Short answer: yes. You can do your couple portraits on a different day after the wedding, in a dedicated session known as a post-wedding or day-after session, and it can solve real timing problems. Portraits taken before the wedding are a separate idea - an engagement or pre-wedding shoot - and are not what this post covers.
Why would you do portraits on a different day?
Wedding days run on a schedule. If your ceremony and reception are in different places, if daylight at your venue is limited, or if you simply do not want to step away from your guests for long, moving the portraits can take the pressure off. It can also help if the weather does not cooperate - rain on the day itself does not have to mean rain in your portraits.
What is a post-wedding session?
A post-wedding session is a dedicated portrait session held after the wedding day. There is no required timing for it: some couples do it the next morning, others wait weeks. You can wear your wedding outfits again, choose a location you love, and take the session at your own pace.
What are the trade-offs?
The honest one is that it will not feel like the wedding day. The atmosphere of the day itself is hard to recreate, and you may need to arrange outfits, and possibly hair and makeup, again. A separate session is also another block of time to plan, and depending on your photographer it may carry an additional cost, so ask how your photographer structures and prices one before deciding.
If you would rather keep portraits on the day itself, there are ways to keep them short without moving them entirely.
When might it make sense?
It can suit couples marrying somewhere they are only visiting briefly, where a return trip for photos is unrealistic. It can help with winter weddings, when daylight is short and the ceremony can take the best of it. And it can suit anyone who wants a location the wedding day cannot reach, whether that is a beach, a city centre or a favourite walk. One studio that offers these sessions describes them as relaxed, unhurried time compared with the wedding day.
What should you ask your photographer?
Ask whether they offer separate portrait sessions at all, what one costs, how far from the wedding it can be scheduled, what happens if the weather is poor on the session day, and whether the images are delivered with your wedding gallery or separately. Pricing and what is included vary by photographer, so treat these as questions for your own photographer rather than assumptions.
I'm Sean Williams, a documentary wedding photographer based in Manchester, photographing weddings across the UK and abroad. If you are weighing up how to fit portraits around your day, get in touch and we can talk through the options.
