The Farmhouse at Prospect Farms is the indoor studio side of the Lawrenceville property, and it is one of the most useful options when clients want a styled, weather-protected portrait location. Instead of one plain room, The Farmhouse includes several distinct spaces, each with a different feel, different light, and different best uses.
We have photographed families, couples, photographers, branding portraits, Christmas sessions, and maternity portraits inside The Farmhouse. The biggest thing to know is that the Farmhouse is best for clients who want styled, neutral indoor spaces.
Most of the rooms lean soft, neutral, and intentional. If you want a clean, light, warm, cozy, or styled look, The Farmhouse has a lot to offer.
Table of Contents
What Is The Farmhouse At Prospect Farms?
The Farmhouse is one of the indoor portrait spaces at Prospect Farms, located toward the front of the property. It includes several styled rooms that can be rented for sessions, including The Lounge, The Nest, the Brand Room / Black Wall Room / Black Trim Wall Room, the Create Room, the Boho Room, and the Loft. One of the reasons The Farmhouse is especially useful is that it offers a comfortable, temperature-controlled indoor setting with restroom access nearby. If you are comparing it with other indoor options at Prospect Farms, confirm the current amenities for each space directly with the venue before booking.
Each room has its own personality. Some are brighter and airier. Some are moodier. Some work better for families, while others make more sense for branding, boudoir-inspired portraits, couples, seniors, or maternity.
Because room names, room styling, and rental inclusions can change over time, always confirm the current setup directly with Prospect Farms before booking.
Why Choose The Farmhouse Over Outdoor Sets?
The Farmhouse is a strong choice when you want an indoor plan, a neutral background, or more control over the portrait experience.
Outdoor sets at Prospect Farms can be beautiful, but they are more dependent on weather, season, and walking distance from the parking lots. For a broader look at the outdoor sets and overall location, read our full Prospect Farms Lawrenceville GA guide. The Farmhouse gives clients a more protected option, which can be especially helpful when sessions are scheduled far in advance.
It is also a good choice for clients who want a soft, neutral backdrop. Neutral rooms allow soft outfits to feel timeless, and bold outfits can stand out beautifully against the calmer background.
Natural Light And Added Light
Most rooms inside The Farmhouse have beautiful natural light. Others are moodier or may benefit from thoughtfully added light depending on the time of day, weather, and season.
One standout perk of The Farmhouse is that Prospect Farms has made constant lighting available in many of the indoor spaces during our sessions. That kind of support is not always included at set or studio rental locations, and it gives photographers more flexibility in moodier rooms or on darker days. Since amenities can change, confirm current lighting availability directly with Prospect Farms before booking.
For clients, this means your Farmhouse session does not have to depend only on the brightest possible time of day. A photographer who is comfortable working with both natural light and added light can create polished indoor portraits across a wider range of conditions.
Room-By-Room Notes
The Lounge
The Lounge is the largest room in The Farmhouse. It feels like the living-room space of the property, with white walls, white ceilings, light tan natural wood flooring, a white couch, a light fireplace, a large mirror, and windows with white flowing curtains.
It is spacious, bright, and airy, which makes it one of the best Farmhouse rooms for families. Little kids have more room to move, and larger groupings feel easier here than they would in smaller rooms.
We have photographed many Christmas family sessions in The Lounge, as well as non-Christmas family portraits and branding-style portraits.
Because the Lounge functions more like a shared living-room-style space, it is best for portraits that do not require privacy. For family portraits, children’s portraits, Christmas portraits, and clean lifestyle-style images, it can work beautifully.
The Nest
The Nest is one of the softest and airiest rooms in The Farmhouse. It has a bed, a chair in the corner, a large mirror, and a white, cream, beige, and light neutral palette.
In our experience, The Nest can have especially beautiful natural light in the late morning during the summer, with a soft brightness that works well for intimate, cozy, and connected portraits.
The Nest works especially well for smaller families, young families, maternity portraits, and cozy parent-child images. The bed is perfect for relaxed family snuggles or softer maternity images.
