INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER
A few days before the day of the wedding, you will receive our wedding photography planning form (completed by the client). Our clients spend months on planning their wedding day and, in addition to paying us for our service, they spend hours on filling out this form, which is why it’s very important for us to pay attention to every little detail and do everything they request. Please make sure to read it several times, let Charlie know if you have any questions and bring a copy with you on the day of the wedding. The form will also include a detailed list of all the shots the client wants you to take.
The client is expecting you to arrive at least 30 minutes before the service start time listed above. For example, if the service start time is 5:00pm, you must arrive at 4:30pm or earlier. You will need this time to unload your equipment, find the exact areas where the ceremony and reception will be taking place, introduce yourself to the client, the DJ and the coordinator, talk with the videographer, set up your cameras, check on the batteries, etc. Please make sure to allow extra travel time in case of heavy traffic. Keep in mind that sometimes finding the venue or finding a parking space may be difficult so it’s always best to arrive at early as possible. I recommend arriving 1 hour before the service start time listed above. Service start time is often the same as the start time of the ceremony so it’s absolutely unacceptable to be late for this.
Depending of the coverage time, you will start earlier and provide pre-ceremony photos of the bride & groom getting ready OR you will start taking photos at the ceremony. This information is available in the planning form. Since most of our clients do not want to pay extra for pre-ceremony photos, most of the time you will start taking photos right before the ceremony. However, if you are doing pre-ceremony photos, please make sure to capture the bride and attendants getting ready, ladies putting on makeup and finishing touches, wedding dress and bouquet, bride with parents, bride with bridesmaids, bride with maid of honor, groom and attendants getting ready, groom with groomsmen, groom with best man, as well as reception site being set up.
Before the ceremony begins, please capture the interior and exterior of the event venue, beautiful scenery, the signs directing guests to the wedding, wedding programs, ceremony arch, flowers, chairs, decorations and guests arriving. During the ceremony, your shooting strategy should be based on what the client chooses in the booking form. It’s either “I would like my photographer not to get in the way of anyone and to be as transparent as possible. I'm willing to sacrifice closeup shots for the integrity of the ceremony and the comfort of my guests” OR “I really want to get beautiful closeup shots of ourselves and our guests so we can relive the day in the years to come. I'm willing to sacrifice some of our comfort for more beautiful, higher quality photos” OR “I prefer a reasonable combination of both options”. Regardless of what they choose, please be as discreet as possible and try to stay out of the way when you can. Please make sure to capture both sets of parents entering, groom walking down the aisle and awaiting bride, bridal party walking down the aisle, bride walking down the aisle, special guests watching ceremony, vow exchange, ring exchange, first kiss, bride & groom leading recessional and signing the wedding certificate.
When the ceremony is complete, most of the time you’ll be taking group photos of the bride & groom, their family members, friends and the wedding party. The planning form contains a full list of photos you need to take. If possible, please do it in the same order as listed on the form, because it will make things faster and easier for everyone, and allow you to dismiss the people that are no longer needed. Please make sure you know exactly how much time you have for these photos before the grand entrance/dinner reception starts. It’s very unprofessional to delay the guests, the caterers and other vendors just because you want to take a few more photos. Most of the time you will have less than 1 hour to take these photos, which is why it’s very important to prepare for this in advance.
During cocktail hour and reception (when you’re done with group photos), please make sure to hire an affordable wedding photographer to capture your favors, gift table, signing of guest book, guests at cocktail hour, reception site dinner settings, decorations, centerpieces, grand entrance of the wedding party and the newlyweds, close-up of the bride & groom at the head table kissing, group pictures of guests at each table (during dinner), people giving toasts, bride & groom's first dance, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, wedding cake table, bride & groom cutting the cake and feeding it to one another, bouquet toss, garter removal and toss, bride & groom with the recipients of the bouquet and garter, as well as bride & groom departing. Before going to the bathroom, please talk with the DJ or coordinator to make sure you don’t miss anything important. Keep in mind that things can get very spontaneous so you should be ready to take photos at any given time. Please do not forget to bring enough batteries and battery chargers for your cameras, because the last thing you want to do is to run out of it in the middle of the wedding.
