Photographic styles.
I Want Good Pictures of the Wedding, but I Don't Want Picture-Taking to Take Over... What can I do?
It's your option whether the Bride and Groom take pictures together prior to the wedding. If you want to honor that tradition of the Bride not seeing the Groom until he sees her coming down the aisle in her full wedding finery, go for it. Some photographers will argue that you will be less nervous or more considerate of your guests if you take pictures together beforehand. None of your guests will be impacted by picture-taking prior to the wedding, and half an hour after is not a great burden, so do what you would like. Remember, the wedding professionals you hire work for you, not vice-versa.
Take a minute at the rehearsal dinner, when wedding party and relatives likely to be in pictures are present, to outline what their "photo opportunities" will be. If certain family members will be in pictures prior, (e.g. parents, grandparents and siblings of the Bride) tell them where to be and when. Likewise for those family members who are to be in pictures following the wedding. Tell them to exit with the guests and then report immediately for pictures. You might even include something like "If you aren't there, we'll assume you don't want to be in the pictures." This may relieve you from doing any searching and/or begging on the wedding day.
Plan with your photographer what pictures you want both before and after the wedding and who should be in them. Then plan a sequence of pictures that makes sense for each of the photo sessions. The best plan might be to start with small groups and work up to larger ones as the wedding time gets closer. After the wedding you might consider the reverse start with the biggest groups and then excuse more and more people to go to the reception as you move along. The last pictures might be of just the Bride and Groom.
The most time is wasted one of two ways (1) looking for wandering friends and relatives who you hoped would be in the picture you are now setting up; and (2) listening to the photographer tell you how great the picture is going to be. If you are organized, the "before" pictures shouldn't take more than an hour; and the "after" pictures should take no more than 30 minutes.
Talk with your photographer about the balance between recording the event and controlling it. The wedding is not a photo session with music. It's a landmark celebration for you and your families and friends. The photography and video shouldn't distract your guests from what you have invited them to witness. Therefore I recommend that your photo people remain behind the guests during the wedding and refrain from using flash. Same goes for video people out of line-of-sight and no special lights during the ceremony.