Planning your wedding: A photographer's guide to timing your day

About 3 months before the wedding day, we send out a very detailed questionnaire to our couples that has them answer everything from where they'll be getting ready, to a list of all the vendors that'll be working that day and so much more. The questionnaire is meant to help guide us when we sit down and talk about their timeline for the day. That's when we'll go over what time we'll be photographing your getting ready, bridal party, them two and so on. 

Even though the questionnaire specifically talks about leaving enough buffer time in between locations and allowing us enough time to photograph the bride & groom, it never fails that every year we have a handful of couples who seem to have a ton of questions when planning their big day out. It's understandable. It's your first time and you've already planned so much - now you have to think about timing?! Ugh. I'd be overwhelmed myself. Don't worry! We've been to more than a few weddings and have your back! The biggest thing I can say is TRUST US. Since we've been through this before we know what usually happens. We know at what time and how long you should give for specific parts of the day. figured it was time to put together a blog post about our recommendations since we keep getting asked about it. I hope everyone (other photographers and couples) can use this as a reference when it comes to timing out your photo plan. Obviously not every wedding is the same and there are certain scenarios where our "ideal" timeline would be a bit different, and that's ok! A wedding isn't "one-timeline fits all" but it's good to know the appropriate duration of each section specifically to get the most wedding photos possible :) After all, when everything is said and done the photos are all you have left!

Getting Ready: 1-1.5 hours of time

A lot of brides love to have their getting ready photographed. It's a time where the excitement is building, the planning is all about to come into play and you're surrounded by all the thoughts of your relationship these past "x" amount of years. Where just in a few moments you'll say "I do". Its scary, never-racking, exciting and fun all at the same time. This is the time we'll photograph the details of your day. Your shoes, any jewelry you're wearing, your rings, your invitations, flowers, and of course, you're dress in all it's glory. We'll also be photographing your bridesmaids and you in a candid setting, you getting your hair & makeup done, your mom, sister, best friend or family member helping you with your dress and of course, your dad seeing you for the first time. It sounds like a lot but it goes by very quickly. That's why you want to make sure you have enough time to do all these things, but not rush through them...because let's be honest - nobody wants to be rushed, especially on their wedding day. 

Choosing a getting ready location:

On a quick side note to that: If you plan on getting ready anywhere further than 20 min to your ceremony site, give yourself extra time! Allowing us enough time to deal with traffic and parking as well. We always like to show up before the bride does. Giving us the ability to possibly capture some ceremony details, as well as any interactions with guests! I'd say ver more on the side of 1.5hours of getting ready time than an hour if your spot if more than 20 min out.

Ceremony: 15 min - 1 hour 

Depending on your religious views, your ceremony could last up to one hour or longer. It's important to know that if people are flying in from out of town and shuttling to your ceremony spot give them some extra wiggle room incase theres traffic, especially in the summer. We once had a wedding have over 50 guests 20min late to the ceremony. It was rough since those 20 min ate into our photo time afterwards. 

Cocktail & photo hour: 1 hour

Cocktail hour is as the name suggests, one hour. Some couples have a break between their ceremony and cocktail hour to allow for enough photo time, which is smart and 100% recommended however not always possible (i.e. if your wedding all happens at one location). During this time is where we'll most likely photograph your formal family portraits, your bridal party photos and the most important photos of you two. 

Family photos: Only your immediate family!

Family formals is normally the roughest part of the day. The first step is to get all your family members that you want in a photo together. If some of them aren't in the bridal party, it's nearly impossible since they'll be shuffling out of the ceremony site and more likely saying hello to everyone! This is why we recommend keeping your family portraits down to just your immediate family. They'll already be in the wedding party and walk down the aisle after you. We'll most likely photograph a place outside where we can all meet up and knock out those photos in 10-15 min. Of course, if it's just your immediate family.

Keep in mind that if you extend the list of family members in a photo to include aunts, uncles, grandparents and more it's going to eat into the timing of YOUR photos as husband and wife. Those are the most important and any other family combinations can be taken throughout the night.

Bridal Party photos: Quick but fun

Depending on how much time you allowed in the beginning half of your day, we may have already taken some of your bridesmaids and groomsmen photos and just need to take a couple of the bridal party as a whole. Keep in mind this is also happening during cocktail hour. We have to be quick, but efficient so we can spend the majority of the time with you two. 

Photos of you two: At LEAST 40 min

Arguably the most important photographs of the day. It's important to allow us enough time to truly capture you both. While we'd actually recommend you have a first look, allowing us to photograph you for more than 40 min and giving you plenty of photos to awe over. If you're not planning one then we recommend at least 40 min to do this. Obviously thats cutting into your cocktail hour. If you'd like to enjoy cocktail hour then we'd recommend you do a first look. 