Please remember to be nice, polite, friendly and professional with the client, their guests and vendors. We have to do whatever it takes to make it a happy day for the bride & groom. Smile as much as you can. Excellent customer service for our affordable wedding videography and photography services is one of our main priorities. Although it’s very important to take a lot of good photos, it’s even more important to be professional, respectful and discreet. Please be careful with making jokes or talking too much, but don’t be afraid to help the bride & groom pose, tell them where to stand, where to look, when to kiss, etc. Please wear formal dress attire, preferably all black or black and white. It has to look clean, formal and professional. 10 minutes before the service end time, ask them if they want to extend the hours of coverage. It's cash only if paid on the day of the wedding and the rate is $75 per each extra 30 minutes. If the client has chosen the most affordable “Raw” (unedited) package and you’re shooting in RAW format, please make sure to covert the photos to JPEG and send it to Charlie within 24 hours after the wedding so Charlie can send it to the client right away. Please do not take too many black and white images. Although they are very popular, most of our clients prefer to have at least 80% of their images in color. Every photographer is very creative and different, but it’s very important for us to be consistent with our clients and provide a similar product every time. Before you leave, please make sure to say goodbye to everyone, congratulate the newlyweds and thank them for having us.
The client is expecting you to arrive at least 30 minutes before the service start time listed above. For example, if the service start time is 5:00pm, you must arrive at 4:30pm or earlier. You will need this time to unload your equipment, find the exact areas where the ceremony and reception will be taking place, introduce yourself to the client, the DJ and the coordinator, talk with the videographer, set up your cameras, check on the batteries, etc. Please make sure to allow extra travel time in case of heavy traffic. Keep in mind that sometimes finding the venue or finding a parking space may be difficult so it’s always best to arrive at early as possible. I recommend arriving 1 hour before the service start time listed above. Service start time is often the same as the start time of the ceremony so it’s absolutely unacceptable to be late for this.
Depending of the coverage time, you will start earlier and provide pre-ceremony photos of the bride & groom getting ready OR you will start taking photos at the ceremony. This information is available in the planning form. Since most of our clients do not want to pay extra for pre-ceremony photos, most of the time you will start taking photos right before the ceremony. However, if you are doing pre-ceremony photos, please make sure to capture the bride and attendants getting ready, ladies putting on makeup and finishing touches, wedding dress and bouquet, bride with parents, bride with bridesmaids, bride with maid of honor, groom and attendants getting ready, groom with groomsmen, groom with best man, as well as reception site being set up.
Before the ceremony begins, please capture the interior and exterior of the event venue, beautiful scenery, the signs directing guests to the wedding, wedding programs, ceremony arch, flowers, chairs, decorations and guests arriving. During the ceremony, your shooting strategy should be based on what the client chooses in the booking form. It’s either “I would like my photographer not to get in the way of anyone and to be as transparent as possible. I'm willing to sacrifice closeup shots for the integrity of the ceremony and the comfort of my guests” OR “I really want to get beautiful closeup shots of ourselves and our guests so we can relive the day in the years to come. I'm willing to sacrifice some of our comfort for more beautiful, higher quality photos” OR “I prefer a reasonable combination of both options”. Regardless of what they choose, please be as discreet as possible and try to stay out of the way when you can. Please make sure to capture both sets of parents entering, groom walking down the aisle and awaiting bride, bridal party walking down the aisle, bride walking down the aisle, special guests watching ceremony, vow exchange, ring exchange, first kiss, bride & groom leading recessional and signing the wedding certificate.
When the ceremony is complete, most of the time you’ll be taking group photos of the bride & groom, their family members, friends and the wedding party. The planning form contains a full list of photos you need to take. If possible, please do it in the same order as listed on the form, because it will make things faster and easier for everyone, and allow you to dismiss the people that are no longer needed. Please make sure you know exactly how much time you have for these photos before the grand entrance/dinner reception starts. It’s very unprofessional to delay the guests, the caterers and other vendors just because you want to take a few more photos. Most of the time you will have less than 1 hour to take these photos, which is why it’s very important to prepare for this in advance.
