Wedding Day Photography Timeline

Your Wedding Day Timeline is one of the most important parts of your day.

You don't want any regrets. And you don't want to be rushed. You want everything smooth and enjoyable. And that comes down to timeline. This continues on from our 37 Frames Step-by-Step Guide our Wedding Photography workflow. Make sure to start there and then continue on below with the VERY IMPORTANT photography timeline advice.

4. Wedding Day Timeline:

Timeline, timeline, timeline. I know people think we're a broken record when it comes to timelines. But we can’t stress enough how important sticking to a wedding day timeline is. Some of our gorgeous couples don't fully get this until AFTER the wedding. But 100% of our clients all understand it when the wedding is done! Let us refer to some of our past clients. They'll all tell you the same thing. They truly didn't realize just how important the timeline was until the day was hurtling to a close. We've been a part of more than 1000 weddings and we are expert project managers. Nothing will make a day run more smoothly, more organically, more naturally than a well devised wedding timeline. Our 37 Frames team can advise on how to settle on a schedule that is RIGHT for you. No wedding is the same, so your wedding day schedule will always be unique. The size of your bridal party and family group photos are big factors. (Just a quick note here about Japan: Japan doesn't have bridal parties nor family photos. It's regular for just one big formal group shot. The international way of having a lot of different combinations of family groupings and making some time for some fun group shots with your bridal party is just not understood here. We have arrived at SO many locations where Japanese venue planners have scheduled 5-10 minutes for both family photos and bridal party photos expecting that you're just doing a formal group 'snap' as they call it. If you don't have an international planner in Japan, make sure your planner understands photography expectations from an international perspective).

When talking to your wedding photographer, make sure you give all the information (even the smallest details). That helps us guide you in designing your wedding schedule properly. From our vast experience these are the rules of thumb to keep in mind:

• Allocate at least 1 hour for bride and groom getting ready photos each. This will help tell a full and comprehensive story. Your story is everything. This is one of the happiest days of your life and it's only right that it's documented beautifully. One hour will give us a nice mix of natural and candid photos as well as editorial style portraits. (One more note here: in Japan getting ready images aren't regular. Many venues will put you in a tiny room with no natural light. If you're imagining a wedding like you're used to overseas and a getting ready suite for great images - make sure you ask your planner to include a room or suite with windows. And not their Bridal Salon.)
• Allocate at least 1 hour for couple’s photos without the bridal party. Add in an extra 30 minutes or so for your bridal party. We are often asked how much time you should allocate for creative photos, and our answer is always as much as possible! 1 to 2 hours is usually enough to create flawless and unique wedding day portraits. Most planners here in Japan allocate 10-20 minutes for couple photos. This is just not enough time for beautiful natural images. You want candid and authentic images. You don't want to be rushed. You want to enjoy your time together. You want to make it all about the 'experience' of your wedding day and not make it feel like a photo shoot. To enjoy each other naturally. The more time the better.
• Allocate at least 1 hour for family photos. It’s usually best to schedule them right after the ceremony. This way it’s easier to gather everyone in one spot! People will want to congratulate you as they’re excited, so 1 hour is usually enough to produce great family photos and make sure everyone gets their much-deserved one on one time with you. And if there's ever any time left over (there never is!!) we'll spend it with your bridal party. Enjoy enjoy enjoy!!!

5. Have the Absolute Best Time at Your Wedding!

The final step is to just enjoy. Every detail. Every moment. It's one day and it flies by so fast! But the memories are embedded into your story forever. Our biggest piece of advice is for couples to not stress. Just let your planners and photographers take care of the details. This is what we do. And we do it well. Our job is to make sure you have the best wedding possible. For you, your family and friends. So live your day. Breathe in every moment. And let us take on the responsibilities of the day.

Once the wedding day is over, we backup, edit and share all your images in a personally designed gallery where you can share, favorite and download your day. You'll be able to relive the magic.

The 37 Frames design team takes over here, and helps you create beautiful albums and printed artwork. You have to get a wedding book. Wedding albums become treasured heirlooms. For you. Your children and grandchildren. I know in this digital age it's easy to just share online. But an album is your family history. A tangible takeaway of your celebration. We believe that our Fine Art coffe table books and Italian printed wedding albums are some of the best in Japan! Trust us.

Of course, your 37 Frames experience doesn’t end here. It’s just the beginning! Being a part of one of the most intimate days of your life, you're forever a part of the 37 Frames family. You're friends for life.

Japan Wedding Planning & Photography | 3-8-25-703 Kamiochiai, Shinjuku-ku TOKYO Japan 161-0034 | 070-4129-2485 | info@37framesphotography.com | Copyright©2024