Reception coverage: 2-4 hours 

After cocktail hour ends, it's time to party! Although you're probably hungry and so are your guests. Before any great party starts there's food and drinks! During the beginning half of your reception that's most likely whats going to be happening. After that is when we'll get on the dance floor and photograph all the craziness happening! We recommend that most couples allow at least 1 hour into dancing after all the formalities are done. If you want us there longer, even better! 

What if I want a first look? 

First looks make your wedding timeline so much easier. A first look is when you and your significant other plan to see each other before the ceremony. Most couples do this so that way they can have a private moment before hand and not in front of everyone. The biggest advantage is what it does for the timing of the day. Everything happens during the beginning half of your day rather than after the ceremony (where more than likely all you'll want to do is party). The timeline looks a bit like this:

Getting ready: 1-1.5 hours
First look and photos: 1.5 hours
Bridal party photos: 10-15 min
Ceremony: 15-1 hour
Cocktail hour: 1 hour
Reception: 2-4 hours

We'd still take your family portraits during cocktail hour but at least you'd have the chance to go enjoy everything instead of being away from everyone taking photos. It also allows us more time to photograph you two, giving you more photos in the end result. 

Example timeline: 

Here's an example timeline from a real wedding we did that allowed us plenty of time with a first look. The couple's end result was absolutely amazing. Their gallery is actually featured on our site here! 

2:00-3:15 - Getting ready photos of the bride
3:30-3:40pm - First look with bride & groom
3:40-4:40pm - Bride & groom photos
4:40-5:15pm - Wedding party photos
5:30-6:00pm - Ceremony
600-7:00pm - Cocktail hour & family photos
7:00-10pm - Reception coverage

Summary

To wrap it all up, you're going to want to give yourself enough time for photographs. You paid for them so don't rush them, don't squeeze them into a tiny 15 min time slot, and don't overlook them. Remember to allow yourself enough time for photos of you two! Those are the ones you fell in love with on our site and you're going to love afterwards. Don't do too many family formals...Remember that candid moments are better than formal ones. And lastly, try to do a first look. It'll save you so much time and be less stressful in the long run.

Like I mentioned before - Not every wedding is one-timeline fits all. If you reference this blog post, it's a good start. If you have any questions about the timing of your day feel free to shoot us an email to chat about it! We'd love to help you plan it all out!

With love,
Ryan





 

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Lindsay & Sal | The Ballroom at The Providence G Wedding

Lindsay & Sal's wedding blog post has arrived! It was a day filled with a ton of laughs, smilies and of course tears. Their day was even more special since they had family and friends from all over make the trip out to Providence for them. Lindsay's family is from Indiana, and Sal's family is from all over New England. Together, combined with friends from all over the country and more it was a fun filled day! We had a blast photographing these two and can't wait to show you all more but for now, enjoy this sneak peek! 

PS. I loved that these two shared a mutual love of donuts with Jenn and I, so we made them the best ring photo ever. Check it out below!

Meet: Lindsay & Sal

Special shoutout to everyone who made Lindsay & Sal's day possible:

Photography: Ryan DeVoll Photography
Venue: The Ballroom at The Providence G
Catering: Pranzi Catering & Events
Florist: Pranzi Catering & Events
Band: Sugar Babies
Hair: Jackie Angelos
Makeup: Sam Cummings

Want to know when Lindsay & Sal's gallery goes live? Click here to sign up!

Loryn & Ricky | Engagement Photography

When an old friend of mine Lindsay, contacted me about gifting a Lovebird session to her sister who recently got engaged, I was so excited. I photographed Lindsay back early in my "photography career" when we were both in high school. She was one of my first ever senior portraits. Till this day it's still on her Facebook (which is so fun for me to look back on). If Loryn is anything like her sister, she'd be so fun to photograph and boy did we have a great time! 

Loryn & Ricky live up in Deerfield, MA. A place that holds a special spot in my heart since I went to school next to Deerfield. The Berkshires and western MA are an absolute perfect backdrop for any occasion, especially an engagement session. We took photos with their amazing pup, then braved Mt. Sugarloaf,  and then ended the session the same way we end every session in the summer, with ice cream (I know, right?!). We had a blast together and I'm so happy with how these turned out. Clearly Loryn & Ricky are absolutely in love. I hope you all enjoy this little sneak peak into their session together. 

