DS Wedding Photography Blog
WEDDING DAY TIPS FOR 2025
HERE YOU'LL FIND SOME VERY HELPFUL WEDDING DAY TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS FOR THE PERFECT WEDDING DAY.
WE HAVE SOME ADVICE TO HELP COUPLES (YOU) MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR BIG DAY. BRIDES AND GROOMS OFTEN ASK “HOW CAN I MAKE MY WEDDING DAY PERFECT?”, “HOW DO I STAND OUT ON MY WEDDING DAY?” OR THE MOST COMMON “HOW DO I HAVE A CHILLED WEDDING DAY?”
HERE YOU'LL FIND ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS TO HELP MAKE YOUR DAY RUN AS CALMLY AND SMOOTHLY AS POSSIBLE.
WEDDING DAY TIMELINE
EAT BREAKFAST
I know you might be a bit nervous and there will be a lot going on but it might be a while before you can enjoy some afternoon drinks so make sure to eat a hearty breakfast the morning of the big day.
MAKE UP & HAIR ARRIVE
When you're planning the timeline of your day work backwards from when you want to be ready. Makeup Artist’s or Hairdressers may ask you when your ceremony is but you don't want to be ready then. You want to be ready at least 30 minutes before you leave for the ceremony so you have time for photos, and to have a drink and enjoy the moments with your bridal or grooms party before you say 'I do'.
PHOTOGRAPHERS ARRIVES!
That's US ! So when we arrive We'll introduce ourselves to everyone and start taking photos of suits/dresses, accessories, details and of yourself and your party getting your finishing touches done.
PHOTOS OF GUYS OR BRIDES
If you're fiance is staying in the same venue or nearby I'll head over there to get them getting into their outfits, doing their final touches and maybe some photos with the family too.
FIRST LOOK
As wedding photographers we love a first look!
It's a really intimate moment for the two of you and really sets the tone for the day ahead. A lot of couples who do this say it takes away all their nerves and is their favourite part of the day. It also gives us a chance to do some couples photos which, if times right, will give you more time to just enjoy the party later.
THE GUESTS ARRIVE
We head down to the guests about 20 minutes before the ceremony starts to get the guests arriving and your fiancé waiting for your grand arrival. Also it's a good tip to tell your guests that the ceremony starts at least 15 minutes before it actually does, there are always people who are late so this gives everyone a bit of a buffer.
THE CEREMONY
Depending on if you're planning on having a civil ceremony or a church ceremony the timing of your ceremony matters. A typical civil ceremony will last about 30 minutes whereas a typical Catholic Church wedding will take about 1.30-2 hours. The more speakers and ceremonies you have the longer the ceremony so be sure to ask your celebrant to confirm how long it will take when you're putting together your wedding day timeline.
THE CONGRATS
Most weddings have a line of congratulations after a wedding ceremony called a receiving line, so do allow time for this, especially if you're planning a large wedding.
SKIP THE CONGRATS
Some couples nowadays decide to skip this part of the day and head straight into drinks or family photos. This can save about 30-45 minutes of your day that you could spend enjoying your reception instead, so not a bad idea.
FAMILY PHOTOS
Family photos are a necessity on a wedding day but they don't have to be stressful or time consuming. We have a lot of experience with large family photos. Allow about 30-40 minutes for group photos depending on the family size.
COUPLES PORTRAITS
We don't like to keep my couples away from the party for too long so we keep our shoots to about 20-30 minutes depending on the location. If you'd like multiple locations we are up for that too.
THE RECEPTION
This is one of my favourite parts of the day, everyone has had a drink or five and a nibble and are just enjoying the day. Candid photos are my favourite so I'll spend this time trying to catch the best photos of you and your guests having the craic.
SPEECHES/DINNER OR DINNER/SPEECHES
Your venue will often have a preference as to when you have your speeches to best suit the kitchen but if I had a choice I'd recommend having them during your reception before the meal. Once people sit down they already start thinking of dinner, if you have speeches while they're having a drink or sitting comfortably, they'll be much more well received.
CUT THE CAKE
More and more couples or opting out of having a cake but we are pretty fond of it ourselves. Again after the meal is the perfect time to give your guests some entertainment and cut the cake and let us capture that moment. Also you don't have to have a cake, we’ve seen loads of alternative options in the past.
