Are the photo groupings for you or your parents?
  • Family photo groupings can be chaotic if not planned well, family members can miss the memo to be present, and larger groupings can take awhile to set up.
  • Sit down and evaluate what photos are going to be the most important to you
  • Family groupings can take 2-3 minutes to set up, 5-7 minutes for larger groupings
  • I usually budget around 30 minutes to take family photo groupings on a wedding day


5. Communicate clearly with Hair & Makeup Artists and ask them how much time they need

  • I recommend hair and makeup be wrapped up 30 minutes before we need to start photos
  • If hair and makeup runs long, it will have a chain effect and we’ll need to cut out some photo time
  • Get really clear on how much time your H&MU artists need for each person getting service
  • Budget travel time if you are getting ready at a different location than your venue or first photo location


Email me: leahrifephoto@gmail.com

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