 

 

Nicole & Pete | Kinney Bungalow Narragansett, RI

Nicole & Pete are two people who are clearly made for one another. Both of them have so much fun in everything they do. From photographing their getting ready, ceremony and reception they had us dying laughing or in tears for how beautiful their day was. Seriously! (Although that's not abnormal for me, I think I cry at every wedding. What can I say? I'm a big sucker for love). Nicole & Pete made me feel like I was just another one of their bffs on the wedding day. They didn't want stuck up formal photos of themselves and they didn't want a ton of family formals. They just wanted to have fun. So I made sure that happened. I even got on the dance floor and whipped out a few moves (I'll spare you the agony of seeing that) We had a blast photographing their day and cannot wait to show everyone all their photos. For now, take a look at this amazing sneak peek and let us know what you think!

PS. Special thanks to our previous couple Amanda & Dan who referred Nicole to us! We love when we get to party with TWO of our couples on one day. Love you both! 

Want to know when Nicole & Pete's gallery goes live?
Sign up here!

Special thanks to everyone who made their day possible:
Photography: Ryan DeVoll Photography
Venue: Kinney Bungalow
Hair/Makeup: Bianca Nastari
DJ: Moondance Productions
Catering: Tom's Market Catering
Flowers: Les Isle Rose

We're Engaged!

After almost a year of planning, I can finally say that Jenn & I are engaged.

For some of our couples, friends and family you know that this has been a long time coming. Jenn and I have known each other from high school and have been dating for the past 5 years. 3 of those years were long distance as Jenn was finishing up her biology degree in Texas. After graduating, she moved up to Rhode Island and made the commitment to live with me. Just after Jenn and I started dating I felt like I knew this woman my entire life. She helped me through some tough times, she encouraged me when I needed it most and she’s always been there for me…even when we weren’t dating. Right away I knew she was the one. I just had to wait for the right time.

May 3, 2018

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After about 6 months of planning our trip to Barcelona & Paris, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to propose. Who can say they’ve gotten engaged in Paris before? After hearing dozens of engagement stories I had to be unique, and not overly clique. Jenn and I both love to travel and I couldn’t have thought of a better place to propose than Europe. We’ve both always wanted to go but never had the chance to. This was our chance, and this was my chance to propose. Paris was the original plan but it didn’t end up working out.

We started our trip in Barcelona, we spent 1 week in that beautiful city and then we headed off to Paris for a week. Originally I wanted to propose in Paris. It was more romantic, beautiful and just surreal to be there in person after seeing hundreds of movies of the Eiffel Tower. It was the perfect place. However me being me, I wanted our proposal photographed. Its a moment that I want to always remember, and I want images to bring me back to that day and that trip. After searching around I soon realized that Paris photographers are some of the most expensive photographers in the world. Don’t get me wrong – being a photographer myself I would’ve spent anything to hire the right person and to ensure that moment was photographed. But I would have to trust this person, I would have to have followed them for awhile, known their work, know who they are and so much more if I was going to spend over $2000 on a 2 hour engagement shoot (yeah, I’m not joking). Plus – we were on vacation, and we wanted to do a lot (Disneyland was where we spent most of our money haha) so I didn’t want to spend a ton being on vacation. I was fine with spending what I normally charge, if not a little over. So I brought in my team of photographer friends to help me out.

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A lot of people actually expected Paris. Jenn’s co-workers said it would happen, my family said it would happen there, and some clients even emailed me and said “I KNEW IT!” So Paris was expected. Which got me thinking “What if I did Barcelona?” Barcelona was the start of our trip and more importantly, the first place we’d ever be traveling to for vacation together. It was memorable, and unexpected. That’s when I found our amazing engagement photographer, Lena.

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Lena and I started speaking at the beginning of March, just after I bought the ring and hid it in the house! After months of planning, changing where I would actually propose, what we would wear, how we would make it a surprise and and much more we finally decided on Sitges, Spain on May 3 (the second day we were going to be in Spain). Lena planned to meet us at the train station (without Jenn knowing I knew her) and follow us around Sitges where I would find a street and drop down on one knee and propose. I got to admit, I was a little worried. We were heading to a place I was unfamiliar with, with a photographer I found through Instagram, in a country we both don’t speak the language of. The plan seemed destined to have some hiccups. Surprisingly – it went off perfectly. We got on the train, Lena followed us around, and when I dropped to one knee Lena captured it all. The next 2-3 hours we were walking the streets of Sitges hand in hand, and more in love than I ever felt before. It’s actually hard to explain and I don’t think I could even if I tried. We felt like we were the only two people in this small little beach town. It was absolutely perfect.

