- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee Blog
Although my detail-loving heart warms at the sight of smaller elements that together make up the “look” of a wedding as a whole, the most important aspect of our wedding is the people. As such, we want our pictures to focus on the moments that will remind us not only of how everything looked, but how everyone felt that day. Photos like this one—taken from a gem of a blog that Mrs. Avocado introduced to us—that makes my breath catch in my throat:
Image via Moment Junkie / Photo by Caroline Ghetes
In addition to covering the general feel we want our wedding pictures to have, during our final meeting with the ever-fab Aruna B. we also discussed “must have” shots, especially those that stylistically may be unique to our tastes. For example, we want to include a Vanity Fair-inspired shot during the wedding party photos.
For the guys, a picture of them looking badass would suit Mr. Tartlet just fine:
Photo by Sweet Caroline Photo
For the bride and groom photos, I lurve the dramatic silhouette shot:
Image via Mrs. Meerkat / Photo by del Sol Photography
And although the people trump the details, the latter certainly won’t be neglected! The quintessential shoe shot is a must (note to self, fix up my ugly feet before the wedding):
Image via Style Me Pretty / Photo by Elizabeth Messina
Other “must have” shots include:
The necklace my mom wore on her wedding day
Photo by Elizabeth Messina
Image via Style Me Pretty / Photo by Wedding by Two
We’re also in the process of developing a timeline for our wedding day, and I kept getting stuck because I had no idea how long the various photo sessions would take. I’m not sure that this will hold true for all weddings, but everything fell into place after we spoke to Aruna. As such, I would recommend saving yourself some hair pulling and speak to your photographer first before trying to set up a general wedding day timeline! Anyhoo, here’s what we brainstormed during our meeting (our package includes 8 hours of coverage), and I’m using this as a springboard for a more detailed timeline that will be distributed closer to the wedding:
2:30PM - Getting ready shots
3:00PM - Bride to get dressed
3:30PM - Bride and Groom’s “first look”
3:45PM - Wedding party pictures (we have 3 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen)
4:15PM - Bride and Groom pictures
5:30PM - Done with pictures // Get ceremony shots + details
6:00PM - Ceremony
6:30PM - Ceremony finished
6:45PM - Family pictures during cocktail hour*
7:15PM - Done with family pictures
7:30PM - Wedding party grand entrance
7:35PM - Bride and Groom’s first dance
7:40PM - Cake cutting while the first course is served
7:45-8:15PM - Break for dinner
8:15PM - Toasts while the second course is served
8:45PM - Third course is served
9:00PM - Father/daughter dance
9:05PM - Dance floor opens up
10:00PM - Surprise from the Bride and Groom
10:30PM - Depart
*A useful bit of information that Aruna shared was that 12 groupings of family members takes around 30 minutes. We supplied some groupings and tried to optimize the order so that everyone gets a chance to enjoy the cocktail hour.
We also made sure to include a number of other, more informal pictures that we’d like to get at some point during the evening. One in particular that’s very important to me is to get a photo with one of my dearest friends from study abroad who is travelling halfway across the world for the wedding (he’s Scottish, but is currently working in Australia):
On a visit to the States in 2009
Mr. Tartlet wants a photo with all of his med school buddies. Aside from their graduation the following week, our wedding is one of the last opportunities for all of them to be together:
2010 intramural soccer champs!
Any key photos that I’ve missed? What are some “must have” shots for your wedding?
Awesome post - and so timely! I just emailed my photographer this morning to ask about timelines 
Funny you should write about this, Tartlet. I’ve begun a scrapbook of sorts with photo ideas snagged from other weddings to bring to the meeting with our photographer. I figure this is a good way for the photogs to get a feel for what I want…like they say, a photo is worth a thousand words.
pictures for your grandparents dancing with you or together.
years from now you will be so glad you have them.
pictures of your grandparents dancing with you or with each other.
years from now you will be so glad you have them.