During cocktail hour and reception (when you’re done with group photos), please make sure to hire an affordable wedding photographer to capture your favors, gift table, signing of guest book, guests at cocktail hour, reception site dinner settings, decorations, centerpieces, grand entrance of the wedding party and the newlyweds, close-up of the bride & groom at the head table kissing, group pictures of guests at each table (during dinner), people giving toasts, bride & groom's first dance, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, wedding cake table, bride & groom cutting the cake and feeding it to one another, bouquet toss, garter removal and toss, bride & groom with the recipients of the bouquet and garter, as well as bride & groom departing. Before going to the bathroom, please talk with the DJ or coordinator to make sure you don’t miss anything important. Keep in mind that things can get very spontaneous so you should be ready to take photos at any given time. Please do not forget to bring enough batteries and battery chargers for your cameras, because the last thing you want to do is to run out of it in the middle of the wedding.
Please remember to be nice, polite, friendly and professional with the client, their guests and vendors. We have to do whatever it takes to make it a happy day for the bride & groom. Smile as much as you can. Excellent customer service for our affordable wedding videography and photography services is one of our main priorities. Although it’s very important to take a lot of good photos, it’s even more important to be professional, respectful and discreet. Please be careful with making jokes or talking too much, but don’t be afraid to help the bride & groom pose, tell them where to stand, where to look, when to kiss, etc. Please wear formal dress attire, preferably all black or black and white. It has to look clean, formal and professional. 10 minutes before the service end time, ask them if they want to extend the hours of coverage. It's cash only if paid on the day of the wedding and the rate is $75 per each extra 30 minutes. If the client has chosen the most affordable “Raw” (unedited) package and you’re shooting in RAW format, please make sure to covert the photos to JPEG and send it to Charlie within 24 hours after the wedding so Charlie can send it to the client right away. Please do not take too many black and white images. Although they are very popular, most of our clients prefer to have at least 80% of their images in color. Every photographer is very creative and different, but it’s very important for us to be consistent with our clients and provide a similar product every time. Before you leave, please make sure to say goodbye to everyone, congratulate the newlyweds and thank them for having us.
Golden Gate Sunrise Entertainment - Wedding Day Photography Planning Form
You put a lot of hard work into planning your perfect wedding day down to the smallest detail. On your wedding day, we want you to be able to enjoy it. This form will give you a good idea of what to expect from your photographer and it will help us prepare to capture all the tiny details you worked so hard on. We ask that you please fill out this form at least two weeks before your wedding day. When the form is complete, please email it to us along with your wedding timeline (if available) and the samples of any specific shots you would like your wedding photographer to take. Please note that we cannot guarantee that every picture will be taken (including the shots listed below in this form), because we have no control over the timeline or your guests and their whereabouts. In order to facilitate the photography process, we ask that you please have all the relevant parties ready on time and have someone available to help us in identifying them. Please enter the actual address for the location so that we can get the accurate directions. Also, please let us know if this will be a private home, hotel, salon, etc. If it is an actual business, then please provide the name so we can look for the business sign when we arrive. You can use this space for information such as: flash photography allowed/not allowed, parking requirements, room number or area to go to when we arrive, etc. Below is a list of some of the most popular pre-ceremony photos we take. If there are any specific shots you don’t want us to take, please cross them out. If there are any specific shots you would like to add to the list, please list them in the text box below.