Because The Nest is a private room with a bed, it can also make sense for boudoir-inspired portraits when the client wants a softer, brighter, more intimate look.
For branding sessions, The Nest is usually more of a bonus space than the main reason to book The Farmhouse. If you are booking another Farmhouse room and want a little extra variety, the chair corner can be a nice add-on for a few personal branding portraits, headshots, or full-body images if the room is available during your rental time. Prospect Farms has shared that additional rooms may sometimes be available to use when they are not occupied, but policies can change over time, so confirm current access directly with the venue before booking.
Because The Nest is on the smaller side, larger groups may find the space more challenging. For a small family with young children, maternity portraits, or a more intimate session, it can be one of the strongest rooms in The Farmhouse.
Brand Room / Black Wall Room / Black Trim Wall Room
The Brand Room has also been described over time as the Black Wall Room and the Black Trim Wall Room. It has a black accent wall and a more dramatic look than some of the lighter rooms in The Farmhouse.
This room is naturally darker, so it often benefits from added light depending on the time of day and weather. The constant lighting Prospect Farms makes available can be especially helpful when working in this space.
The Brand Room works well for branding portraits, individual portraits, and images that need a little more contrast or drama. It is not a private room in the same way some of the enclosed Farmhouse rooms are, because it is near the entrance and functions more like a through-area as people enter the house.
For clients who want a polished brand portrait with a stronger visual edge, this room can be a great fit.
Create Room
The Create Room has also been described as a simple white wall room, a seamless paper room, a backdrop room, and a flexible clean studio room. It is one of the more versatile spaces inside The Farmhouse.
We have photographed a couple together and individually on the tan seamless paper backdrop. The clean setup worked well for portraits that needed a simpler, more studio-like feel.
The Create Room can work for couples, branding portraits, headshots, full-body portraits, high school seniors, and boudoir-inspired portraits. Because it is a private room, it can be a better fit for sessions that need more privacy than the shared Lounge or Brand Room.
Because the Create Room is one of the smaller Farmhouse rooms, larger groups may find the space more challenging for one full group portrait. It can still work well for individuals, couples, and smaller groupings within a larger session.
If you want something more colorful or specific, confirm the current backdrop options directly with Prospect Farms before booking.
Boho Room
The Boho Room has neutral furniture pieces, fun patterns, texture, and pampas grass accents throughout. It is a smaller room with a styled, cozy, neutral-Boho feeling.
The Boho Room has a soft tan, neutral quality that fits its textured styling well. In our experience, the light in this room can vary by time of day, weather, and season, so it is worth checking with Prospect Farms about the best current timing if natural light is a priority.
The Boho Room can work well for couples, maternity, branding, seniors, boudoir-inspired portraits, and stylized portraits where the client wants warmth, texture, and a more decorated space. Because it is a private room, it can also be a good fit for sessions that need a little more privacy.
The Loft
The Loft has a moodier feeling than the brightest Farmhouse rooms. It includes vintage-style furniture pieces and an earthy, neutral look that feels different from the lighter rooms downstairs.
It is best suited for clients who want something less bright and airy, including moodier portraits, boudoir-inspired imagery, or maternity portraits with a more intimate tone. Because the Loft has more limited natural light, thoughtful added light can make a big difference. For the right client and the right session style, that moodier quality can be part of the appeal.
Which Farmhouse Room Is Best For Families?
For families, The Lounge is usually the easiest Farmhouse room because it is the largest and gives young kids room to move. Out of all the rooms in The Farmhouse, it is also the best suited for larger family portraits with more people involved. Larger groupings tend to feel much easier here than they would in the smaller Farmhouse rooms.
The Nest can also be beautiful for smaller families, especially families with young children who can fit comfortably together on the bed. It creates a softer, cozier feeling than The Lounge.
The Boho Room can also work well for small families or younger families who want a more styled, textured look. Its more intimate scale is part of what gives the room its cozy feel, so it is best suited for smaller family groupings rather than large full-family portraits.
The Create Room can be a good fit for smaller families who want a cleaner, more studio-style portrait. Because it is a more compact space, larger families may have an easier time using this room for individual portraits or smaller groupings rather than one full-family portrait.
