Are you in the midst of planning your Cape Cod rehearsal dinner and wondering if having a photographer come is actually necessary? You’re in the right place! 

Inviting your wedding photographer to your rehearsal dinner actually enhances your wedding day experience and captures more of your wedding weekend memories, so it’s an invaluable decision.

By having a photographer at your rehearsal dinner, your family and wedding party will be more comfortable on your wedding day

Think back to the last time you attended a wedding. When the photographer did a walk through at cocktail hour or the reception, what happened?

If you’re like most people, you probably stiffened up, plastered a fake grin on your face, and assumed your go-to pose since you wanted to look your best in a “candid” photo.

Now, this is a perfectly normal response. Everyone wants to look their best in pictures, and a professional camera with a ginormous lens intimidates everyone! I even feel a tad awkward at the beginning of a photo session when I get my own photos done…and I own several of those cameras and giant lenses. 

If you want to capture real emotions from your most important people on your wedding day, having your photographer also capture the rehearsal dinner helps a ton!

It’s a smaller event, so there will be more time for your VIPs to chat with me, get to sneak in a few jokes, and generally just get to know me.

So when I head to the bridal suite the next day or make my rounds at cocktail hour, your bridesmaids and mom will be much more at ease. They won’t stiffen up. Instead, they’ll be able to actually act natural, and my candid coverage just improves.

By having a photographer at your rehearsal dinner, you capture all of the details while more of your wedding emotions and memories are on display

Even though your Cape Cod rehearsal dinner isn’t your wedding, I know that you still planned it. You still crafted a menu, intentionally bought favors for your guests, ordered flowers, and probably even more.

The rehearsal dinner is still an intimate gathering of your closest friends and family members to kick off the wedding weekend. You’re going to remember what happened on that evening for the rest of your life. Inside jokes are about to be formed, core memories crafted.

It seems like a waste to be so intentional about planning all of these details to then not document them. Imagine yourself in 50 years with your maid of honor. How special will it be to look back and see yourselves right before this next big life step? You won’t regret investing in these memories.

The rehearsal dinner is literally the last day you get to take pictures as an engaged couple

Even if you do a first look on your wedding day, it will be your wedding day! You’ll be the bride, and then the wife. But not the fiancée. The rehearsal dinner is your official goodbye to an important part of your life.

A few last minute portraits with your fiancé won’t ever be a waste. And, it’s not like you’re committing to a whole engagement session…we can achieve a lot together in 10-15 minutes!

And those 10-15 minutes really will be a warm up for your portrait time on your wedding day. 

I absolutely love maximizing portraits and providing oodles of variety without taking a big chunk of your wedding day. I know your time should be enjoyed with your spouse (ahh!!) and your loved ones. So if there’s anything I can do to up the efficiency of those wedding day portraits, I always advocate for it.

So, as you finalize plans for your Cape Cod rehearsal dinner, have I convinced you to include a few hours of coverage? If you are a current client of mine and would like to add rehearsal dinner coverage, you know where to find me. Send me an email, and we can work something out!

If you’re considering me–first of all, thank you!!! You can get started by clicking here to access my inquiry form.

Until next time,

Christine

Need more wedding planning advice? Take a peek at some of my other journal entries:

What to wear for Cape Cod engagement photos

Why do brides wear a veil?

Looking to see some of my recent work? Look below!

Lexey and Jeffrey’s Cape Cod maternity photos

Sarah and Dan’s central MA elopement

Courtney and Schuyler’s Boston Seaport engagement