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Snapshot: Cocktail Hour | Virginia Wedding Photographer

Welcome to my journal post series, Snapshot! In each Snapshot post, I’ll break down my hot takes and advice about different aspects of the wedding day, as well as dive into my approach to capturing your memories during each one. From Getting Ready to the Final Exit, Snapshot gives you an insider’s view on how our team makes magic happen to produce the awe-inspiring photos you’ll come to cherish in your final wedding gallery. Keep reading to learn all about how we capture the cocktail hour.

The string quartet is in place, and the bartender is shaking up your signature tonics — welcome to the wedding cocktail hour! Though you’ve been making wedding day memories since early in the morning, your guests only see a small portion of your hard planning unfold. The cocktail hour is just a piece of that experience.

But the expectations couples have around cocktail hour from a timeline and photography perspective can vary. For example, some couples expect to be involved in their entire cocktail hour, while others expect they will miss most if not the entire thing. Wherever you land on that spectrum, we can make your vision possible through careful planning and setting the right expectations.

How to Fit Cocktail Hour Into Your Wedding Day Timeline

If You Want to Attend…

This is possible! If you would value being a part of cocktail hour, we will need to start earlier in the day to fit in as many portraits as we can pre-ceremony. This means you may need to opt for a First Look. Being able to see your spouse-to-be before the ceremony opens a lot of flexibility for knocking out photos and not having to hold you back from attending cocktail hour.

We can tackle your bride and groom portraits, bridal party photos, AND even family formals… all before the ceremony begins. This can save a lot of time and ensure your entire group of loved ones get to immediately go celebrate with you after the ceremony ends.

If you want to attend the entire cocktail hour immediately after your ceremony, a sample pre-ceremony timeline might look like this:

Getting Ready – 1.5-2 hours (includes details, bridesmaid robe shot, final touches of hair & makeup, getting in the dress, dad’s first look, bridesmaids’ first look, etc.)
Your First Look & Portraits – 30-40 min
Bridal Party Photos – 15-20 min
Family Formals – 15-20 min (or approx. 2-3 min per grouping)
TOTAL PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE NEEDED PRE-CEREMONY = 2.5-3.5 hours

Example: A 5pm ceremony would need a 1:30-2:30pm start time, if travel time from getting ready location to ceremony location is not a factor.

If starting up to 3.5 hours before your ceremony is out of the question, you can still attend most of your cocktail hour by fitting in as many of these photos pre-ceremony as possible. For example, you may not find it feasible to have all of your family arrive early enough for family formals. No stress! We can still get your First Look, Portraits, and Bridal Party photos out of the way, so we ONLY have to tackle family formals after the ceremony. You’d be at your cocktail hour for the latter half of it, no problem. But by seeing the sample timeline above, you can see why a First Look makes all of this so much easier to accomplish.

Need more convincing? Check out this post I wrote a few years back on why a First Look is a huge value add to your overall wedding day experience, rather than a net negative like many believe.

If You Don’t Want to Attend…

Congrats! You’re about to have a much less rushed pre-ceremony timeline. Attending cocktail hour can be a lot of fun, but many couples don’t mind missing it. They’d rather soak up alone time as husband and wife and get stunning portraits in their newlywed glow.

If you’re one of those people, you are joined by about 80% of my couples. Most couples opt for a timeline like this, but the variable is whether they’d still like a First Look or not. First Looks can increase your portrait volume significantly, so if you want TONS of photos of the two of you, don’t skip it!! It’s a great way to shake off nerves with each other before the ceremony, too.

Also, you can decide if you want to do bridal party photos before or after your ceremony. There’s plenty of pros to either decision, so it’s really up to you.

Here’s a sample timeline WITH a First Look, but no attendance of cocktail hour:

Getting Ready – 1.5-2 hours (includes details, bridesmaid robe shot, final touches of hair & makeup, getting in the dress, dad’s first look, bridesmaids’ first look, etc.)
Your First Look & Portraits – 30-40 min
Bridal Party Photos – 15-20 min
Ceremony – 30-60 min (depending on type of ceremony)
Family Formals – 15-20 min (or approx. 2-3 min per grouping)
Just Married Portraits – 40-45 min
TOTAL PRE-CEREMONY COVERAGE = 2-3 hours (depending on if you place bridal party photos before or after ceremony)

Keep in mind, both of these timelines are just samples! Be sure to consult with me before your wedding day to talk through specifics about your wedding and what fits best for you.

What You’re Missing At Your Wedding Cocktail Hour

If you’re curious what happens at your cocktail hour, here’s what I typically see. Guests are usually ushered to a separate room or part of your venue from both the ceremony and reception space. They are sometimes greeted with champagne or an open bar. And your DJ, band, or live musicians set the tone with light music.

Guests will often be seen mingling, meeting your family or significant other’s family for the first time. Or you may have many old friends reconnecting for the first time in ages! It can certainly be a sweet time, so I don’t blame any couple for wanting to attend the cocktail hour.