Which Farmhouse Room Is Best For Branding?
Really, almost any room in The Farmhouse can work for branding depending on the vibe you want for your personal branding photos.
The Brand Room gives you more drama and contrast. The Create Room gives you a cleaner studio-style setup. The Lounge can also be a great fit for personal branding because it has a large solid white wall, a white couch, and an overall neutral feel. The Nest can add a softer lifestyle or personal-branding feel, especially in the chair corner. If a moodier look or vintage-style furniture makes sense for your brand, the Loft can work well too.
Which Farmhouse Room Is Best For Boudoir-Inspired Portraits?
Boudoir-inspired portraits make the most sense in the private rooms inside The Farmhouse because those spaces offer a more comfortable, tucked-away setting for intimate portraits.
The Loft, The Nest, Create Room, and Boho Room are the strongest fits. The Nest is softer and lighter. The Loft is moodier. The Create Room gives privacy and a cleaner studio-style option. The Boho Room can also work well because it is private and has a warmer, more textured look.
A Note For Photographers
The Farmhouse is a great example of why indoor portraits depend on more than a well-styled room. The strongest results come from understanding how the light behaves in each space, when to lean into the natural light, and when a little added light will create a more polished result.
For photographers who want more confidence working in indoor rental spaces, balancing natural and supplemental light, or planning efficient sessions in styled locations, our photography studio offers private mentoring from working portrait photographers.
FAQ
What Is The Farmhouse At Prospect Farms?
The Farmhouse is one of the indoor portrait spaces at Prospect Farms in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is located toward the front of the property and includes several styled rooms, including The Lounge, The Nest, the Brand Room / Black Wall Room / Black Trim Wall Room, the Create Room, the Boho Room, and the Loft.
Is The Farmhouse Temperature-Controlled?
Yes, The Farmhouse offers a comfortable, temperature-controlled indoor setting with restroom access nearby. If you are comparing The Farmhouse with other indoor options at Prospect Farms, confirm the current amenities for each space directly with the venue before booking.
Is The Farmhouse Good For Family Photos?
Yes. The Lounge is usually the strongest Farmhouse room for families, especially larger family portraits, because it is the largest room and gives young kids more room to move. The Nest, Boho Room, and Create Room can also work well for smaller families or smaller groupings, depending on the look you want.
Which Farmhouse Room Is Best For Larger Families?
The Lounge is the best suited room for larger family portraits inside The Farmhouse. Smaller rooms like The Nest, Boho Room, and Create Room can still work beautifully for individuals, couples, children, or smaller groupings within a larger session.
Which Farmhouse Room Has The Best Natural Light?
Natural light changes by time of day, weather, and season, but The Nest has photographed especially beautifully for us and can have some of the strongest natural light we have seen inside The Farmhouse. If natural light is a priority for a specific room, confirm the best current timing directly with Prospect Farms.
Is The Farmhouse Good If It Rains?
The Farmhouse can be a helpful weather-protected option because it is indoors. Outdoor sets at Prospect Farms are beautiful, but weather can affect comfort, access, and timing. Always confirm current booking, access, and weather policies directly with Prospect Farms.
Is The Farmhouse Good For Personal Branding Photos?
Yes. Almost any room in The Farmhouse can work for branding depending on the vibe you want. The Brand Room offers more drama and contrast, the Create Room gives a cleaner studio-style look, the Lounge has a neutral white-wall and white-couch setup, The Nest can add a softer lifestyle feel, and the Loft can work well for a moodier brand look with vintage-style furniture.
Is The Farmhouse Good For Boudoir-Inspired Portraits?
Yes, select private rooms inside The Farmhouse can work well for boudoir-inspired portraits. The Loft, The Nest, Create Room, and Boho Room are the strongest fits because they offer more privacy and each has a distinct look.
Does The Farmhouse Have Lighting Available?