You put a lot of hard work into planning your perfect wedding day down to the smallest detail. On your wedding day, we want you to be able to enjoy it. This form will give you a good idea of what to expect from your photographer and it will help us prepare to capture all the tiny details you worked so hard on. We ask that you please fill out this form at least two weeks before your wedding day. When the form is complete, please email it to us along with your wedding timeline (if available) and the samples of any specific shots you would like your wedding photographer to take. Please note that we cannot guarantee that every picture will be taken (including the shots listed below in this form), because we have no control over the timeline or your guests and their whereabouts. In order to facilitate the photography process, we ask that you please have all the relevant parties ready on time and have someone available to help us in identifying them. Please enter the actual address for the location so that we can get the accurate directions. Also, please let us know if this will be a private home, hotel, salon, etc. If it is an actual business, then please provide the name so we can look for the business sign when we arrive. You can use this space for information such as: flash photography allowed/not allowed, parking requirements, room number or area to go to when we arrive, etc. Below is a list of some of the most popular pre-ceremony photos we take. If there are any specific shots you don’t want us to take, please cross them out. If there are any specific shots you would like to add to the list, please list them in the text box below.
- Bride and attendants getting ready
- Ladies putting on makeup and finishing touches
- Wedding dress and bouquet
- Bride with parents
- Bride with bridesmaids
- Bride with maid of honor
- Groom and attendants getting ready
- Groom with groomsmen
- Groom with best man
- Reception site being set up
Do You Need Photography For Your Ceremony?
If the answer is "No", then please skip to the next question marked in bold. What Is The Name & Address For The Ceremony Venue. Please enter the actual address for the location so that we can get the accurate directions. Also, please let us know if this will be a private home, hotel, salon, etc. If it is an actual business, then please provide the name so we can look for the business sign when we arrive. Starting & Ending Time For The Ceremony Coverage. Please note that we recommend starting the ceremony coverage at least 15-30 minutes before the actual ceremony starts. Is Flash Photography Allowed During The Ceremony: Yes No I Am Not Sure. Are There Any Restrictions For Where We Can Photograph The Ceremony From. Some venues or officiants will require photographers to stay in one location or have certain restrictions on where we can photograph from, such as from a balcony or only from the back of the church. Others are open to us changing locations during the ceremony so we can capture your ceremony from different angles. If the venue allows enough space, we like taking some photos from behind the officiant so that we can provide close-ups of exchanging vows and rings, as well as special ceremonies such as rose, sand or unity candle ceremony. If you know of any restrictions, please list them above. Also, if you have suggestions of areas you would prefer us to photograph from, then please feel free to include those, too. Additional Details Or Requirements For The Ceremony. If there is anything else we should know about your ceremony, then please feel free to enter that information above. Below is a list of some of the most popular ceremony photos we take. If there are any specific shots you don’t want us to take, please cross them out. If there are any specific shots you would like to add to the list, please list them in the text box below.
If the answer is "No", then please skip to the next question marked in bold. What Is The Name & Address For The Ceremony Venue. Please enter the actual address for the location so that we can get the accurate directions. Also, please let us know if this will be a private home, hotel, salon, etc. If it is an actual business, then please provide the name so we can look for the business sign when we arrive. Starting & Ending Time For The Ceremony Coverage. Please note that we recommend starting the ceremony coverage at least 15-30 minutes before the actual ceremony starts. Is Flash Photography Allowed During The Ceremony: Yes No I Am Not Sure. Are There Any Restrictions For Where We Can Photograph The Ceremony From. Some venues or officiants will require photographers to stay in one location or have certain restrictions on where we can photograph from, such as from a balcony or only from the back of the church. Others are open to us changing locations during the ceremony so we can capture your ceremony from different angles. If the venue allows enough space, we like taking some photos from behind the officiant so that we can provide close-ups of exchanging vows and rings, as well as special ceremonies such as rose, sand or unity candle ceremony. If you know of any restrictions, please list them above. Also, if you have suggestions of areas you would prefer us to photograph from, then please feel free to include those, too. Additional Details Or Requirements For The Ceremony. If there is anything else we should know about your ceremony, then please feel free to enter that information above. Below is a list of some of the most popular ceremony photos we take. If there are any specific shots you don’t want us to take, please cross them out. If there are any specific shots you would like to add to the list, please list them in the text box below.