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Being on the opposite side of choosing an engagement photographer gave me a LOT of perspective. I never realized how crucial it was to answer someone within the same day, to showcase a full wedding or a full engagement session, and to be able to connect with them not only in a photographer-to-photographer way but also hopefully to become best friends. It’s everything I already do in my business but just going through that experience has already opened my eyes to how important it is and how crucial it is to every couple’s decision. But now the real planning begins.

You might be wondering “whats their wedding going to look like? They’re wedding photographers and have been to so many!” and you’re right. We’ve been to over 20 weddings together and I’ve been to over 100 maybe as a photographer. So we definitely have a good idea of what we want and what we don’t want. All in all throughout the years we’ve seen a lot of couples have giant weddings, at beautiful venues, with beautiful photographs but for us having the closest family and friends we both know is more important to us than having this “picture perfect” wedding. However, I can guarantee whoever we hire for our wedding photographers they’re going to have the best time because I’m pretty sure it’ll be picture perfect.

We’re both excited to start planning and to join our 2019 couples in that adventure. I hope you love some more photos of our engagement session posted below. If you haven’t already give Lena some love on Instagram because she was amazing. Cheers to a successful engagement, and to a beautiful wedding to come!

Meet: Ryan & Jenn

 

Jessica & Nick | Newport Vineyards

What can I not say about Jessica & Nick? When Jess & Nick first contacted me, we immediately clicked on the phone and it felt like we’ve been best friends ever since. From their engagement shoot at Coppa, to multiple talks over the phone, and even an invitation to join them for their cake tasting (which oh em gee, it was amazing) I was so ecstatic to finally be able to photograph these two amazing people on a day where we celebrated them and their love.

I get close to my couples. But every year or so there’s always one couple that I tend to become bff’s with, the couple that not only hires me because I do great work, but because they know we’d make best friends. The couple that actually doesn’t mind getting together for dinner or drinks as a matter of fact, they’re excited too. They don’t just think I’m their photographer. They’re just as invested in me as I am with them. This year Nick & Jess was that couple.

I can go off for hours and tell you how their love story went but, I think the photos will speak for themselves. Instead I’d rather tell you what these two mean to me: I’ve never felt more cared for or loved by a couple. Jessica & Nick, you both are the most loving, selfless, and caring people I know. Throughout our whole process you loved hearing more about Jenn & I’s adventures than about your wedding. You sat with me and helped me plan out our engagement, you comforted me when I was worried to call Jenn’s mom, and you were there for us as soon as we got back from our trip, excited to hear about our adventures even though your wedding was a week away. You have cared more about me than any other couple has in all my years of photographing. You made me feel loved. You made me feel special, and you made me feel like your best friend. To be honest, I needed you more than you needed me. I cried when you were reading your vows to one another, during your first dance, and during your toasts. Your family and friends agree that you two are the most selfless people they know as well. You are always there for everyone around you and never questioning it. In this past year, I have seen it over and over again. So instead of you two thanking me for documenting your story, let me be the first to say thank YOU for allowing me to get to know such amazing, genuine, beautiful people. Thank YOU for allowing ME to capture and document this journey together. And thank you for always being there for me. Even if we’ve only known each other for a year now…I have a feeling we’re going to be best friends for a lifetime.

I seriously am honored for you all to meet this beautiful couple: Jessica & Nick.

Hilary & Chris | Newport Vineyards

Well the time has finally come! It’s 2018 and the wedding season has begun. We couldn’t be happier that we started the season off with this beautiful couple at one of our favorite venues, Newport Vineyards.

Hilary & Chris choose to have an intimate wedding with 60 of their closest family and friends. Their day couldn’t have gone any smoother. The weather held up, the reception rocked and the photos came out stunning.

Special thanks to all the vendors who worked with us that day to create such a picture-perfect day for them!

Congratulations to the beautiful bride & groom!

Meet: Hilary & Chris

Special shoutout to all those who made Hilary & Chris’s day possible:

Photography: Ryan DeVoll Photography
Venue: Newport Vineyards
DJ: DJ Imho
Florist: Le’s Isle Rose
Hair & Makeup: BellaBeauty Bridal

COVID-19 2021

Please note: While the information on this page represents a good majority of our policies, your particular situation may be different. When discussing any changes to your day, please reach out to us at ryan@ryandevoll.com to ensure you know how your changes will impact your photography or videography for your wedding.


