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I'm a wedding photographer based out of South Bend, Indiana.

I believe in always having a vase full of fresh flowers, especially during peony season. That ending a long day should always be on the patio, with a good book and a glass of rosé. And, going to the beach is always a good idea.

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Hi, I'm
Katie

The day has started out perfectly. Everyone is in their designated bridal suites getting ready. The flowers have arrived and the excitement of the ceremony permeates each room. You head off to the church and notice that your missing a bridesmaid, but she’s on her way. You left in enough time that she can catch up and not miss the ceremony. Once the ceremony is over, you ask all of your bridal party to help you get your guests on the Golden Dome steps for a quick photo while you take 2 more photos with your new husband. As your Golden Dome photos wrap up, and your photographer tells the bridal party to “go to Jesus”, you realize you are missing 3 groomsmen that didn’t hear or are talking to their girlfriends on where they should go to wait for them. It’s finally time to make all of those ideas that inspired you from Pinterest to come to life. That’s right, it’s time for the bridal party portraits.

This scenario is one that I see at 95% of all weddings. It’s just the natural process. You, as the bride, can’t plan for everything and the bridal party doesn’t put into as much planning into your day as you do, and that’s fine! They don’t need to, they just need to know where to be and when. Today’s post will hopefully help you think about 1 step that a lot of brides don’t consider.

  1. Keep it Simple!
    • Campus is an exciting location but you can get lost with how many locations you want to go to. That’s okay. I, personally, recommend keeping to God quad (or 1 location) that is easy for them to move on to the reception or transportation when they are done.
  2. Limit yourself to how long.
    • This will also depend on how many people are in the bridal party (see next tip), but a good rule of thumb is 30 minutes.
  3. Consider quantity over time
    • My sweet spot for that 30 minutes I just mentioned is 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen. If you put into consideration 1-2 full bridal party shots, each individual party member with the bride or groom and then the bride with her girls and the groom with his guys, that will take up about 3 minutes per person (though the individuals tends to pick up the pace slightly). People will naturally be excited and multitasking and if they aren’t the MOH, chances are their attention won’t be on what’s coming next. This is why this tip is so important. Plan for 3 minutes per person that’s in your party.

Swan Lake Summer Wedding Photo

Comments +

  1. Lindsay says:

    Great advice 😉

  2. That is a huge wedding party! Awesome shot & great advice for your couples. 🙂

  3. Tiffany says:

    So fun! And great tips! Not many people take into consideration the size of their bridal party for portraits.

    • Katie says:

      Thank you! It’s something I never really thought would play a part, myself. I was just noticing that the more bodies we had, the longer things took.

  4. Erika says:

    Great advice! And whoa! What a bridal party in that photo!

  5. Tashena Shaw says:

    WOW! Now that is a bridal party. Love the advice too!

  6. Kelsey says:

    Great tips! Very helpful for any bride 🙂

  7. Great Tips! Your brides will find it so helpful!

  8. […] and family. I’ve already discussed why you should consider having one location for your bridal party, but of course I understand why one would want them to come to the various locations around this […]

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