The guide
How the day goes
What I send every couple after they book, here for anyone planning a wedding in Niagara or the County. Take what's useful.
A sample timeline
A September Saturday with a 4:00 ceremony and sunset at 7:20. Move it earlier or later with the sunset for your date; the gaps between things matter more than the clock.
Details and getting ready
Have the rings, invitation, shoes and anything inherited in one box, so I'm not hunting for them. Hair and makeup should be finished 30 minutes before you dress.
First look, if you want one
Optional. It takes the pressure off later and gives you 20 quiet minutes together before the guests arrive.
Ceremony
Ask your officiant to step aside for the kiss. Ask guests to keep phones in their pockets; it makes a real difference in the photos.
Family photos
Straight after the ceremony, while everyone is still together and before the bar opens. Allow 25 minutes for a list of about ten groups.
Cocktail hour
Enjoy it. I'll be photographing guests, and the second photographer, if you have one, will cover the room.
Dinner and speeches
Seat the speakers where they can face you and the room, not with their backs to the guests.
Golden hour portraits
Fifteen minutes away from dinner, about 25 minutes before sunset. This is the one block I'll ask you to protect.
First dance, then the party
Open the dance floor straight after the first dance and I'll stay for the first hour of it.
Light
Golden hour, by month
The softest light starts about 45 minutes before sunset. Niagara sits low and flat, so on a clear day it lasts right to the horizon.
| May | 8:25 pm |
|---|---|
| June | 8:58 pm |
| July | 8:55 pm |
| August | 8:20 pm |
| September | 7:25 pm |
| October | 6:30 pm |
Check the exact time for your date before you finalise the timeline; I'll do it with you on the planning call.
Family photos
The list
Write it down, give it to one cousin who knows everyone, and it will take 25 minutes instead of an hour. Start big and finish small, so the grandparents can sit down first.
- Everyone in both families
- Both sets of parents with you two
- Grandparents, seated
- Partner one's parents
- Partner one's siblings and their families
- Partner two's parents
- Partner two's siblings and their families
- Wedding party, all together
- Anyone travelling from far away
- Each of you with your parents alone
Weather
Niagara weather changes by the hour off the lake. Plan for it once, then stop checking the forecast.
Rain
Buy six clear umbrellas and leave them by the door. Overcast skies are kind to skin, and wet pavement reflects the evening lights. I'll find a covered porch or a barn door for portraits.
Heat
July afternoons can pass 30°C. Put the ceremony in shade, or after 5 pm, and keep water at the family photos. Portraits wait until the sun drops.
Winter
Snow brightens everything, but daylight ends before 5 pm in December. Plan portraits for midday, bring warm boots for under the dress, and keep outdoor time to 20 minutes.