During our sessions, Prospect Farms has made constant lighting available in many of the indoor spaces. That kind of support is not always included at set or studio rental locations, and it can give photographers more flexibility in moodier rooms or on darker days. Since amenities can change, confirm current lighting availability directly with Prospect Farms before booking.
Can You Use Multiple Rooms In One Session?
Prospect Farms has shared on social media that renters may sometimes use other available rooms during their rental time if no one else is using them. Because policies can change over time, confirm current room access directly with Prospect Farms before booking.
Checking Farmhouse Availability
If you are considering a specific Farmhouse room, it is worth checking Prospect Farms’ current booking calendar before getting too attached to a date or set. The Farmhouse has its own booking link, separate from Prospect Farms’ outdoor sets, so make sure you are looking at the correct calendar for the space you want.
If you’re considering The Farmhouse for your portraits, we can help you choose the room that best fits your session, plan outfits around the space, and create images that feel polished, comfortable, and true to your style.
My fiance and I are wedding photographers based in Atlanta, GA. This is how we planned our cruise wedding. This article will continue to be updated as we navigate through this experience together.
At the time of writing this article (September 2018), we have been engaged for almost 2 years. We have put off planning our wedding time and time again due to a variety of reasons including personal finances, family health problems, and the paradox of choice that comes with having too many options available to you. With my dad’s cancer now in remission, and our finances in a better place, there never seemed a better time to start planning for our wedding!
Why plan a cruise wedding?
We started brainstorming all of the possibilities. Being active professionals in the local wedding community in Atlanta for the past 10 years, we knew we always wanted to plan a destination wedding. We had initially thrown ideas around like an intimate wedding in Vegas, or an all inclusive resort in Mexico, etc. With all of our ideas floating around, we knew we wanted our wedding to be affordable for family and friends to attend, and we wanted to provide an amazing experience for those who chose to come out.
It came to me in a dream one night! Of all the places to find wedding inspiration! The next morning I contemplated the logistics of planning a cruise wedding. It seemed to check off all of our boxes.
Cool destination? Check.
Affordability? It’s possible depending on the cruise line, check.
Non traditional & non cookie cutter? Check.
Does it provide a unique & awesome experience for our guests? Check.
How to choose the best cruise lines for weddings
Ideally we were looking to plan a shorter cruise over a weekend. Weekday cruises & longer cruises are less affordable, and would require our guests to take off more vacation time from work. We also wanted to choose a port that was close enough to drive to if our family and friends preferred not to fly.
We chose our cruise line and port based on availability. When we started looking at the nearest ports within driving distance, we were limited to just 3 (Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa). When we looked at the cruise lines available at these ports that offered 3&4 night cruises, we also realized we only had a couple of options available to us. Between Carnival, Disney, and Royal Caribbean, we personally had the best experiences with Royal Caribbean in the past.
We looked at the Royal Caribbean cruises available at the time of year we wanted to get married that matched our criteria (3 or 4 night cruise, over a weekend, and cool locations!). With only 2 or 3 cruises available, there was clearly one winner with the best cruise itinerary that covered 2 islands in the Bahamas within 3 nights.
Cruise wedding reviews : Should I get married on a cruise?
Once we had a fairly good idea of the cruise we wanted to get married on, we started to research Royal Caribbean Wedding reviews, and just cruise wedding reviews in general – we wanted to cover all of our bases. What we found was a very mixed bag.
There were absolute nightmare horror stories posted online highlighting terrible experiences with various cruise lines that dropped the ball when planning weddings & terrible customer support stories. There were also equally great experiences and stories highlighted. After reading as many cruise wedding reviews as we could find, we came to a consensus.
The most disappointed brides seemed to be the ones with the highest expectations. As wedding professionals, we know all too well that anything that can go wrong will go wrong on a wedding day. Wedding professionals do the best they can to prepare for mishaps in advance, but sometimes there are circumstances beyond anyones control that can influence how a wedding day might unfold. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t let those things ruin our day and ruin our precious memories. We would take it in stride & focus on what’s most important to us. We would focus on enjoying our day and creating amazing memories & experiences with the ones we love.
