Photo Sessions and Scheduling


Each of our photo sessions delineates are particular chapter of your wedding memories and are scheduled at appropriate times given your wedding day desires. For the great majority of weddings where the photography is of primary importance, the schedule we make with you, will basically define the events of your day.

Ideally, we'll want enough time to give you the coverage you want and to allow for a buffer if you are late. We like to keep the schedule tight rather than drawn out so people don't get bored and feel like "it's taking all day" though, we do not want to rush. Not to worry, we'll suggest a schedule based upon your desires. FYI: We work relatively fast during our photo sessions (based upon watching others work) but, we don't rush... unless you are late and we have to work faster. It just seems smooth and unstressed because our sessions are choreographed like a ballet i.e. given our experience, we know what to do and when to do it, we know when to zig and when to zag, and consequently, we get many more combinations and shots than you would expect.

The following are the basic photo sessions you can plan for and the general times we suggest for each. If your photos are important and we assume they are, you'll want to consult with us before you set your wedding day schedule. Among all the professionals for your wedding day, including your wedding coordinator, we are the experts at wedding day scheduling if only because we are the one person who participates in a wedding from the start to the finish.

Scenics: This is a session at a site other than the location of your ceremony or reception. We usually choose a location that provides an overall scenic view or reflects some of the best scenic value of Hawaii i.e. cliffs, beaches, islands, palm trees, gardens, cultural locations, etc. We usually schedule 30 minutes for this not including travel time.

Getting Ready Pre-Bridal: It's pretty much what it sounds like, shots of you getting ready. Usually, it's at your hotel suite or private estate and 30 to 60 minutes. Because the initial stages of getting ready can be hectic, we prefer that you be semi-dressed and almost ready to go but, that's up to you. We suggest that if you choose to schedule this coverage, you will want to have a fairly nice looking room of adequate size for the number of people.

Bridal Portraits of Bride & Groom and Bridal Party: These are your primary bridal portraits of yourself and your bridal party. We would normally allocate at least 45 minutes for this depending upon the size of your bridal party. You will want to have all your bouquets, boutonnieres, lei, corsages, flowergirl baskets, ring bearer pillow, etc. at this session. We will do a variety of posed shots and fun candid shots to give you a variety of imagery. What we are able to do will be dictated by the location and the amount of time scheduled. Normally, we like to start with the bridal party shots and finish up with the bride & groom.

Church and Family Portraits: Usually we'll schedule 30-60 minutes for this session. Generally, we are only concerned with your immediate family for these portraits i.e. parents, grandparents, brothers & sisters and their husbands, wives, and kids, though you can bring whom ever you want as long as you let us know so we can schedule enough time. It is preferable to do this session before the ceremony while everyone still looks fresh and calm, though sometimes your schedule will dictate what's best and we may do it after the ceremony if time allows. FYI: We suggest doing this prior to the wedding for a church ceremony and after the wedding for a garden or outdoor ceremony.

Reception: Reception coverage can be as simple as coverage just to show that you had a reception or one which covers everything to the end of your formal festivities. The scheduled time can be as little as 1 hour and usually it's not more than 4 hours. If you are having a very small or casual reception, we sometimes suggest a coverage only up to the dinner service. We can show you how to structure your event to enable us to get the photos you need and it will cost you less. If you are having a larger standard reception and/or are having a "formal program", you will want coverage to the end of the program. Given the time, we try to photograph everything you pay for, the set-up, the ambiance, the scheduled events of your formal program, and anything else we think important. Almost all of this coverage is of the candid nature. Reception coverage ends at the finish of the scheduled time and/or at the end of the formal program which is usually the 1st dance. FYI: Table shots are not included in any coverage. Though if you are having a small reception, we may suggest doing a shot with the bride & groom at each table, before the dinner service. If you are having a large reception (over 10 tables) and you want table shots, we can hire another photographer specifically for this purpose. Many couples will just have a friend do this.