Wedding party-Wedding Reception photographs

Finally, at the end of a long, beautiful wedding day, it’s time to let loose on the dance floor and have a good time at your reception. This being the last part of your wedding, what can you expect from your photographer?

First of all, we arrive at the reception hall well ahead of time to be able to capture the entire decor, such as the center pieces, the head tables, and the tables, before all the guests start arriving. You probably spent a lot of time planning your reception and making something memorable for your friends and family. We try to capture all your hard work and effort, so that you can even look back on the details of the wedding! This can even come in handy for practical needs, such as if you help a family member in the future plan a wedding – you’ll have something to show them of exactly what you did. It may even be a nice gesture if friends and family contributed to making decorations or the cake, so that they have some promotional material out of the day.

Every reception is slightly different, and depending on your budget and the number of guests you may choose to go a different avenue. Typically, the traditional reception is a sit-down option, which most guests appreciate. It also works really well for any speeches you have planned. Some couples however choose to have a simple cake-cutting with just close friends and family.

Have a plan for your wedding party

It’s a good idea to let your photographer know what exactly is planned for your wedding party. For instance, if you have a receiving line, how will this be set up? You’ll probably want pictures of you greeting all your guests, so letting the photographer know exactly what the plan is helps things run smoothly. Then there are the great moments such as being presented and entering the reception hall. The look on your faces and your guests reactions are truly memorable. Consider when you’ll have speeches, as we photograph these as well and take reaction shots. (If you have a cinematographer present, this is a key point where you want to be able to get as much footage as possible. Speak with them ahead of time about your plans.) After the speeches, you’ll most likely have some dancing, maybe even followed by some traditions. The evening is really about you and your guests and just letting loose and having fun. The big wedding day is almost over, but partying with your friends is still a highlight! These are also the moments your friends will want to look back on, so as photographers we try to capture as much as possible. If you’d like us to capture each table in a more formal way, please let us know beforehand! If there’s time in the evening, and if you would like to, we can take some more couple pictures and take advantage of the dramatic lighting either at your venue, or outside on the streets. It can really round out your day and end on a romantic note.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this series and have gained some valuable tips that you may consider with your photographer! As mentioned at the outset, there is a little surprise we have for you readers! You may have realized that the topics for this series included: the groom and bride getting ready, a fashion session with the bride, whether you should have a first look, the romantic session, family and formal portraits, and then finally the reception and party…but what about the ceremony? Maybe you have wondered why we skipped such a huge and important part of the wedding! The reason for that is that we have a CULTURAL WEDDING series prepared for you, which will discuss different cultural traditions when it comes to ceremonies (and partially the reception). It’s a great way for us and you to learn more about different cultures, but also for those of you part of that culture it’s encouraging to see the photographer’s experience shine through. We hope you’ll enjoy this next series – as an extension to this one!