If you are not planning to attend, we will make sure to give you a glimpse through photos. This is why a second shooter post-ceremony is so helpful! They usually attend to grab candid moments, grip-n-grins (my little term for quick, smile-at-the-camera portraits of groups and couples who were found chatting together), and photos of the food and drinks being served.

For planning purposes, you may want to consider a mix of cocktail tables and seated tables. This ensures options for elderly and disabled guests or guests with children. If you’re planning an outdoor cocktail hour, make sure to consider a rain plan with your venue! It is not advised to let your guests enjoy cocktail hour in the same room as your reception. Often, this means they will begin to place personal items at the table before your media team is able to capture the decor and room as “untouched.”

You may also want to be thoughtful about what you serve. Your catering lead can help guide you on the proper amount of hors d’oeuvres and beverages for your guest count.

The ENP Approach to Capturing Cocktail Hour Photos

This is a very optional part of your wedding photography experience. But we’re here to make it work according to your vision! If you’re someone who will miss, but wants to feel like you were there, a second shooter is a must!

Typically my second shooter will go to your cocktail hour while I’m finishing photos with you post-ceremony. I’ll instruct them to capture everything from decor/details, food, drinks, candids, and grip-n-grins. If you’d like a formal photo of each guest, we recommend organizing a “photo booth” line! This adds a fun experience for guests. It also gives you the ability to gift your guests with a professional portrait after the wedding day. Just plan to place signage and a backdrop to instruct guests where to line up. From there, my team will manage grabbing their portraits for you.

We also love honoring the ways your guests show up for you!! This means capturing photos of wedding guest fashion. If you have a crew that went all out, you deserve to commemorate it! Below are a few examples of cocktail hour photos that really paint the picture of a great time had by all.

Did you find this helpful? There’s lots more where that came from! Check out my other journal posts sharing insider tips and tricks for wedding planning.

And if you’re looking to book a wedding photographer for your special day, I would love to be considered! Inquire with me HERE to check on my availability for your date.

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A Low Country-Inspired Hilton Head Island Wedding | Hilton Head Island Wedding Photographer

When Taylor reached out about having me photograph her Hilton Head Island wedding, I could hardly believe it. Since marrying my husband, I’ve enjoyed annual trips to Hilton Head with my in-laws, who have been visiting for years. I’m not much of a beach person (love my lake life!) but the beauty of the low country made this a top bucket list place for photographing a future wedding. Kolby & Taylor made that a dream come true, as they lived their own dream day! On September 14 at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort, Kolby & Taylor tied the knot – and I got to be a Hilton Head Island wedding photographer.

A Hilton Head Island Engagement

Kolby and Taylor met while they were in their respective professional programs. Kolby was attending Duke University for Physical Therapy. Taylor was attending law school at UNC Chapel Hill. They connected pre-Covid, stayed in contact all throughout, and finally met in person when they each returned to campus in August of 2020.

As a couple, they made a habit of exercising together every morning, taking walks and runs to talk about life and their goals. They also love visiting Hilton Head Island, where Taylor’s family lives. The beach is their happy place, where they both enjoy the sunshine and relaxation time. Kolby will listen to a podcast, and Taylor will read her books. They also like to play Spikeball, chat about life, and enjoy the water.

Fast forward a couple years. Kolby and Taylor would travel to spend a lot of time in Hilton Head, where Taylor’s family lives. After what Taylor thought was just a normal weekend visit, they went out to dinner, and her whole family decided to take a walk through a nice park on the water. While posing for pictures, Kolby got down on one knee! That park has now become a special place on the island for the two of them.

Their Hilton Head Island Wedding Day

Their wedding day was a source of some slight anxiety that week. Kevin and I decided to take a week to visit Hilton Head. We celebrated our second anniversary on the island. But the entire week, the weather was not kind to us. It was rainy, chilly, humid, and very few hours of actual sun the entire week. The forecast threatened much of the same miserable wedding for Kolby and Taylor’s big day.

To be clear: RAIN ON A WEDDING DAY IS OK. It’s unavoidable, and you can still get GORGEOUS images on a rainy day. I have plenty of proof of that from Zach & Camille’s wedding, Mary & Joey’s wedding, Kevin & Emma’s wedding, and so many more! My own wedding day still stands as the rainiest wedding I have ever attended, and I LOVE my wedding photos.

But I knew rain would add certain challenges based on their chosen Hilton Head Island wedding venues. Their ceremony was set for the beach at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort. I selfishly wished, for the sake of my photos (and for Kolby & Taylor’s experience), that the sun would peek out even if just for the ceremony.

The Lord heard our prayers, because the entire day was fantastic weather!! Our only challenge was the intense wind on the beach, but even that couldn’t affect how beautiful the ceremony was. I shot quickly and took many photos of each shot to ensure we had at least one good option despite windswept hair and dresses.

Between the glorious, glowy sunlight and the wind, their portraits on the beach turned out to be so epic! Taylor’s dress flew dramatically in many of the shots. And her hair and makeup artist deserves a round of applause. Her updo survived and looked gorgeous even as the wind took the wispy pieces left out.

