2018 Trend: Embracing Smaller Wedding Parties

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wedding photographer, wedding photography, wedding planning, weddings

Large wedding parties are seen by many as a “status symbol” of sorts.  Many of us want to have the most grandiose wedding possible, right?  I get it – allow as many of our friends and family to participate in our wedding day.  Admittedly, in some cases, having large wedding parties is unavoidable.  10+ Bridesmaids, 10+ Groomsmen, etc. are just required due to the size of families and their circles.

Looking back at 2017, larger wedding parties (10+) were oft the norm but many expect wedding parties in 2018 to be smaller.  Where we can cut those numbers in half (4, 5, or 6 at the high end – including maid-of-honor), I think this expected 2018 trend just makes more sense.  Here’s why…

Personally, I think smaller wedding parties are actually better for a number of reasons.  First, it is more intimate and easier for the couple to manage. It’s much easier dealing with 4 bridesmaids/groomsmen as a Bride/Groom opposed to 13 bridesmaids/ groomsmen, right? Additionally, the more you have, the less important they are individually and the more money it costs for the Bride/Groom and/or the bridesmaids/ groomsmen.  From a photography standpoint, pictures with you and 5 or 6 bridesmaids takes a lot less time than if you have 10+ bridesmaids. As such, photographers can actually focus more time on you with each of them, as well – quality over quantity.

When planning your wedding, save time, money, and proverbial “wedding party drama” by narrowing down the wedding party list to your most important/ indispensable subset of friends and family. For most, I think this is sage advice. Let me know your thoughts and experiences!

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL. Check out http://www.photoactivephotographytampa.com to see stylized wedding images and samples from other photography genres, including events, portraits, and modeling, as well!

Brides: Factor enough time for photography in your wedding day schedule!

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selecting a wedding photographer, wedding photography, wedding planning

Bride and Groom

Written by Chuck Jackson

Brides: When planning your wedding day, please make sure you leave enough time for the photographer and/or videographer to adequately do their job(s). As a photographer, there are few things worse than feeling rushed and not being able to take the pictures you really want for the bride and groom on their big day. As professionals we will work with what we have but there is a give and take equation that means the best work may elude you if time is short.

Although there are many factors to consider, here are a few guidelines that work for me. In order to deliver the best possible photos (quality and quantity), generally I like to have 45 – 60 minutes for post ceremony traditional/posed shots, 1 – 2 hours for preparation photos, and at least 2 hours of reception photos. Ceremony lengths are what they are but I recall having one wedding ceremony that was literally 7 minutes long (procession to altar and back again) – that was WAY too short.

In summary, time is money but with ART, time also allows for QUALITY and QUANTITY of photographs/video footage. It can take time to get those “perfect” shots so do not leave your most important day to chance: be proactive and discuss scheduling with your wedding planner and photographer and you increase your positive outcome potential immensely.

B&G Formal Portrait

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL. Check out http://www.photoactivephotographytampa.com to see wedding images and samples from other photography genres, as well!

Whatcha, whatcha, whatcha Want?

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brides, wedding photographer, wedding planner, wedding planning, weddings

Bridal Party

Written by Chuck Jackson

Brides: Figuring out exactly what you want for your wedding day can be a daunting task. Everything from the dress, catering choices, florals, location, wedding party participants, guest list, color scheme, theme (if any), music and DJ, photography, videography, etc. – it can get extremely challenging to manage all of these things. This is why a good/experienced wedding planner is your BEST WEDDING BUDDY!

Bridal Session

Look, we are all operating on a budget of some sort (the size of the budget may very greatly but this is all relative). But wedding planning is way too complicated and way too emotionally draining a process to try and handle all by yourself (speaking mainly to the brides on this one). You have enough to worry about and having a professional on your team will make a world of difference. Quite frankly, you cannot afford NOT to have a wedding planner.

Make SURE you factor the cost of a good wedding planner into any wedding budget – this should be one of the very first items you check off your list because they can help you with just about everything else as soon as they are brought onto the team. Figuring out “whatcha want” becomes exponentially easier when you have the assistance of someone with plenty of experience guiding brides through the process. That alone is worth the piece of mind it provides during one of the most stressful times of your life – planning your wedding.

Bridal preparation

Why is whether or not you hire a wedding planner so important to a wedding photographer, you ask? Simply put, I have witnessed both well planned and poorly planned weddings and the poorly planned weddings directly and negatively impact me, the photographer’s, ability to do our job (and the DJ’s, and the caterers, etc.). When weddings are poorly planned, the timing is horrendous – when the timing is horrendous, photographers cannot take the time needed to do our jobs correctly/adequately. And when we cannot do our jobs correctly, that may reflect negatively on both the quality and quantity of the pictures.

Bridal Preparation

So please, please, let ME help YOU make a good decision about this – hire an experienced wedding planner so they can make EVERY aspect of your wedding (including wedding photography) flow smoother and better. And this will make wedding photographers, like me, VERY happy and, in turn, YOU will be much less stressed and ultimately happier with your wedding day experience. Your husband will thank you, your bridesmaids will thank you, your family will thank you, your guests will thank you, and your vendors will thank you for providing a “Bridezilla Free Zone” on your wedding day.

The logic is simple: weddings and their planning are stressful; wedding planners help relieve the stress; when the Bride is less stressed, everything and everyone else is less stressed; less stress means everyone is happier; therefore, hire a wedding planner! Okay, not quite Aristotelian logic but you get the point.

Wedding planner = Happier Wedding Day

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL. Check out http://www.photoactivephotographytampa.com to see wedding images and samples from other photography genres, as well!

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