- Signs directing guests to wedding
- Wedding programs
- Ceremony site with guests arriving
- Both sets of parents entering
- Groom walking down the aisle or awaiting bride
- Bridal party at ceremony spot awaiting bride
- Bride walking down the aisle
- Special guests watching ceremony
- Vow exchange and ring exchange
- First kiss
- Bride and groom leading recessional
- Signing of wedding certificate
Would You Like Group Photos Of Family And Your Wedding Party:
If the answer is No, then please skip to the next question marked in bold. When Would You Like The Group Photos To Take Place. Before The Ceremony (Recommened Only If Bride & Groom Plan To See Each Other). Immediately After The Ceremony. Any Time During The Reception. The most popular choice is immediately after the ceremony. We also suggest doing all of the group photos at one time. Where Would You Like To Take Group Photos At (Venue Name & Address). If you would like to have these photos taken at the ceremony or reception venue, then please enter Ceremony Venue or Reception Venue. If you would like to do the group photos in a different location, please enter the name of the location and the address. Please make sure to discuss this with your wedding plannercoordinator to allow enough travel time. How Many People Will Be Included In The Group Photos. This can be an estimate if you are not sure exactly how many. The count should include the bride and groom, the entire wedding party and any family members or friends who you definitely want to be in the group photos. Starting & Ending Time For Group Photos. Please provide both the starting and ending time for this. Be sure that the times provided also fit within your coverage time. Would you like us to take one group shot of you and all the guests after the ceremony Yes No. The best time to do this is immediately after the ceremony. Please make sure to ask you DJMC to announce this. In addition to formal shots, would you like us to take some funsilly shots Yes No. Additional Details Or Requirements For Group Photos. If there is anything else we need to know about group photos, then please enter it in the space above. Below is a list of the most common group photos we take. If there are any specific shots you don’t want us to take, please cross them out. If there are any specific shots you would like to add to the list, please list them in the text box below. Please note that we recommend taking these photos in the order listed below.
If the answer is No, then please skip to the next question marked in bold. When Would You Like The Group Photos To Take Place. Before The Ceremony (Recommened Only If Bride & Groom Plan To See Each Other). Immediately After The Ceremony. Any Time During The Reception. The most popular choice is immediately after the ceremony. We also suggest doing all of the group photos at one time. Where Would You Like To Take Group Photos At (Venue Name & Address). If you would like to have these photos taken at the ceremony or reception venue, then please enter Ceremony Venue or Reception Venue. If you would like to do the group photos in a different location, please enter the name of the location and the address. Please make sure to discuss this with your wedding plannercoordinator to allow enough travel time. How Many People Will Be Included In The Group Photos. This can be an estimate if you are not sure exactly how many. The count should include the bride and groom, the entire wedding party and any family members or friends who you definitely want to be in the group photos. Starting & Ending Time For Group Photos. Please provide both the starting and ending time for this. Be sure that the times provided also fit within your coverage time. Would you like us to take one group shot of you and all the guests after the ceremony Yes No. The best time to do this is immediately after the ceremony. Please make sure to ask you DJMC to announce this. In addition to formal shots, would you like us to take some funsilly shots Yes No. Additional Details Or Requirements For Group Photos. If there is anything else we need to know about group photos, then please enter it in the space above. Below is a list of the most common group photos we take. If there are any specific shots you don’t want us to take, please cross them out. If there are any specific shots you would like to add to the list, please list them in the text box below. Please note that we recommend taking these photos in the order listed below.
- Bride & groom with officiant
- Bride & groom with both sets of parents, close relatives, extended family, wedding party and friends
- Bride & groom with both sets of parents, close relatives and extended family
- Bride & groom with both sets of parents and immediate relatives.
- Bride & groom with both sets of parents
- Bride & groom with groom's close relatives
- Bride & groom with groom's parents
- Bride & groom with bride's close relatives
- Bride & groom with bride’s parents
- Bride with parents
- Groom with parents
- Bride & groom with ring bearer and flower girl
- Bride & groom with ring bearer, flower girl and wedding party
- Bride & groom with wedding party
- Bride with bridesmaids
- Bride with maid of honor
- Groom with groomsmen
- Groom with best man