Highlights of the Day

There was so much to love about this wedding. On a personal note, it was my first wedding back in the saddle after giving birth to my daughter! (Birth story soon to come!) Despite worries of feeling a little rusty with postpartum brain fog, I’m feeling bold enough to say this was my favorite/best work yet! Here are some highlights you’ll want to seek out as you scroll:

A Dreamy Tower

Shoutout to Taylor’s friend and bridesmaid Jordan for showing me the tower room at Gull Island Manor, a short-term rental house in Sea Pines! I never would’ve known to wander up there, but it ended up being the dreamiest spot for details and Taylor’s getting ready photos! That light – *chef’s kiss*!

Lean Supplies And A Broken Ring Dish

For the couple’s wedding day details, I really didn’t bring a ton with me from my usually packed styling kit. We had to travel light to fit the essentials. What’s more, my favorite ring dish snapped in half when I dropped it going up the stone steps to the manor!

It was time to get creative. I actually ended up loving the look of my broken ring dish and decided to use it! I also found some dead palm foliage on the outer landscaping to feature in the flat lay of details. Paired with a wisp of Spanish moss, what once was a lean styling kit soon became true-to-location details that made the photos sing “Hilton Head Island wedding.” This just goes to show: Less is more. The less I have to work with in preparation for styling details has sometimes led to my most creative work!

A Touching Island Wedding Ceremony at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort

Despite the crazy wind, we were all so grateful for beautiful sunlight during Kolby & Taylor’s wedding ceremony at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort. Kolby & Taylor opted out of having a First Look, so I was dead set on getting Kolby’s reaction to seeing his beautiful bride. What I captured was one of the sweetest Groom reactions – instant happy tears as she came down from the dunes.

Another standout moment from their ceremony happened toward the end. Kolby’s dad officiated the ceremony. After a beautiful exchanging of the rings, and just before inviting the first kiss, he began choking up as he pronounced them husband and wife. It was so profound coming from a father (and now father-in-law). You could hear the soft “aww” reactions from the guests. That was such an emotional, happy moment!

Experience > Tradition

Kolby & Taylor planned a truly personal and intimate wedding reception at Gull Island Manor. It more so mimicked a dinner party than wedding reception. They hosted a warm cocktail hour with an open bar featuring their signature cocktails. Guests could explore the grounds while enjoying appetizers and getting their photo taken by the live painter commissioned to watercolor their portrait for a unique take-home gift.

When dinner was ready to start, guests descended to the lower tier of the garden overlooking the marsh. There, a long singular table was set with cheesecloth, candle sticks, place settings, and customized name plates made out of oyster shells.

The couple came down last, but there was no planned fanfare. They decided to forego the traditional dances and simply welcome guests to a laid back dinner serenaded by live musicians. This allowed the couple plenty of time to mingle with each guest and create special memories with the entire party, including a surprise visit from Keebler their dog. I absolutely loved this approach to a wedding celebration – and I could tell everyone else did too!

Final Thoughts From Kolby & Taylor’s Hilton Head Island Wedding

I’m so honored to have served as Kolby & Taylor’s wedding photographer. The entire experience was a dream for me – one that I hope opens the opportunity for even more chances to expand as an HHI wedding photographer. Their warmth and friendship was extended to me from the start, and their guests and family were a true delight to spend the day with.

I’ve begun asking couples to share what they love most about one another, and what excites them for marriage. Here’s how they answered.

What Taylor Loves Most About Kolby

“I love how devoted Kolby is to our little family. He is the most selfless person I know and would do anything to make things easier on others. He supports me emotionally and has the utmost patience when it comes to helping me navigate stressful situations, and he would do literally anything for our dog Keebler. Keebler gets to go to the dog park, walks, gets bones, pup cups, everything! He’s so spoiled because Kolby likes to take such good care of him.”

What Kolby Loves Most About Taylor

“I love how much Taylor guides and anchors me in our life. I am a very good-with-the-flow person which helps me stay optimistic and positive. However, I struggle sometimes with direction and focus because of this. Taylor has given me so much purpose in life and given me the direction for how I want my life to go. She is so ambitious and helps me make goals for ourselves that I would’ve never thought possible. Even in the few years I’ve known her, she’s helped me achieve goals and see a future I would’ve never thought possible for myself and for us.”

The Most Beautiful Thing About Marriage: According to Kolby & Taylor

“The most beautiful thing about marriage in my eyes is the commitment to stand by your partner no matter what life brings. My parents have had a long marriage and I admire the way that they’ve stuck by each other through every challenge. It’s easy to walk away from something when things become difficult but marriage is the commitment to another person to instead engage with them and work through the issues instead of walking away. In my eyes, marriage is beautiful because its permanent.”

K&T, I wish you both so much happiness in your marriage. Enjoy your honeymoon in Europe!!

If you love my work and you’re considering getting married in Hilton Head Island, or another destination in the southern East Coast, I would love to chat! I am based in the DC area but travel often for weddings. Contact me for more information!