FIRST DANCE
It's time for the first dance! This is usually anywhere from 8.30pm to 9.30pm but the earlier the better. This is a lovely time of day even if it only lasts a few minutes, and don't worry if you're nervous, we can give you a few tips on the day.
PARTY!!
Let's dance! We love party photos with everyone giving it all on the dance floor. We’ll stay for a few songs to make sure we get some great shots and then we’ll disappear into the night.
FAMILY & GROUP PHOTO PRO TIPS!
Take some advice from the best wedding photographers in Ireland right now...US!
Big group photos and family photos can be one of the most stressful times of day, trying to get so many people organized in one place can be a pain and take time out of your special day. Here are some of our professional top tips and tricks for couples to help make this part of your wedding day run as smoothly as possible. This is the only time of day that you may hear us giving orders (normally we are super chill we promise) to make sure everyone puts the drinks away and all the kids Smile and say 'cheese!'
START BIG THEN GO SMALL
This is always our strategy if we can manage it. We Highly Suggest Start with the largest group photos of friends and family and then whittle it down to the most important ones; parents, siblings etc. Depending on the venues we can try to get a photo of all the guests at a wedding from high above but we tend to do this later in the day. Some venues have a preferred spot and time for The Big group photo so be sure to ask your photographer and your venue if you'd like this too.
KIDS FIRST
This is best for small children, toddlers and babies; we usually try to get the younger children in group photos first as we have a shorter window for me to keep their attention. We love getting group photos of children on their own but it's best to do them as early in the day as possible.
MAKE A LIST
This list doesn't have to include every single combination of photos for the day, there's no need to include 'photo walking up the aisle' or 'picture of bouquet', they're totally standard shots that we’d be getting anyway. You don't even need a list but if you have any specific family photos in mind a list can be very useful. The main photos to include on your list are of any particular family combinations such as: photo with Mum, Dad, Brother's or Sister's, photo with Granny, Grandad, Aunties or Uncles etc. Also some families are complicated, so if there are people who don't want to be in the same photo just let us know beforehand, it wouldn't be the first time.
NOMINATE “BOSSIEST” FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND
People laugh when we say this but a name always comes to mind. We don't mean bossy in a bad way but someone who is good at taking charge. It's handy for us to have a name from each bride or groom of someone who can be our go-to person for the family photos. They round them up while we take the photos. You can even give them your list to tick them off. It saves a lot of time and it helps us to make sure we don’t miss anyone.
TIME OF PHOTOS
When is the best time to take family photos on a wedding day?
The answer is; straight after the ceremony when everyone is hanging around together. We tell our new “bossy friends” to start rounding up the family pretty quickly and to tell them where we'll be doing them. As we mention in our post about the perfect wedding day timeline we suggest that you consider not doing a receiving line and jump straight into family photos. This can save a lot of time on the big day, but if you would like to have the receiving line that is perfectly fine with us, it is just a suggestion to save time.
LIMIT THE NUMBER OF GUESTS PRESENT
One tip that really helps with group wedding photos is to limit the number of guests around by having them slightly away from the main crowd. This means there aren't as many distractions and they're less likely to disappear to the bar or take their time finishing a conversation with someone.
HOW LONG DO GROUP WEDDING PHOTOS TAKE?
Couples ask us this a lot and we have to answer; it all depends on the family. Some photographers take an hour for family photos but we tend to take about 20 minutes. If we manage to gather everyone in one place without losing anyone, we can be very fast. We put you both in the center and swap out the rest of the family like a little conveyor belt. Job Done.
LOCATION
Where is the best location for group wedding photos on the big day?
Well, as wedding photographers in Ireland we’re aware that the outdoors isn't always available, but outdoors with a simple background and in the shade is the optimal type of place for your group photos. Indoors with a colorful wall, minimal background or a sofa can also look great but can get complicated for very large group photos.
GROUP PHOTOS WITH FRIENDS
These photos tend to be a bit more casual so I might do them throughout the reception or after the meal. You'll need a bit of a break after the more formal family photos but we'll be around for any group photos you'd like during the whole day.