Top 5 Reception Photo Opportunities

 

Your reception is a combination of numerous fun and important events and its important to make sure you communicate which moments are the most important in order for your photographer to document them correctly for you and knows where to be and when.  Do you want more candid shots of your guest or would you like your photography to accompany you as you greet each table and guest? Do you need to have all professional shots of your guests dancing and enjoying themselves or do you want to encourage your guest to share some of the shots they take by using a hashtag? If you are on a tight budget the reception is one of the first places you can cut back on how long you need the photographer for. Some things you will definitely want to discuss with your photographer:

1. The grand entrance.

Not all couples make a big show of their first entrance, others, make it an entertaining affair with their bridal party, dance routine, or even horse-drawn carriage. Make sure your photographer knows where to be and what to expect so they can be in place and insure they have the right lighting set up for the occasion and location.

2. Speeches.

Most speeches are giving during the dinner, but sometimes this is done just after the couple arrives, or throughout the reception. It is ideal for speeches to be done during the dinner hour since all your guest are seating and it is much easier to gain their attention and for the photographer to move around to get the right angle.  Ideally it is recommended that your toaster stand within a few feet of the bride and groom so that you can all be in one photo together in order to set the scene for telling the story of your reception.

3. Dances.

The first dance, mother of the groom, and father of the bride dances can yield incredibly special moments, but again not all couples are interested in including these dances. Others couples may have a few additional dances included into their reception timeline; some have special performers, surprise routines and more. While the choice is yours you want to be mindful of when you are planning these dances, especially if your photographer is not going to be staying throughout the entirety of the reception.

4. Cake Cutting.

The cake cutting can occur at any point during your reception, most couples tend to leave this until after dinner is served and after toasts before you move on to dancing. A few things to consider with the cake cutting; if you are serving your guest the same cake from the cake you have displayed the cutting will need to occur earlier in the reception so the event staff has time to cut and plate the cake for your guest. You can eliminate this by having sheet cakes to serve to your guest instead of the actual wedding cake.

You will want to discuss the best way to cut your cake with your photographer prior to the cutting. You want to make sure the photographer can get the best shot and this will take a little bit of planning that will depend on how big your cake is and the decoration you have on and around your cake.

5. The Flower and Garter Toss.

This is often left until the very end of the reception usually just before or after dessert is served but can be done at any time during the reception.