Photos that are natural, intimate, and emotional are what wedding photography should be all about — and they’re the sorts of shots I look forward to capturing most. The more I am able to learn about you as a couple and your vision for your special day, the more I will have to work with when creating images that truly reflect your personalities.
01
Let’s go over the vision you have for your wedding. What is uniquely yours on your special day? What is your schedule like? You can reach out to me anytime if you have questions or need any vendor recommendations.
02
It would be great if we can plan for a visit to your venue before your special day. This gives me the opportunity to prepare based on how the day’s events are set to unfold.
03
I will confirm the details from your schedule with you, making sure there have been no significant changes. We will also answer any last questions you might have leading up to your special day.
04
Before you know it, your special day is here! Just be present in the moment and soak it all in. I will follow your timeline as the day goes on, and document all the wonderful events. Let’s celebrate!
05
After your wedding day, the editing process begins. You’ll receive a sneak peek shortly after your day. Your entire wedding day gallery will be in your inbox before you know it! Receive your images, share, download, archive and cherish the emotions you felt on your special day. From there, you’ll be able to order prints and photographs to display as well.
Your wedding day’s schedule will help guide your planning and ensure a smooth flow. Here are a few key events to consider, as well as a recommended time allotment for photographing each one.
01.
Getting ready / Groom prep / About 30 min
Some grooms prefer not to be photographed at this stage of the day for location reasons or otherwise. Please feel free to do what feels best for you.
02.
Getting ready / Bride prep / About 1 hour
I like to arrive at the bride’s location just as she’s finishing her makeup — that way, we can get a few photographs of the final touches. Once that’s done, we will document meaningful accessories or items present, so kindly gather everything so that they’re ready to be photographed (invitations, vows, jewelry, flowers, family heirlooms, and other items you are incorporating into your special day). I will also photograph the bridal party getting ready if they are at the location.
03.
Events / games & tea ceremony / Duration depends
Any games or gate crash planned will take about 45 minutes to an hour. Depending on the distance between locations, the tea ceremony for Chinese-oriented weddings may take about 1 to 2 hours. Couples may also choose to proceed with tea ceremony directly at the wedding venue.
04.
couple portraits / About 30 min – 1 hour
Timing depends on how many locations you’d like to visit (around 30-40 minutes per location is ideal). It would be lovely if you are able to allocate some time from your schedule for a short couple photoshoot (and bridal party if there’s one). You can pick a location of your choice, or arrive earlier at your wedding venue for photos.
05.
Solemnisation / About 30 minutes
Solemnisations are generally around 15 to 30 minutes. Couples may choose to have their solemnisation done before their actual wedding day, and can use this time for tea ceremony at their venue instead.
06.
The reception / 2 – 4 hours
Every wedding reception is unique and really depends on what matters to you. Your march-ins, cake cutting, toasting, friends and family sharing your joy. Your wedding venue should be able to provide you a rough timeline for the events planned during the banquet.
07.
Family, friends & guests photos / 40 minutes
We will go from table to table, starting with your VIPs, for photos with your family, friends, and guests at your celebrations. It would be great if a family or friend can help with coordinating the order and flow from table to table.
08.
The exit / 30 minutes
I recommend deciding whether you’d like complete reception coverage or would prefer to have me stay just until the table photos.
09.
Sample schedule
5:00am – Bride getting makeup done, changing into wedding gown & other preparations by bridesmaids
6:00am – Groom arrives at bride’s location for gate crash
7:00am – Travel to groom’s location
7:30am – Arrives at groom’s location & tea ceremony
8:30am – Travel to bride’s location
9:00am – Arrives at bride’s location & tea ceremony
10:00am – Couple portraits & group photos with bridal party
11:00am – Rest
4:00pm – Couple to reach wedding venue for change of makeup & hair
5:30pm – Solemnisation
6:00pm – Guests to arrive for reception
7:00pm – Reception begins
7:10pm – First march-in
8:00pm – Second march-in & toasting
8:45pm – Table photos
9:30pm – Guests leaving
10:00pm – End of reception
01.
Getting ready / Bride & groom prep / About 40 min
The bride and groom will most likely be getting ready for the reception at the wedding venue. I like to arrive just the bride and groom are finishing their preparations — that way, we can get a few photographs of the final touches. Once that’s done, we will document meaningful accessories or items present, so kindly gather everything so that they’re ready to be photographed (invitations, vows, jewelry, flowers, family heirlooms, and other items you are incorporating into your special day).
02.
Couple portraits / About 30 min
Timing depends on how many locations around the area you’d like to visit. It would be lovely if you are able to allocate some time from your schedule for a short couple photoshoot.
03.
Solemnisation / About 30 min
Solemnisations are generally around 15 to 30 minutes. Couples may choose to have their solemnisation done before their actual wedding day, and can use this time for tea ceremony at their venue instead.
04.
Tea ceremony / About 1 hour
Timing depends on how many relatives will be present for the ceremony.
05.
The reception / 2 – 4 hours
Every wedding reception is unique and really depends on what matters to you. Your march-ins, cake cutting, toasting, friends and family sharing your joy. Your wedding venue should be able to provide you a rough timeline for the events planned during the banquet.
06.
Family, friends & guests photos / 40 minutes
We will go from table to table, starting with your VIPs, for photos with your family, friends, and guests at your celebrations. It would be great if a family or friend can help with coordinating the order and flow from table to table.
07.
The exit / 30 minutes
I recommend deciding whether you’d like complete reception coverage or would prefer to have me stay just until the table photos.
08.
Sample schedule
4:00pm – Groom preparing, bride getting makeup done, changing into wedding gown
5:00pm – Couple portraits around the wedding venue
5:30pm – Guests arrive & solemnisation
6:15pm – Tea ceremony
7:00pm – Reception begins
7:10pm – First march-in
8:00pm – Second march-in & toasting
8:45pm – Table photos
9:30pm – Guests leaving
10:00pm – End of reception
Sometimes, couples choose a place that has sentimental value or is significant to them, like your favourite park or a café you frequent. Getting photos together as a couple at a place that already means a lot to you can be really special! You can also consider locations that you’ve wanted to visit or new experiences that you’ve wanted to have.
Another factor to consider would be the distance between your ideal photoshoot locations and the reception venue. Time taken to travel between locations should also fit comfortably into your schedule without having to rush.
Instead of typing your vows on phone, consider doing it on a letter paper or notebook. It adds a dash of romance to your photos!
Get help from your bridal party to inform the next table when you are moving around the venue for photos when your guests! This helps to save time and avoid overruns.
If you are planning a big celebration and is expecting more than 100 guests, adding on a secondary photographer to your wedding day can definitely be helpful. Since I can’t be in two places at once, a secondary photographer ensures that you will get more photos of your day with different angles and perspectives of all the moments.
If you have any questions at any point, please feel free to drop me a message anytime!
Whatsapp 8890 8200 | Email hello@xanthe.sg | Telegram @xanthesg
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