Why all-day coverage might be for you

“I hate having my photo taken”
“We really aren’t photos people”
“We don’t want a fuss with the photos – just a few nice shots of the day”

If I had $1 for the amount of times I’ve heard these kinda comments from wedding couples, I’d have at least $23.
But seriously – in more than 500 weddings that I’ve photographed, this concern comes up time & again.

One solution that may seem strange at first… full day wedding coverage.

 

^^ I first saw this quote at a wedding, about 8 years ago.
One of the bridesmaids had printed it out, and stuck it to the wall in the room where the girls were getting ready.
That left a lasting impression on me. Ever since, I have strived to capture more of the “party” side of a wedding than the “performance” side.

I’m a firm believer in full day wedding coverage – for a whole bunch of reasons.

Firstly, I want to stress that of course, this isn’t the best fit for everyone. If you’re having a small elopement wedding with 6 guests – you don’t need full day coverage.

But if you’re contemplating getting a photographer for say… 5 or 6 hours – then keep reading.

 

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The most common thing I hear from people is “oh – we really aren’t photos kind of people” … “we just need a few shots of the important bits and that’s enough”.

I totally get that. I’m not a “photos person” either haha!

But here’s the thing – if I’m at a wedding shooting for 5 hours – I have to be MORE intrusive, MORE in-your-face, and MORE structured. Because there’s a timeline. There’s a list of shots that we need to try and ensure we get, all within a tight time frame. So I need to get in there, make my presence felt, and ensure I nail all these shots really quickly and efficiently

If you are someone who’s a bit nervous about photos, or you want your day to just be relaxed, chilled, and spent hanging with your guests … then having just a short package might not be best for you.

Compare these two scenarios.

 

Scenario 1 – Full day coverage. I arrive at the girls around 10am. You’re chilling out with your besties, hair and makeup is underway, the music is on, and the day is perfect. I rock up, say hi, and for first 15-20 mins – I probably don’t even take any photos! It’s just a time to chat, to banter, for me to have a wander around the house you’re in & get some cool ideas. Around 20 mins in, I grab my camera and quietly start snapping a few images. The bridesmaids sitting on the couch chatting; the makeup artist at work; slowly easing into it. By the time it’s your turn for bridal makeup, I’ve already been there for 2 hours. It’s like having a mate there with a camera, and you’re just relaxed and being yourself.

 

 

Now scenario 2. It’s a short package, so there’s only 30 mins allocated for bridal prep. I arrive, drop my bag – and boom – it’s into shooting. Where’s your dress? Can I have your shoes / flowers / jewelry? Ok right makeup artist – can you please hold the brush just here … ok good, got it. Right – time to get your dress on – go!

 

See how in scenario #2 – my presence is much greater? You really feel that you’re being photographed. It doesn’t feel so relaxed – and the resulting photos tend to look a bit more staged / directed.

So if you’re someone that feels a bit nervous about being photographed – the long warm up of the full day coverage is actually BETTER than launching into things with a short coverage option.

Capturing what’s important.

 

Duncan & Helen were married on a stunning beach – and the DIY element of their day was something really significant – they did EVERYTHING themselves.
So while the shot of the ceremony under the little beach pergola looks cool … it’s even more meaningful knowing that we captured the entire process of it being built, repositioned, rebuilt, and finally – finished.

You can’t predict when the best parts of your day will happen.
Maybe grandma drops in early in the morning to say hi before your hair & makeup. Or your pageboy is super cutely fast asleep sprawled across the couch at the reception at 10pm. All these little unscripted moments are – for me – what makes a wedding.

Maybe your guests decide to really cut loose on the dancefloor…

Or maybe the stars decide to make an appearance at 11pm – long after the dancing has quietened down…

The stuff that happens in the middle of a wedding day is – in essence – the same. Bride puts on dress. Groom puts on suit. Stand up the front @ ceremony. Get married. Take family photos. Take creative photos. Arrive back at reception.
In my experience – the time that people’s individuality really shines through is earlier in the day, before the tradition takes over … and late at night – once tradition has been abandoned (and maybe tequila has taken over!!)

Being there to capture these parts of the day lets me tell the full, complete wedding story.

From a timeline point of view – you aren’t trying to squish the “important” bits of the day into the time you have your photographer there. Rather, you just plan the awesome party that you want to have – and relax about the fact that I’ll just be there.

 

Here’s a couple of links you can check out where the entire day has been captured.

Each wedding is super different.

 

Ben & Mon – Fishing in the morning, married in the afternoon.
Nick & Monique – Urban shabby chic ultra glam
Rach & Marty – Picnic wedding on the lawn

I rest my case.

Let your wedding photography tell the story of a party, not a performance.

 
 
If this kinda stuff speaks to you… maybe I’m the right fit to capture your wedding day, too!
Have a look through the galleries of my work here – or some recent blog posts here.
If you’re keen to chat more – get in touch using the form below this post.