GETTING THE MOST
FROM YOUR COUPLE PORTRAITS

At some point during your wedding day schedule, you should allow some time for the bridal photos with your photographer.

The bridal photos are when you, your partner (and sometimes the bridal party too) escape for a little while to get some nice photos alone with your photographer. How long do we need for this part of the day? (the time that is usually between the ceremony and reception) 

My personal preference is 45-60 minutes. Bueno. And make that’s 45-60 minutes after all the post-ceremony hugs & kisses + your family portraits. Not including. Please don’t leave yourself with 5 minutes for couple portraits. Here’s an ideal timeline (with plenty of buffer to spare) – 

• Ceremony 4:30 – 5:00

• Post Ceremony Congratulations – 5:00 – 5:15

• Family Portraits – 5:15 – 5:30

• Chill Out / Eat / Drink – 5:30 – 5:40

• Bridal Party Portraits – 5:40 – 6:00

• Couple Portraits – 6:00 – 6:30

• Party Time! – 6:40 onwards

It’s no secret that a little bit of liquid courage goes a long way for a bridal party, which is why I always suggest taking about 10 minutes after family photos (which can be a testing time for some) to have a bite to eat and down a cold beverage. This is a great way to ease people into the idea of being in photos. Don’t worry though, generally, I get the bridal party photos completed in about 20 minutes and then they’re free to head back to the party. It’s then time to go for a walk with the newlyweds for another 30 minutes or so and it’s here that I find couples get to truly relax because it’s their first alone time as husband and wife, and letting them revel in that space allows me to capture some honest and true moments. 

There are wedding days where things just don’t go to plan because of other things – celebrants arriving late, hair & make up running late (this is the most common one) etc. Things like this can lead to couple portraits typically being the thing that gets cut into and I’ve had 5-10 minutes but if you want the first moments you get alone together to be relaxed then it’s nice to have a bit more time than 10 minutes. 

On the flip, if you have scheduled well over an hour for whatever reason you may find that we end up chilling in a bar or cafe. A good simple guide to follow is 30 minutes for bridal party & couple portraits can lead to things being rushed. Anything above 60 minutes is over kill, unless we’re travelling to different locations. My wedding photography simply is just not suited to portrait sessions that go on for hours because I set up or pre-plan very few photos and document things more on the fly. Plus I want to get you back to your guests in as little time as possible because that’s where the party is at! 

It is up to you if you want to do the portrait session before or after your ceremony. Some couples wish to get the photos out of the way before all the formalities, combining them with a ‘first look’ sometime earlier on in the day. Most common though is to have the wedding portrait session some time after the ceremony. As for the actual time, I would strongly advise you to consider having the photos as late as possible during daylight, preferably an hour or so before sunset. CLICK HERE to check out the sunset times in Adelaide. During the summer months especially, between 12-4pm the sun is still very strong and high in the sky. Not only will it be uncomfortable for you with the heat, but also the light is less flattering at this time of day. I always do my best to conduct the portrait sessions in the shade, but sometimes this isn’t possible. The hour before sunset is known as golden hour due to the beautiful light. If you can schedule the portrait session around this time, your photos will look amazing! 

If you’re worried about it raining on your wedding day that’s no problem for me at all. I would actually prefer to take photos in the pouring rain than blaring harsh sun light so all we need if it rains are a few clear umbrellas and you will still get amazingly epic photos. 

Adelaide doesn’t tend to have days of full torrential rain anyway. There’ll always be a window of time to sneak outside for a few quick portraits without getting soaked. 

Nearly every couple I meet with that wants me to photograph their wedding says that they don’t want to pose in front of the camera because they’d feel awkward. Guess what? I couldn’t agree more. Who likes doing unnatural things!? Most people aren’t models, they’re every day people putting on an epic party that want their memories captured, who don’t usually have a camera in front of their faces for hours and hours. Photos really aren’t about how you look, they’re about how you feel. If you feel awkward then that’s how you’ll look. If you feel good. . . I think you know the rest.
When it comes to the time where I have a newlywed couple in front of my camera I believe that there should be just enough direction given so that people first and foremost look flattering but at the same time enough freedom to relax, be comfortable and truly be themselves in an honest way. Images like this are a huge priority for me because it’s what I personally get moved by and I hope that by doing this the images will move other people too. The happiest couples to photograph are the ones that forget about the camera the quickest because they’re just so in to each other and their wedding day. The time that they have together is so valuable that they don’t want to waste a second of it. They hug a lot, hold hands, don’t worry about getting a little dirty and invest themselves into everything wholeheartedly.