Another thing we read about in the various cruise wedding reviews we stumbled upon is that cruise weddings are not for everyone. Many wedding packages with cruise lines are fairly restrictive in nature – including the times and dates available for ceremonies, the legality of the ceremonies, the vendors available, etc. This is both a blessing and a curse. For the super laid back bride who doesn’t want to plan anything, this is ideal. For the more type a bride looking for a higher level of control and more options for customization, cruise weddings might not provide the best experience.
When we contacted Royal Caribbean’s wedding team, we were prepared for anything! We received a copy of their wedding packages & deliberated on the one that might work best for us.
If you’re looking for a great outdoor location idea for your engagement session, family session, or any type of photography session with a gorgeous outdoor backdrop, consider one of the beautiful sunflower farms in Georgia! Here is a round up of some Sunflower farms to check out –
Anderson’s Sunflower Farms
Located in Cumming, Georgia, Anderson’s Sunflower Farms is a farm that focuses solely on sunflowers! For business hours and sunflower season, check out their website.
Address:
3360 Shiloh Road
Cumming, GA 30040
Copper Creek Farm
Copper Creek Farm, located in in Calhoun, Ga is a great family friendly venue run by David and Sabrina. Not only does this farm offer gorgeous sunflowers during sunflower season, they also do corn mazes, haunted houses, class field trips, and even weddings! Find out more info on their website here.
Address:
1514 Reeves Station Rd SW
Calhoun, GA 30701
Phone: 706-280-5592
Fausett Farms
Perhaps one of the best know Sunflower farms in Georgia, Fausett Farms is a family run business that’s been around for 60+ years! Originally a poultry farm, they made a change in 2011, and now offer 30ish acres of beautiful sunflower fields! Check out their website for parking information, photography permits, and sunflower season.
Address:
11336 Hwy 136 West
Dawsonville, GA 30534
Phone: 706-265-9661
Prospect Farms
Prospect Farms, located at 1839 Prospect Road, in Lawrenceville, Georgia offers beautiful sunflower gardens during sunflower season – typically a 2 week window in June! You can check out their facebook page or instagram (@prospectfarms) for up to date photography permit information and the exact dates of the current sunflower season!
In addition to sunflower fields, Prospect Farms also offers daffodil fields in April, wild flower fields in May, pumpkin patches in the fall, and christmas trees in the winter. Scottish highland cows also graze the farm if you’re looking for a super southern, country style photo session!
Current photo permit rates at the time of writing this article (Fall 2018) –
$30/ 30 minutes
$60/ 60 minutes
$120/ 2 hours
$195/ 4 hours
$395/ 8 hours
*rates likely to change – check with the establishment to get current rates!
While not the center of attraction, you can find sunflowers at the William L. Brown Farm Market if you go at the right time of year. They typically have them in June, but call ahead to make sure they’re in bloom before heading down! Check out their website for more info.
Address:
4334 GA Highway 49 North
Montezuma, GA 31063
Phone: 478-472-8767
Looking for more Georgia Sunflower Farms?
Did we leave out a farm? Are any of the farms we listed out of date? Please post a comment below, and we’re happy to update our information!
Are you an up and coming photographer brand new to the Atlanta scene? Are you looking for a new Atlanta photography group to connect with? Are you browsing through the first page of google to email photographers to offer your second shooting services to them so you can get your Atlanta portfolio started?
If you’re new to starting wedding photography in the Atlanta area and looking to connect with photographers to network or second shoot with, my team and I have put a list together of some facebook groups, monthly meetings, and educational resources you HAVE to check out. You can meet other professionals and work with a TON of photographers throughout the city. They’re all pretty nice too. 😉 I recommend you join the facebook groups that interest you & introduce yourself! Go to monthly meetings, meet the photographers in the Atlanta scene, & network!
Shoot & Share – general business advice, lead sharing, second shooter recruitment
Facebook Groups for Networking & Meet Ups
Trigger Happy – Meet up once a month for inspirational lectures, food, and occasionally shoots/ headshot swaps. Great for networking and meeting other photographers in the Atlanta area.
