Stinkerpants

Originally, Mr. Cream Puff and I made the decision that we would see one another before our ceremony for formal pictures. We did this to be practical, even though we both would prefer to see each other for the first time at the ceremony.

Well, when we changed photographers, we also changed our minds. “Screw practicality!” we said. We decided to wait to see one another until the ceremony. This left us (read = me) with the task of figuring out how to schedule the photography sessions so that we didn’t miss our cocktail hour, which was also important to us. Here’s what I came up with:

Our first photography session was to take place before the ceremony, at or around our hotel. There would be two separate groups–me with my bridesmaids and parents, and the groom with his groomsmen and parents. The schedule went a little something like this:

Bride with bridesmaids, formal
Bride with bridesmaids, silly glasses (these are disguise glasses left over from the proposal)
Bride with bridesmaids and flowers
Bride with officiant
Bride with officiant and bridesmaids
Bride with SIL
All BMs look away, bride at camera (a request of Mr. Cream Puff)

—-release SIL and officiant to join Groom’s group—-

Bride with parents
Bride portraits
Bride with bouquet

GROOM’S GROUP:

Groom with parents
Groom portraits
Groom with Groomsmen, formal
Groom with Groomsmen, silly glasses
Groom with each groomsman
Groomsman portraits, if time

—SIL Puff and Officiant arrive—

Groom with officiant
Groom with sister
Groom with parents and sister

The second photography session was to take place after the trolley tour, at the Green Room. The guests would be at the cocktail hour. This session was designed to be done quickly.

Bride with groomsmen
Groom with bridesmaids
All bridal party with bride and groom, formal
All bridal party with bride and groom, funny glasses
All bridal party with all parents and bride and groom
–release bridal party, except for SIL Puff—

Bride and Groom with Groom’s parents and sister
—release SIL—

Bride with Groom’s parents
Groom with Bride’s parents
Bride and Groom with Bride’s parents
Bride and Groom with Groom’s parents
Bride and Groom, Groom’s parents, Bride’s parents, formal
Bride and Groom, Groom’s parents, Bride’s parents, all kiss

Bride and Groom with disguises

Genius, right?

Unfortunately, none of this worked out. Like, NONE of it. The first schedule was screwed up because SIL Puff disappeared with one of the groomsmen. We obviously couldn’t take the group shots without a bridesmaid or a groomsmen, and our photographer didn’t want the pictures of me with the bridesmaids to look inconsistent because they were shot in different locations. Before the ceremony, we just took portraits of me alone and Mr. Cream Puff alone. This left all of the other pictures to be taken during cocktail hour.

After the ceremony, however, a block of time ended up opening up at Crissy Field because the trolleys weren’t ready to go (more on this later). We were able to take the bridesmaid pictures there.

When we got to the Green Room, however, there were so many pictures to be taken that we missed the entire cocktail hour. It sucked. I was sad, but hey, what are you gonna do? Nothing to be done! We also didn’t have any of the disguise glasses with us (I have no idea where they went) and we were over it at that point anyway.

I do think this could have worked out better, if a few things had been different. I should have been more anal about having people actually look at that part of the day on the schedule, so they knew where they were supposed to be. Don’t assume that anyone actually reads anything you give them. In retrospect, I probably could have scheduled it all a bit better, taking into account when the flowers arrived and all. I think that if the first photography schedule had gone right, we wouldn’t have missed the entire cocktail hour. Oh well.

Honestly, no bones about it–formal pictures suck. They are super painful and it takes FOREVER because you’d pretty much rather be doing anything else than taking pictures (at least, that’s how I felt). However, these are the photos that people will be displaying on their mantles for years to come. They’re a necessity. A painful necessity, but a necessity nonetheless. So my advice to myself (and my dad, who really hated the formals) was this: suck it up. You’ll be glad you have them.