Top 5 Reception Photo Opportunities

During the reception, you have a number of options. 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 or offering a place for them to upload their images to like Flickr or a google drive document?  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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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. 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 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!