Secrets to spending more time with wedding guests

• Start your ceremony earlier
• Do a first look
• Divide your couple shoot into two parts
• Get all the reception formalities done early
• Host a brunch the day after your wedding

The thing that most couples stress about on their BIG DAY is not spending enough time with their guests. I mean you only get married once, you don’t want to look back and regret that you didn’t have those special moments with your friends and family.

After photographing 100’s of wedding in the past few years, I have seen what works best if you want to spend as much time as possible with your guests.

Here are a couple of secrets on spending more time with wedding guests: 

• Start your ceremony earlier

If you tweak your timeline, you will have more time to spend with your guests at the pre-drinks/canapes. Say for instance the sun sets at 7:15pm this is what your timeline could look like:

4:00pm Ceremony (this includes the signing, confetti, and guests congratulating you)

4:45pm Family photos

5:15pm Bridal party photos (you two with your bridesmaids and groomsmen)

5:40pm Couple spend time with guests at canapes

6:20pm Couple photos (guests enter reception) *This time also depends on where your venue is situated in regards to the best light.

7:15pm Couple enter reception

• Do a first look

This might not be your first option, but every couple I have photographed that did a first look, loved it! It is such a sweet and intimate moment between the two of you. This happens about 30-40min before the ceremony, once you are both dressed.

You are then able to spend 20min taking a few couple photos, then your couple shoot time later in the day will be shorter.

• Divide couple photo shoot into two parts 

You can decide to take couple photos for 30 – 45min while the guests are still enjoying canapes and 30min when they are having starters at the reception. *This only works for summer weddings when the sun sets a bit later. But you can obviously do the same if you are have a morning ceremony. 

• Get all the reception formalities done early

Once you enter the reception, you can get your first dance, cake cutting and speeches done first. That way you will be able to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening with your guests. Without having to sit down frequently for speeches etc.

• Host a brunch the day after your wedding

If you feel like you want to spend even more time with your guests, you can all get together for a brunch the day after your wedding. Some couple even do a dinner a night or 2 before their wedding.

Click below to view my Instagram Reel about these tips:

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