THE DAY YOUR WEDDING TURNS INTO A RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK
A wedding is supposed to be a day that breathes, that lives, that surprises.
But sometimes, I walk in and the timeline looks more like a military checklist than a story line.
Minute zero: hair. Minute three: dress. Minute four: kiss grandma. Minute eleven: off to city hall. And me in the middle of that? I’m squeezed in like an interlude, “quick, quick, do your photos!”
The problem is: by clipping my wings, you’re cutting yourself off from what makes a reportage unique: the wait for the right moment, the one that builds between bursts of laughter, an unexpected tear, or a tender gesture.
wedding photographer tight schedule
wedding photographer tight schedule
I’M A PHOTOGRAPHER, NOT A BUTTON PUSHER
When everything is timed to the second, I turn into a machine. I keep clicking because it’s on the schedule, not because it’s the right moment.
And let’s be honest: the result will always fall short of what I can really do—and what you’re hoping for.
A reportage isn’t “produced” on an assembly line. It’s lived, caught on the fly, composed with light, people, and all the unexpected moments.
I capture the instant, I don’t force it. I don’t stage it, I let it happen. And for that, I need time, air, and space where things can unfold naturally.
A little breathing room in the schedule gives me the chance to be creative instead of just an operator. And that changes everything—for you, for me, and for the photos that will fill your album.
What makes a beautiful image: when you live it. Not when you follow the clock.
FLEXIBILITY IS THE GUARANTEE OF IMAGES THAT TRULY REFLECT YOU
The most beautiful memories are often born in those in-between moments where nothing was planned.
A spontaneous hug, a speech that goes off-script, a ray of light falling perfectly on the couple… Those images don’t live in an Excel sheet.
They live in the margins. And to catch them, I need time to wait.
So yes, we can organize to avoid chaos. But let me have the freedom to do what you chose me for: to tell your story the way it truly unfolds, not the way it’s timed.
MEMORIES MAKER
WHAT I’D TELL MY BEST FRIEND (OR YOU, IF YOU’RE READY TO HEAR IT)
I’ll say it with all my wedding photographer love: a minute-by-minute timeline is the best way to kill the magic. It’s not in the rush that we capture the moment that will give you chills twenty years from now. It’s not by chasing the clock that we catch the knowing glance, the rising tear, or the burst of laughter.
But you know what? It’s your call. Whether you’re the bride, the hyper-organized best man, or the wedding planner who loves Excel sheets—you have every right to plan everything. And I have the right to tell you that this isn’t where the best images are born—or at least think it quietly while waiting for the first breath of freedom.
This is my blog, my space, my view. I’m sharing my perspective, with full honesty. You may disagree. But if you’re looking for a reportage photographer, one who captures what really matters, without forcing it or staging it, now you know exactly what you’ll find with me.
PS: The photos in this article are not representative of content tied to stopwatch weddings. They breathe. They’re not pulled from a Swiss-clock kind of day.
Read this in one go and still hungry for the real stuff?
Then check out more gems on the blog:
- Cringe-approved wedding ideas (spotting the “great ideas” that ruin everything)
- Group photos that rock (because organized doesn’t mean stiff)
- Intense wedding reportage Lyon (my vision of living reportage)
Getting married soon?
Whether it’s in Lyon, Bangkok, or halfway across the world, I’ll follow you wherever your story breathes.
Ready to ditch the stopwatch?
