Wedding Day Tips
Getting Ready
Please gather any detail items you would like captured, shoes, dress, jewelry, invitations, etc., in a single location before we arrive. On the morning of the wedding, simply direct us to that spot and we’ll handle the styling and composition; no need for you to arrange anything. If your dress/suit requires steaming or pressing, please have that completed before our arrival.
We recommend that makeup be applied in a well-lit room with ample natural light, preferably near a window. Natural light produces the most flattering results and allows the photo and video team to minimize mixed or overhead lighting, which is less desirable for capture. The same applies to dressing: a tidy area near a window provides the best conditions for beautiful footage and photos.
Grooms and groomsmen, if you plan to wear a self-tie bow tie or necktie, practice tying it beforehand if you’re not experienced. Not knowing how to tie one can add significant time to the getting-ready window. We are happy to assist on the day if needed, but pre-practice helps keep the schedule on track.
If you plan to exchange letters on camera, we will ask everyone to leave the room and will pause music to preserve clean audio. For brides, consider filming letter readings in comfortable attire (robe or pajamas) if you’ll be wearing your dress for the rest of the day. For grooms, being fully dressed (suit/tux) for the letter moment is ideal.
Build extra time into your morning timeline, prep frequently runs behind schedule, and a relaxed timeline makes for better footage (and more mimosas, if desired).
Finally, please eat and stay hydrated that morning. Feeling your best will make a big difference in how you enjoy your day.
What time should I get into my gown?
If you are not doing a first look, please be fully dressed in your gown or wedding attire no later than 90 minutes before the ceremony (or earlier, if your ceremony and prep locations are different to allow for travel time). This ensures we can document the closing moments of preparation without rushing and capture any final details, accessories, or planned pre-ceremony interactions with parents or your wedding party.
If your gown requires extra time to put on because of complex fastenings or fittings, let your planner and our team know in advance so we can adjust the timeline. Anyone assisting you—mother, maid of honor, or other helpers—should be dressed before you begin getting into your gown. That keeps the focus on you during dressing, presents everyone at their best, and avoids delays if the schedule runs behind.
This 90-minute window also gives you a few moments after dressing to breathe, touch up hair and makeup, gather personal items for portraits (shoes, jacket, etc.), and enjoy a final moment with your group before departing. Once we leave for the ceremony, time moves quickly—being prepared helps us capture the moments and people most important to you.
Planning a first look?
We love capturing first looks! Please schedule the first look to conclude no later than 90 minutes before the ceremony start time, earlier if possible. This allows time to film a few shots of the two of you by yourselves before the ceremony.
If you plan to complete all couple and wedding party portraits before the ceremony, we will capture as much of that session as possible and aim to depart for the ceremony location no later than 60 minutes before the ceremony (depending on travel time). This will leave you with time for a brief touch-up, snack, or hydration break before the ceremony. Your timeline should allow us to record the entire first look and the majority — ideally all — of the portraits you have scheduled afterward.
We do not require special setup time for the first look and are comfortable shooting it unobtrusively on the fly. If travel between locations is needed, consider scheduling the first look earlier to ensure full coverage.
If you’re unsure about timing, please share your draft timeline and we will provide specific feedback to make sure we capture all key moments.
Ceremony
We begin ceremony setup one hour before the scheduled start time. During this period we are not actively filming the couple; our team focuses on setting up audio equipment, performing a sound check, positioning cameras and tripods, clearing gear bags, and recording the venue’s décor and views before guests arrive. This setup time is essential and non‑negotiable for producing a successful film collection.
You’ve waited for this moment—relax and enjoy your entrance. So your guests can experience it fully, and so we can capture authentic reactions, please walk slowly and naturally. If it feels slightly awkward, that’s normal. The same guidance applies to everyone in the processional. If members of the wedding party will be holding bouquets, please carry them low so they do not block your outfits or face during the processional.
When positioning the wedding party at the front of the ceremony space, we recommend a straight line rather than a curved or angled formation. A straight line preserves clear sight lines to the couple for both photo and video, and makes it easier for us to capture your partner’s reaction as you enter.
Consider writing personal vows, even if they are brief. Personal vows make the ceremony unique and provide meaningful, authentic audio that helps us tell your story. If you choose not to exchange vows, we strongly recommend writing notes or letters to exchange earlier in the day—during a first look or the morning preparations. Any personally written words create lasting memories and valuable audio that will enrich your wedding film.
