A Day in the life of a UK Wedding Photographer

Always wondered what a day in the life of a wedding photographer would look like? Then this blog post may be the perfect read for you!

I’ve gained so much valuable experience shooting 200+ weddings over the past 5 years. There’s only been a handful of wedding venues that I have shot at more than once, so nearly every venue I visit is new to me when I arrive - but this isn’t the case for long after exploring! Let me take you through my experience of a typical day as a wedding photographer in the UK.

Firstly, I always make sure I plan ahead for any weddings which are over 2 hours away from home. I like to stay in a hotel nearby so I'm around in the morning just to make sure I avoid traffic or any other possible delays. This way I always arrive at the wedding venue feeling relaxed, refreshed, and prepared for the day ahead.

On the morning of a wedding, I usually arrive around half an hour early to find the best places for group shots or couple shots to make sure this doesn’t eat into your natural, candid guest shot time and it also makes the day run much more smoothly! I also take this time to explore the venue, get to grips with the locations of each section of the day, and make a mental note of any unique features that I might want to incorporate into the wedding photos.

Once I've explored the whole venue, I usually head to bride prep where I introduce myself to the bridal party and float around to get some natural, candid moments and emotions as the bride and her bridesmaids get ready for the big day ahead. During the downtime of bridal preparations, I take the opportunity to capture the wedding dress, shoes, and any other details like perfume, or jewellery.

Midway through bride prep is when grooms and their groomsmen usually get ready. The suiting up, buttonholes, and ties normally take around 15-20 minutes to capture maximum, so I can head back to bride prep to capture the rest of the getting-ready process! I also take it as a great opportunity to capture some fun and relaxed shots of the guys before the formalities of the day begin.

After capturing any reveals to family or bridesmaids, as well as the wedding dress being done up, I head to the ceremony to capture the arrival of the guests whilst the bride and groom individually have their wedding registrar meetings. Once guests are all seated and the wedding registrars return, it’s time for the wedding ceremony to start!

After the ceremony, it’s time for confetti, canapes, and group shots! The group shots usually take about half an hour (depending on how many you have of course!) I try to make sure we get through them as quickly and smoothly as possible, so you can greet all of your guests and mingle whilst I get those beautiful candid wedding photos that everyone loves. Around 20 minutes before guests are seated for the wedding breakfast, I borrow the couple for their couple shots and we have a little walk around the places I initially found in the morning whilst exploring. This is usually the first time the couple has been alone together since becoming husband and wife, so it's a great opportunity to capture some natural and intimate shots of the two of them, especially when the fact that they’re now husband and wife is starting to kick in!

Throughout the rest of the day, I capture the speeches, cake cutting, the first dance, and any other important moments that happen during the reception. I always try to remain unobtrusive and capture natural moments as they unfold but I’m still there to guide you every step of the way if I can see a couple a little bewildered or overwhelmed by the day in general!

By the end of a wedding day, I've usually taken thousands of photos. Once I arrive home and transfer the photos, I spend a week or two culling and editing to deliver the finished gallery to the couple for them to relive their special day.

It's a privilege to be a part of such an important day in a couple's life, and I feel incredibly lucky to have visited so many different beautiful wedding venues across the UK, met so many different couples and guests, and also have worked with so many amazing talented wedding teams and suppliers.