ANATOMY OF A MICRO-WEDDING
Your wedding day is something that you’ve likely spent years imagining: a party with friends and family as you declare your vows to the love of your life. If you were hoping for a big celebration, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly wrinkled your plans. Some couples have postponed their nuptials, while others have downsized. But a smaller ceremony doesn’t mean a shorter wedding day. I recommend at least 6 hours of photography to capture the laughter and love of your unique experience.
Hour 1
getting ready
Whether your choose to get ready with your soon-to-be-spouse or separately, you should estimate one hour of photography during the time you’re getting dressed. You’ll likely want photos while you have your hair and makeup done, or when you’re putting on your jacket and tie.
Hour 2
Individual portraits
The dress. The veil. The hair and makeup. Capture the beauty of the day you’re dressed your very best. The time between getting ready and your ceremony is most often shorter than you expect. Sometimes hair and makeup are running behind, other times its your schedule or your friends. Either way, I’d recommend allotting at least an hour for portraits, that way if we only wind up with 30 minutes, you’ll still have time to relax in front of the camera for some gorgeous portraits.
Hour 3
First Look & Couples Portraits
If you haven’t considered a “First Look”, I would recommend it. When you’re having a small gathering on your wedding day, you will want to make the most of the time with your loved ones, so it’s helpful to take your Couples Portraits ahead of time. Especially if you want a variety of backgrounds so that your ceremony, family formals, and couples portraits aren’t all in the same location.
Hour 4
ceremony
Most ceremonies are less than 1 hour, but you still need to account for the time for your guests to get seated before you walk down the aisle , and greet them before or after your ceremony. So even if your ceremony is scheduled for 15 minutes, you may need 45 for everything to start and end on schedule.
Hour 5
Family Formals
After you greet your guests, we can use this cocktail hour time for your new family portraits. You might want photos with your family, friends, guests, or Justice of the Peace.
Hour 6
Toasts & Reception
Brunch, lunch, or dinner - whatever you’re serving usually accompanies speeches. Whether the toasts are delivered virtually or in person, I’m sure your family and friends will have some kind words to share. Then you can cut the cake, and eat!
Mask up!
I know a "mask photo" probably isn't what you want for your wedding. But 50 years from now, when the next generation is flipping through your wedding album, you'll have quite the story to tell. You got married with the help of hand sanitizer, masks, temperature checks, and capacity restrictions in era where things were tough. You made vows to stick together through thick and thin. What could be a better example of that, than getting married during a pandemic?
