After all that planning, it’s time for chapter 5 of the TM Grey Photo Wedding Experience.

It’s here, it’s HERE! Your wedding day. This day will be one of the best of your lives. My second shooter and I will arrive a little bit before to get set up. Since we’ve gone over the timeline, we’ve got printouts of your family formals and the timeline. It’s set up in our watches and phones; our batteries are charged, and we are ready to go.

We typically arrive while getting ready, with hair & makeup going on. Who wants photos BEFORE they have most of their makeup on? I can answer this one, but absolutely no one.

I start the day with details. It’s the best way for me to get into the groove. I take those all and consider how to get that editorial look throughout the wedding day. You can give me as many details as you’d like, and don’t worry if you don’t have specific details. These are some of the most common:

• engagement rings and wedding bands
• ties, tie clips, pocket squares
• perfumes & colognes
• shoes
• jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, other rings
• loose blooms from the florist
• invitation suite: save-the-dates, main invitation, rsvp card, envelopes

After the details, I take photos of you getting into your wedding attire. If you have a package with a second shooter, my second is with your partner. We get some solo portraits of each of you, and if it’s in your timeline, this is usually when we take each side of the wedding party separately. You get the individuals of you and each member of your side of the bach party.

Depending on if you are doing a first look or not, we are either prepping for that or doing the ceremony details before the guests arrive. For a first look, we move right into couples portraits, whole wedding party, family, and ceremony details.

The moment of truth: the ceremony. The whole reason that you are there, celebrating the love you and your partner share. It’s an exciting time. Check out my blog post here if you want to make the best of your ceremony photos. Before it all begins, your officiant will ask everyone to not take pictures. When you say I do and exchange that first official kiss, your next chapter has started. And the best way to start is with a bonus kiss during the processional back down the aisle.

Your guest heads to cocktail hour after it’s all said and done. If you didn’t do a first look, you should have a 90-minute cocktail hour for family portraits, full wedding parties, individual bach party photos, and couples portraits. That typically takes up an hour. This is also where we take the reception details, as the room is finally ready and untouched.

After cocktail hour, we move into the grand entrances. Receptions tend to vary from wedding to wedding, but on average, we move into the first dances with your new spouse and parents or special dances after the entrances. After that, the first course is served, speeches during this time, then dinner. I always try to pull my couples away for sunset portraits. If we can’t do sunset portraits, we can sneak in some night portraits before the end of coverage.

Other than the cake cutting, which I strongly suggest you do BEFORE sunset portraits, it’s party time! We capture your friends and family dancing and drinking the night away, celebrating your love! Sometimes it’s just dancing, and some people choose to do games and events throughout the evening. Whatever works for you.

Then comes the most bittersweet part of the night, the farewell. Our time together has ended, and you and your spouse get to start this next chapter together.

Oh, but that’s not all. After you get your gallery back, it’s time to design and deliver your wedding album. See you in the epilogue: Chapter 6 of the TM Grey Photo Wedding Experience.