Tuesdays Together – This one is really good for networking with other entrepreneurs or other vendors in the wedding industry. They meet once a month on a Tuesday. Good for networking with other vendors, and talking about business topics.
Styled Shoots by Rick+Anna Photography – If you’re looking to grow your wedding portfolio, this is a monthly styled shoot group. It will usually cost a little $$ to cover the cost of models, professional hair & makeup, and a wedding venue location, but it’s an excellent way to build your portfolio from the ground up.
CreativeLive – High production live video education platform – Good for catching live workshops taught by industry leaders on photography, business, or anything entrepreneurial. Free to watch, $$ for purchasing workshops for anytime access.
Rentals
Aperturent – This is the “Atlanta-based” rental place is located in Sandy Springs off Roswell Road. They rent out camera bodies, lenses, lighting, etc. You can have them deliver equipment rentals to you, or you can go in & pick up your order.
Good luck in your future endeavors! Hope you find an Atlanta Photography Group for you.
Why is having a consistent photography style important? Because brand identity.
Having a consistent style allows your biggest fans to identify your work anywhere in the world and gives your overall portfolio a unified look. When you can achieve that specific outcome every single time, it gives your clients confidence in the level of quality they can expect when they hire you.
But where do you begin? How does one even start to develop a photography style? Look for inspiration, and ask others for feedback!
Finding your style in photography through Inspiration
When you’re trying to find your photography style, starting with inspiration is a safe place to start.
Check out photographer portfolios you admire. Which images do you strongly resonate with? If you collected all the images that inspired you the most, what common factors link them all together?
Are there certain colors that stand out to you? Do most of the images have a very certain look and appeal to them? What are the people in the photos consistently doing or feeling? Are there specific locations you seem drawn to? What is the overall lighting quality like from photo to photo?
Whatever those common bonds are that tie your favorite images together – those links should represent the ideals you strive to capture with each and every photograph you take.
How to describe photography style by asking others
Although slightly more adventurous, but equally as rewarding – ask your clients for their opinion on your photography style! Don’t have clients? Do a couple of free photo shoots, and ask your friends for their opinions. It might seem a little scary, but the results are worth it!
A major shift happened in our wedding photography branding this past year. In an attempt to put a promo video together for our photography business, we started interviewing our couples for testimonials after working with them on their photo shoots. Then, something magical happened.
We started to learn what our actual clients thought about our brand & what it was like to work with us.
Prior to starting this project, I thought I had a strong idea as to what our brand represented. However, THINKING you know where your brand is vs KNOWING where your brand actually is are two entirely different things.
By interviewing our couples, we realized what we thought we were projecting out into the world was different than how our clients perceived us. We learned where we really shined and where we might have fallen flat. We took what we could, and we ran with it.
When most of our clients told us the same thing over and over again, we realized we’d created a consistent experience across the board. We took the words they used to describe us and infused them into our website & our overall brand. These words acted as a magnifying glass to help us focus on the things our clients loved us for and let us know the direction we should grow in.
In conclusion
Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran photographer, if you find yourself having an identity crises and asking yourself, “what is my photography style?” look for inspiration & ask others around you. 😉
Wedding days can be LONG – as the one vendor who arrives while you are getting ready in the morning and doesn’t leave until after you leave, we, as wedding photographers, probably know this more than most!
As you start to plan out your special day, you might soon realize just how long that day becomes.
If the Wedding Photography Collection you purchased comes with a limited number of hours, you might be debating whether it’s worth it to add on more time with your photographers, or if there are things you can cut from your wedding day timeline to make it work with the number of hours you’ve purchased.
While this decision is entirely personal and might be based on a number of other factors, we’ve put together a couple of sneaky tips and tricks to help save you time on your wedding day!
1) Streamline & Prioritize the Getting Ready Photos
What moments during your getting ready process do you want captured? On the wedding day, our wedding photography studio tends to photograph ANYTHING and EVERYTHING as it unfolds. But when pinched for time – are there unique and specific moments you’d like to prioritize over others?
If considering cutting back hours, we encourage our brides to prioritize and focus on the moments that matter the most to them.