Nice post! I was freaking out a while ago about timeline, so I’m glad you got yours all straighened out 
Oh, and I definitely just added the “Vanity Fair” shot to my list!
ahhh, we are on the same wavelength - great post, Miss T. love the heirloom necklace, and the photo of you and mama t putting it on will be AMAZING.
We had our DJ play DH’s parents first dance song, and we danced along side them to it. It made them very emotional, and made for a great picture!
I had a list like this. My photographer actually emailed me back “that’s alot of pictures to take”
To which I was just confused because well weren’t we paying her…
Love the shoe shoot! Wish we could’ve done it.
I had a list like this. My photographer actually emailed me back “that’s alot of pictures to take”
To which I was just confused because well weren’t we paying her…
Love the shoe shoot! Wish we could’ve done it.
As a wedding photog and upcoming bride myself, I think it is wonderful and wise to openly communicate to your photog what you are *hoping* to get, photo-wise. That said, keep in mind to take a deep breath and realize sometimes that the flow of the day influences what shots are available to your photographer. If you want her shooting formal, stylized portraits all through cocktails, be sure to spend the extra to hire her second shooter too, so you also get those lovely candids and details…. ya read me?
Ay ay ay, that first picture killed me. Like. I’m dying. BUT then I saw your awesomely precise timeline and I smiled…and have been smiling ever since. You are my hero, Tarty
My photographer gave me two pieces of advice:
#1 do wedding party shots first (you and your girls, he and his boys) before the first look. It will help relax you and get you used to the camera
#2 I also had a long list of family & friend photo’s I wanted and she asked me, are these really photo’s you’ll actually put in the album? If not, do I want to take time away from my cocktail hour to get them? So on second thought I went with one large family photo and that’s it
@Crown: Having a scrapbook is a great idea! We do it for things like flowers and such, so why not photos? 
@Chocolatte: I definitely missed this one. Mr. Tartlet will for sure want one of his grandparents dancing/together (sadly all of my mine have passed on).
@linkkm, @Miss Candy Apple, @jbz, @Miss Ostrich: Thanks, gals!
@Lindsay12.31.2010: Oh wow. I’m tearing up just thinking of how emotional that must have been. What a beautiful idea!
@Little Flapper: Hopefully your photographer ended up capturing the majority of the photos you wanted!
@S: Thanks for the great advice! I forgot to mention in my post that our package also includes a second shooter. I didn’t really grasp the importance of this until I read your comment just now!
@Miss Seal: Haha - thanks, lady!
@Courtnee: Both great things to consider. Thanks for sharing!
Definitely agree on the talking with your photographer. Ours did the timeline for us, and then we just added in a couple more that we wanted to make sure were captured.
I made a detailed shot list and still forgot to get photos with certain people/groups. I thought I was so prepapred. I think you’ve got a great list. I wish we had done one with my cousins.
My question to the group is, would you rather your photographer interrupt you at some point during your night to make sure you get these ‘must have’ shots (like the ‘all the cousins’ shot), or is the remorse over not getting them NOT as bad as the interruption would be during your rockin’ reception?
I’m wearing my photographer’s hat while asking that question, but I think it is important that both you and your photographer decide *whose* responsibility it is to organize those group shots. (Maybe you delegate this to your MoH?) Most brides I work with are ready to toss the list once the party starts, so perhaps scheduling all these early is the best plan…
To add to my previous point, nothing seems to grind a fun party to a halt faster than the DJ trying to call for “all the cousins to the dance floor, all the cousins” in their booming DJ voice!
@S: Thanks for taking the time to share your perspective! That’s a great point about designating a herder of sorts to make sure people are where they need to be.
And, we want to be as hands-off as possible so as not to disrupt the natural flow of the evening, so it’s good to consider that we may not get some of those shots. Awesome points!
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MI Age and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical Student Engagement Date: May 2, 2009 Wedding Date: May 2011 Venue: The Royal Park Hotel About Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
Latest Gallery Pics