How much time should you plan for couple photos on your wedding day?
For couple photos on your wedding day, plan between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on you and how much you want this moment. I suggest taking them at the golden hour, the soft light just before sunset: the light is gentle, and it is often when your guests are sitting down at the table.
Why 20 to 40 minutes?
I photograph the whole day, but couple photos are a format of their own: a moment for two, away from everyone else. Twenty minutes is enough for a couple who does not enjoy posing. Forty leaves time to breathe, change spots, laugh and forget the camera. Beyond that, quality rarely improves, and you miss the rest of the party.
So the length depends on each couple and what they want. Some want a real pause in the day, others prefer to stay close to their guests. We talk about it beforehand and adapt on the day.
:::gallery !Couple posing in front of a blue door in a village lane in Provence, relaxed couple session !Couple under a weeping willow on an estate in Provence, the bride's veil spread on the grass :::
Why I prefer the golden hour
There are two good reasons to place couple photos at this time of day.
The light. It is soft, warm and flattering for everyone. It is the light you find in the photos you will still be looking at in twenty years.
The timing. While we take the photos, your guests are taking their seats. You are not missing anyone. It is also your decompression airlock: the moment you find each other again, at last, just the two of you, before the celebrations begin.
:::gallery !Couple facing a hilly landscape in the soft light of the end of the day in Provence !Bride running along a path by the water in golden evening light !Couple embracing facing the hills at sunset in Provence !Couple on a pontoon by a lake with hills behind, black and white :::
The most common planning mistake: group photos
What most often cuts couple photos short is group photos that drag on. They eat into the cocktail hour (which you absolutely must enjoy, it is a time to be with your guests), then the timing gets tight for the entrance into the dinner room, and the couple photos get skipped or rushed.
What I recommend:
- Plan the essential group photos with your closest family, so each side has its keepsake.
- Add informal group photos, taken as the cocktail unfolds: livelier, and they cost nothing in your schedule.
- Send me the list of groups in advance, so everything runs quickly.
I always offer couples ideas for group photos, precisely so they do not take the place of the couple photos.
How to organise your day
- Place the cocktail before dinner and keep it whole for yourselves.
- Fit the essential group photos at the start of the cocktail, short and organised.
- Reserve 20 to 40 minutes around the golden hour for the couple photos.
- Plan your exit when guests are already seated: nobody waits.
To see how this fits into a full day, read my examples of a wedding timeline with a civil ceremony at 11am and at 2pm. For locations and decor ideas, see couple photos in Provence. And if you want to talk about your own wedding, get in touch.
A real case: "we only want 2 or 3 photos"
At the preparatory meeting, Camille and Antoine tell me they are not very comfortable in front of the camera: "we only want 2 or 3 photos".
I always respect the couple's wishes. On the day, when it comes to the couple photos, they finally find each other, talk about the first part of their day and relax. We start the session, and as time goes by they get caught up in it. They loved it. A session planned for 10 to 15 minutes lasted 30 minutes.
:::gallery !Couple laughing and spinning on the grass, hills of Provence behind, spontaneous couple session :::
When you are well guided and supported, this moment is a real pleasure for couples. If you think you will not enjoy couple photos, do not cross them off the day, but tell me: we start small, and we see.
What I always tell couples
It is your wedding, not mine. You decide, I am only here to guide and support you, to make every step of the day easy to live, so that it is a wonderful moment. Because in the end, that is what matters most: that you have a wonderful time.
The first look: a moment of its own, not to be confused with couple photos
The first look is not a couple photo session. It is the moment of discovery, right after each of you has got ready and before the ceremony. It is a moment out of time that I am particularly fond of, because it is always full of emotion.
It happens in complete privacy, just the two of you. It is your moment, the one where you see each other for the first time.
:::gallery !Outdoor first look on an estate in Provence, the veiled bride seen from behind facing a smiling loved one !A loved one smiling as they see the bride during a first look, wedding in Provence !Bride in a lace veil facing a loved one during a first look on the gravel of an estate !Bride and her white bouquet during a first look, emotion and smiles :::
Want to keep the surprise for the ceremony? No problem. You can also do a first look with your parents, your children, your witnesses, or none at all. It is your moment, do not forget.
:::gallery !Bride seen from behind welcomed by loved ones during a first look, wedding in Provence, black and white !A loved one of the bride stepping through a door in a bastide salon during a first look :::
:::gallery !Bride seen through a blurred frame, waiting for the first look to begin, black and white !Bride turning toward the camera while the groom waits with his back turned, first look in Provence !Couple embracing right after the first look, in a garden in Provence :::
Frequently asked questions
How long does a couple photo session last on the wedding day?
Usually between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the couple and what they want. Twenty minutes is enough for a couple who does not like posing, forty allows a change of spot and time to enjoy it.
When should couple photos be taken?
At the golden hour, before sunset. The light is soft, and it is often when guests take their seats, so you do not miss anyone.
Do group photos cut into couple photos?
They can if they drag on. I recommend keeping group photos to the essentials with your closest family and doing the rest informally during the cocktail hour.
Should couple photos be before or after the ceremony?
Ideally after the ceremony. You are less stressed, more relaxed, and the light improves through the day, especially a few minutes before the sun sets.
And what about the first look?
It is the moment of discovery between the two of you, after each has got ready and before the ceremony. It happens in privacy, just the two of you. If you prefer to keep the surprise for the ceremony, you can do it with your parents, your children, your witnesses, or not at all. It is your moment.