When prepairing your personal vows, we highly recommend writing them in vow books, a card, on thick card stock, or on cue cards. Regular loose leaf paper can be difficult to manage in the wind, and creates a lot of noise that can compromise the recording of the audio! The crinkling paper sounds will be picked up by our mics, and can can’t be edited out if it occurs while you are speaking. This is also more visually appealing for your photos
Consider an unplugged ceremony- this allows your guests to be in the moment, without a cell phone in hand. Your photo and video team will be thrilled to capture your guests enjoying the ceremony!
As part of our special sauce we use for capturing great audio, we bring a handheld mic to be used during the ceremony and for speeches. This is a much higher quality wireless mic than what your DJ or venue would typically provide. We do this to ensure there are no wireless drop outs while anyone is speaking, and the handheld is exceptionally great at filtering out environmental sounds that compromise recorded audio such as wind, sounds from your guests, and natural noises at the venue. We provide a feed from our mic to whoever is providing the sound system for the ceremony or speeches.
Have a guest officiating the ceremony? These are some tips to pass on to them to add to their script
Ask guests to rise for the entrance of the bride.
Asking guests to be seated once the processional is complete. Guests will remain standing until they are told to sit, so this is an important thing for your officiant to mention!
When possible, we request that the officiant step out of the way just before the first kiss.
If you are planning for family photos immediately following the ceremony, please ask your officiant to make an announcement regarding the location and time. This could take place during the opening notes or closing notes. Here is some inspiration: “ We kindly ask that all immediate family stick around the ceremony location, as family photos will be taking place immediately following the ceremony”
Portraits/Photo session
Please consider travel time when selecting photo locations. If you have your heart set on a particular site, allow additional time in your timeline to reach it. For example: Lake Minnewanka in Banff is approximately a 40-minute drive round trip from the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel; this estimate does not account for traffic, parking, or the walk to the most scenic viewpoints.
If you would like recommendations for excellent locations near your venue, we’re happy to help and to coordinate with your photographer to select the best options.
During portrait sessions, please bring snacks and water for you and your wedding party. It’s common to skip meals on wedding days, and having refreshments available helps prevent low blood sugar and keeps everyone comfortable and energized.
Arrange transportation and confirm locations with your photographer in advance when possible. If you are driving, set a reminder to retrieve your vehicle from valet (if applicable) so departures for photos run on schedule. We will do our best to remind you as well, but we encourage delegating this task to someone who can manage it for you on the wedding day.
For mountain or outdoor locations, pack comfortable shoes or boots to change into. The most picturesque spots often require walking on uneven terrain or off established paths, so having suitable footwear ready before the wedding day is strongly recommended.
Reception
A good rule of thumb for speeches is limiting each speaker/toast giver to 3 minutes. In the event they go over time with the speech, 3-5 minutes should keep your guests attention. Anything over 5 minutes, usually results in guests being disinterested and not being present in the moment. This will also help you get to the dance floor sooner! Quality over quantity is a great speech/toast mantra!
Please try to avoid scheduling speeches/toasts between courses at the reception when possible. You and your guests eating in the footage isn’t ideal and likely something you wouldn’t like to watch back. If your timeline or venue won't allow for speeches before or after dinner, we recommend the following: serve, eat, clear, speech - repeat. Please allow the staff to clear your dishes before starting the next speech, to avoid dirty dishes or servers walking through your footage.
Please notify your reception MC and speech givers to hold the mic up and talk directly into it so that everyone can hear the speeches, this also allows us to record the best possible quality audio.
Please notify everyone is who is providing a speech that if using a mic stand, it is critical that they adjust the microphone for their height. Depending on your floor plan, someone from our team may adjust the mic stand for each speaker when possible. We also ask that they remain at the podium area/mic stand. We need to light the person speaking, and cannot move the lights if they are moving around. We also try to control backgrounds as much as possible to keep your film looking clean and aesthetic. In the event that there is no podium, we will provide a mic stand to be used for speeches.
We kindly request to be fed at the reception right after the head table/immediate family. This allows the vendors that are required to work during speeches, dances, etc. to actually be able to eat their meals, and be ready to work without having to scramble last second. We want to avoid important tasks getting missed in a rush to capture key moments.
Consider leaving your reception for a few moments during golden hour. 10-15 minutes is plenty! We are happy to provide the timing for this if you wish to include on your schedule. We can’t predict the weather, but when it cooperates, this can make for beautiful footage. It's also nice to have a few moments away from the reception, to take a breather. We are happy to provide an estimate for when the best light may occur on the wedding day, just ask us! For most locations we can pre scout that night and do our best to only take you out if its worth while!
If you’re ever unsure of timing, please know we’re always here to help and provide guidance. We appreciate that every wedding is different and some recommendations may not apply to your wedding day!
Most importantly, remember to have fun & be yourself! We want to capture your story in the most authentic way possible!