The wedding day is a combination of stylized portraiture (both candid & posed in nature) as well as unique and special moments that tell the story of your day. Our advice is to prioritize the key portraits and moments that are the most important to you, and to cut back mercilessly on the lackluster moments that may be devoid of emotion or meaning. These are incredibly personal decisions to make – and decisions that only you have to be happy with at the end of the day.
2) Limit the number of Wedding Day Locations
Another factor to consider in shrinking back a photography timeline is to reduce the number of locations used on a wedding day. With fewer locations, come fewer opportunities to travel and fewer opportunities to get stuck in traffic. Every time a new location is used, time is required to break down and pack up gear, lug said gear into a vehicle, drive to the next location and maybe get stuck in traffic along the way, get to the next location, find a parking spot/ pay to park, unpack said gear, and get gear set up and established before photos can be taken again.
By limiting the number of locations used on your wedding day, the less time will be spent in travel & re-establishing gear again.
Fewer locations = less travel time & more photo time!
3) Group reception activities together
There are two ways to schedule your reception events (ie: first dances, cake cutting, toasts, bouquet/ garter toss, etc) – You can spread them out throughout the evening or schedule them back to back.
This decision might very well depend on the amount of time you have allotted for this portion of the day. After cocktail hour (1 hour) & dinner (1 hour) is done, how much actual reception time do you have left?
If you have 3 or 4+ hours left after cocktail hour & dinner, you have a longer reception! Spreading out your events throughout the evening is a nice way to break up your time. Rather than having 4+ hours of endless dancing, you have an event to look forward to every hour or so.
On the other hand, if you have 1-2 hours left after cocktail hour & dinner is said and done, spreading out your events throughout this 2 hour window will result in a break every 10-30 minutes. You’ll have just enough time to start a conversation with a friend before being whisked away for the next event.
If you find yourself with 1-2 hours left for your reception, we highly recommend scheduling your events back to back (where it makes sense). This ensures you’ll have at least an hour – hour and a half of uninterrupted dancing time, and uninterrupted time to mingle with the family and friends who came to your wedding.
Examples of grouping like events together would mean that your first dance, father-daughter dance, and mother-son dance happen back to back. If you held off until scheduling these dances for after dinner, you could also add in the cake cutting & toasts immediately after. As an added bonus, you & your guests would also get to eat dinner immediately after cocktail hour.
4) Stage an early send off/ No send off
The last tip we have for you to save time on your wedding day is to stage an early send off or go without one.
If you don’t care much for send off photos, you can cut your photographers’ coverage at some point during the evening once enough reception photos have been covered.
If you would prefer to have these send off photos, you also have the option of staging a send off earlier in the evening.
During a typical reception, the crowd tend to thin out as families and elderly guests start to leave. Staging an early send off will often act as a cue for these people to leave at that time, leaving the fun party animals behind to dance the night away!
If you have a smaller guest count to begin with (less than 100), staging an early send off will ensure there are more people to see you go & you’ll have send off photos with the majority of your guests.
Summary
At the end of the day, you always have the option to add on more time with your wedding photographers. However, if you would like to stay within your purchased number of hours, you have several options available to you if you’re looking to save time on your wedding day.
You can streamline & prioritize the photos taken during the getting ready portion of the day.
You can limit the number of locations to reduce travel time.
You can schedule your reception events back to back.
You can stage an early send off, or cut it all together.
Hi! We're Jaimie & Kyle (+Associates) with Jaimie Dee Photography. We're Atlanta photographers based in the metro area and service clients all over the globe. Jaimie Dee Photography was established in 2008. We're primarily a wedding and portrait studio. Our images are crisp, clean & colorful and strike a balance between classic and candid styled portraits. Aside from the photography, we help you craft the perfect photo experience - from the beginning planning stages to the finished artwork hanging on your walls. When you're in front of our camera, we'll also offer you gentle guidance through a combo of stationary and movement based poses. We'll help bring out your inner diva too - even if you're shy! If you're looking for a photographer in the metro Atlanta area or beyond, we'd love to meet you!
