WEDDING HINTS & TIPS | GETTING THE BEST OUT OF ME
IN THIS VIDEO, I TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT CAN HELP ME ON A WEDDING DAY
Wedding Morning Timings – What to Keep in Mind
If you’re getting ready at your wedding venue — or if I’m not there for morning prep — feel free to skip this bit!
But if you do want the morning story captured, here’s something important to keep in mind when planning your timeline.
To give myself the best chance to capture everything naturally, I always aim to arrive at the wedding ceremony location at least 30 minutes before the ceremony starts. That gives me time to photograph the venue, the details (like your flowers, the cake, or signage), and your guests arriving — all those lovely in-between moments that help tell the full story.
There are two things that affect what time I’ll need to leave the getting-ready location:
1. Travel Time to the Ceremony
If you’re getting ready somewhere other than the ceremony venue — maybe at home or in a hotel — then travel time becomes a key factor.
Let’s say it takes around 45 minutes to get from prep to the ceremony location — I’ll need to leave around an hour and 15 minutes before the ceremony starts to give myself that 30-minute buffer at the venue.
That means everything that you want captured in the morning — including the dress going on, any finishing touches, first looks with bridesmaids or parents — needs to happen before that point.
2. The Final Getting Ready Moments
Some of the most emotional moments happen just as you’re putting on your dress or suit — maybe your mum’s helping with the buttons, or your bridesmaids see you for the first time and burst into tears (happy ones, of course!).
If you’d love these moments captured, it’s worth making sure they happen in time for me to be there before I need to head off to the ceremony.
In Most Cases…
Most people naturally aim to be ready in plenty of time, so often nothing needs to change. But it’s always good to keep these timings in mind — especially if you’re keen to have those final prep moments photographed.
One Last Tip
If you’re not sure when to aim for in terms of getting into your dress or suit, just drop me a message and I can help you work it out based on your ceremony time and location. I want to make sure we don’t miss anything important to you, and I’m always happy to chat through the timeline.
DELEGATE, DELEGATE, DELEGATE
How to make your wedding day run that little bit smoother
Weddings are full of emotion, energy, and excitement — but having a few extra hands to help on the day can make all the difference. I always recommend having a couple of people ready to step in with the little jobs — Ushers, Groomsmen, Best Men, Bridesmaids… whoever you trust to get things done and keep things moving.
It’s not about taking over the day — it’s about helping things run smoothly so you don’t have to stress about the small stuff. Here are the two key times when delegating really helps…
1. Delegate the Confetti Line
If you’re planning a confetti moment (and I hope you are — they always make for brilliant photos!), then having someone to help organise it makes it a lot easier and a lot quicker.
Ask your Ushers or Groomsmen to take charge of lining people up ready for when you come out — whether that’s through a door, archway, or just into a courtyard.
I’ll always help guide things if needed, but ideally I want to be free to capture the moment, not organise it. People love throwing confetti, and the reactions are always worth documenting — but it only works well when everyone knows what’s happening and when.
2. Delegate the Family Formals
The second key moment to delegate is the group shots.
During the drinks reception, there’s usually a bit of a lull around 30–40 minutes in — and that’s the perfect window for the family formals. But gathering people together can take time, especially if they’ve wandered off for a drink or a chat.
Here’s where having a couple of “runners” makes all the difference.
If you can delegate to two people who know both sides of the family (siblings work well), and give them the group list in advance, they can help round people up while I focus on composing and capturing the photos.
It keeps things moving, saves a lot of back-and-forth, and means we can fly through the group shots with minimal disruption to the rest of your day.
A Bit of Planning Goes a Long Way
You don’t need to overthink it, but having one or two people you can rely on to help with key parts of the day makes a big difference — especially for moments like the confetti throw and family photos.
Weddings are always better when you’re free to be present and enjoy it all — not worrying about where Uncle Dave has disappeared to when it’s time for the group shots.
Need help planning your timeline or family formals list?
I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and beyond — and I’m always happy to share tips to make your day as relaxed and enjoyable as possible.
Drop me a message if you want help planning the flow of your wedding morning, photo timings, or anything else. I’m here to make things easy.
LET ME KNOW IF THINGS CHANGE
Around 8 weeks before the wedding, I’ll get in touch to arrange a video call and send you a link to a pre-wedding questionnaire. That form lets you fill in the key timings for the day — things like the ceremony start time, meal, speeches, first dance etc.
Then, about a week before the wedding, I’ll check in again to make sure nothing’s changed since we last spoke.
Plans sometimes shift — and that’s totally normal! Even on the day, timings can move a little. If anything does change, just give me a heads-up so I can make sure I’m in the right place at the right time.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Hopefully these suggestions all make sense. I’m not saying that everything I’ve written or mentioned in the video has to happen — far from it! But I genuinely want you to get the best out of me on the day, and these little tips can really help make that happen.
To See Some More Wedding Hints and Tips Videos, Click HERE