Current Wedding COVID Guidelines:

Rhode Island
Indoor limit: 100 people
Outdoor limit: 200 people
Last updated March 16, 2021

Massachusetts
Indoor limit: 100 people
Outdoor limit: 150 people
Last updated February 25, 2021

Dancing is allowed in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Rhode Island actually has a detailed website with the current restrictions and guidelines located here.

Massachusetts’s COVID-19 Website is located here


Postponements:
If you are planning to postpone your 2021 wedding into 2022, this section is for you. At this point it is recommended to WAIT as the state and local officials are slowly reopening the industry and allowing events to happen as vaccines become regularly available.


Our contract has changed a lot since some of you signed back in 2019. Depending on your contract will depend on if you have a fee regardless of what day of the week you switch to. However in most cases, if you move your wedding to a Saturday, you will most likely be charged a 15% rescheduling fee. If you reschedule to a Friday or Sunday, you may be subject to a fee. Regardless you will have to sign a new agreement with us. The new date must be within 6-12 months of your original date or you will be subject to our new package prices.

Why will I be charged a fee?
First off - We hate adding fees to any of our wedding packages. However, these past 2 years have been really difficult in our business. If we continue to reschedule couples without any fees we won’t be able to keep our business alive. In some situations, we’ve held dates for over 2 years. As we enter into 2021, and couples continue to reschedule, we will lose out on new clients because we’ve held your date for over a year. Because we will be continuing our work for a few more months, or even an additional year, a fee is necessary.


Wouldn’t the “force majeure” clause apply?
No. A force majeure policy is put in action when an unexpected event occurs. Since COVID has now been around for a year, it no longer applies.


What’s your availability like for 2021/2022?
We are currently handling this on a case-by-case basis. Our 2021 & 2022 calendar has not been finalized. Our hope is that by the spring we will have a better game plan when it comes to postponements and has our availability posted here on this site. Check back later for updates.



Cancelations & Refunds:
If you are considering canceling your wedding, please contact us right away


General overview of our cancelation policy:
If you cancel your wedding, you must notify us in writing right away, which will null in void our agreement together. No money paid, including money paid after the deposit will be refunded. If you are 60 days prior to your wedding and you cancel, you will be responsible for the remainder of the wedding package regardless (this may be 8 months rather than 60 days depending on when you booked us).

Do I get a refund for the money I paid?
The short answer: No. Our contracts only allow us to refund a couple if we as the photographers, cancel. Not if the client cancels.

What if I paid all of our original wedding invoice off, and now are considering canceling the wedding?
Unfortunately this wouldn’t be recommended because you would not receive any money back. A number of our clients followed their original wedding invoice due dates in 2020 as a way to secure their new rescheduled wedding dates in 2021 and to not have to worry about any money for their new dates because everything was already paid off. This was industry standard last year for vendors who didn’t charge any rescheduling fee.

My contract mentions the non-refundable deposit, but doesn’t mention any other money, do I get a refund?
No. We mention the non-refundable deposit most places because that’s what the couple pays when they originally sign the agreement, but any money paid is non-refundable unless the business themselves cancel on the client. This is industry standard.


Smaller Weddings:
Questions regarding splitting your wedding coverage into two days, one this year and one next


If you’re planning on having a smaller wedding and don’t need the entire coverage originally booked with your wedding package you have a couple of options here:

1. Keep your full wedding package and we’ll come up with a game plan for the remaining coverage time. The unused package time can be used for a day before the session, day after session, rehearsal coverage, or even gifted to a family member for any other service we offer.

2. Use the amount of coverage time now and plan for a bigger wedding in the future. Or some coverage from the bigger day and use the remainder for the bigger day.

3. Cancel your wedding package and book a smaller intimate wedding collection with us.

Can I remove hours/coverage from my package since I’m having a smaller wedding?
No. As mentioned during all of our consultations, we never allow you to remove options, items or services from our Collections. If you want to use some of the coverage for something else, such as rehearsal coverage, day after or a day before coverage, or anything like that we’d be more than happy to work with you.


In Summary:

COVID has changed our business a LOT and while this site does offer a good insight into what you could expect when making plans for your day, keep in mind that everyone’s situation is different. If you are considering any of these changes please reach out to us ASAP to discuss what kind of impact it could have on your wedding day.

As the situation changes, our policies may change along with it. Like most businesses, we “rolled with the punches” as 2020 hit and forced us to make a lot of different changes. This site will continually be updated to inform you of the latest guidelines from RI & MA, as well with popular questions we keep receiving regarding our policies. Should a question arise, please be sure to email us right away at ryan@ryandevoll.com

Thank you,
Ryan & Jenn

Willow Photo