Before you start reading, on a scale of 1-5, 5 being very, how excited are you for your quince? Let me know in the comments below, and include what you're looking forward to the most?
For today's blog post, I'm going to provide some insights on how I prepare and plan my day for your quinceañera. This timeline is for the quinceañera who booked me, the photographer, for a whole day. By that, I mean from the moment the quinceañera is getting ready to cutting the cake at the reception. Which is roughly a 10-hour work day.
How My Timeline Looks Like For Your Quinceañera
The day before your quinceanera I send out an email reminding you of the time I'll be arriving and tips on how to get the day started. I'll put the batteries to charge, check the weather, determine what I'm going to wear, and review our emails and my notes about your quinceañera. After all that, I'll gather all my camera gear, and bags and check your timeline again. Before I go to bed, I take a shower and make sure I have everything I need.
On the morning of your quinceañera, I get up around 7:45 am. I start getting ready, poniéndome bella. And then, I'll eat a big breakfast.
After breakfast and I'm ready to go, I gather all my charged batteries. I triple-check that I have all my camera and lighting gear, and start loading everything into my car. I have about four bags of camera gear and one bag with water, snacks, an extra pair of shoes, and clothes.
Before I start heading to the quinceañera's house, I review again your timeline.
I'll be arriving at the house around 10 am, give or take 30 mins. When I arrive, the quinceañera is finishing up with her make-up and hair. I have my camera with my prime lens and portable flash. I also set up my Go-Pro with my gorilla pod to capture behind-the-scenes. Once I have my set-up, I'll start by photographing close-ups of the wardrobe. That'll be the quince dress, tiara, jewelry, shoes, and extra accessories.
By the time I'm done taking those close-up, the quinceañera will be ready to put on her dress. However, before she does, I take a few "before" photos. I'll also take photos of the mom, sister, or tia helping the quinceañera put on the dress. Once she has the dress, I'll take the "after" pictures. While all this is happening, the court of honor will be arriving.
While I'm taking pictures of the quinceañera and the court of honor getting ready, I'm also communicating with them. Let them know how the photoshoot at the park is going to be and what to expect.
Around 12 pm-1 pm, is approximately the time we'll be at the park. This time is reserved for portraits of the quinceañera and the court of honor. I'll start with the quinceañera solo portraits, then with the court of honor. This will take about an hour. The quinceañera most likely booked a limo/party bus and I want them to enjoy that ride.
Between 2 pm-3 pm, is lunchtime for me. And this is when the quinceañera and the court of honor are enjoying that ride. I'll go get lunch, check my email, and maybe post an update on Instagram. Before heading to the reception, I'll review the timeline once again.
Around 4 pm, I'll be arriving at the reception hall. This is also when the quinceañera will be arriving as well. I'll take photos of the quinceañera and her court of honor entering the reception hall and then I'll be unloading my gear from the car. I try to pick a table in the back for my gear or I'll place it near the DJ, where it's out of the way. Once that's done, I take pictures of the reception hall decor before all the guest arrives. That's everything that involves decoration.
Before the ceremony, I make sure I have extra batteries, my portable flash, and extra SD cards on me. I do my lighting and behind-the-scenes setup. And I'm ready for the rest of the night.
I'm at the reception hall from 5 pm to 10 pm. This timeframe will cover the ceremony, taking pictures of the quinceañera with family and friends, the quinceañera dances, cutting the cake, and a bit of the dance party.
This blog post shows a sneak peek into what my day looks like on the day of the quinceañera, from the point of view of the photographer. If you would like more details on how the quinceañera day is planned out, click here.