Brandon Toma Photography: Blog

Wedding Day Photography Timeline Recommendations and Tips

Sat, 07 Mar 2020 06:47:21 GMT

Creating a wedding day timeline can be a very intimidating task. However, imagine that at the end of the day, after your self-care routine, you snuggle up with your loved ones on the sofa, reminisce about the precious moments, and rekindle the memories through the quality images captured by your professional wedding photographer and videographer. You radiate happiness.

Allocating time for your photographer is important. This popular Wedding Day Photography Timeline includes the types of photos most requested by our clients and we believe that it will help you plan for your special day too!

Details - Wedding details would usually consist of photographs of the Rings, Dresses, Shoes, Jewelry, and other meaningful wedding items.

Recommended Time: 30 minutes

Recommended Location: Bridal Suite, Airbnb, Hotel, Venue

Tips: The wedding details photographs are often overlooked on the day of the wedding, but these photos are very important to tell the story the day as they are often used to help establish scenes for the story. We like to take about 30 minutes to be sure we can take our time with these priceless items to capture them in a creative way.

Bride Prep - These photos would consist of the Bride and Bridesmaids/Bridesmen while getting ready for the wedding.

Recommended Time: 15-30 Minutes

Recommended Location: Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite

Tips: The Bride prep photos will often take place in a hotel suite or bridal suite. The best time for this to happen is right before the makeup and hair are 100% finished.

Groom Prep - These photos would consist of the Groom and Groomsmen/Groomswomen while getting ready for the wedding.

Recommended Time: 15-30 Minutes

Recommended Location: Hotel Suite, Airbnb, at the Venue

Tips: The Bride prep photos will often take place in a hotel suite or Airbnb. The best time for this is when all the groomsmen are together. This is when the pictures of the best man and others helping the groom get ready will take place.

Bride Solo - Photos of the Bride to showcase her final look after preparation is completed

Recommended Time: 15 Minutes

Recommended Location: Hotel Suite, Airbnb, at the Venue

Tips: The best time for these photographs is usually right after the Bride puts on her dress. This is when the hair and make-up are still fresh.

Groom Solo - Photos of Groom by himself after preparation is completed

Recommended Time: 15 Minutes

Recommended Location: Hotel Suite, Airbnb, at the Venue

Tips: These photos will usually take place in or in close proximity to the location where the Groom was getting ready. These photos will usually showcase the Groom's attire for the day.

Immediate Family - Photographs of the Bride/Groom with

Recommended Time: 15-20 Minutes

Recommended Location: Hotel Suite, Airbnb, at the Venue

Tips: These moments would usually consist of Bride/Groom having a "private" moment with some of the most important people in their life such as parents or other close family members.

First Look - The First time the Wedding Couple sees each other.

Recommended Time: 15 Minutes

Recommended Location: Venue, Prep Locations, Location of Couples Portraits

Tips: Traditionally Wedding Couples waited until the ceremony to see each other for the first time, but in recent times couples are now doing a first look. The first look usually takes place before the ceremony at a chosen location. This is where the wedding couple will see each other in their wedding attire for the first time. Doing a first look will not only allow the Couple to see each other for the first time in a more private setting, but it also gives them a chance to express their feelings without the distraction of a ceremony script. The first look also allows for the portrait sessions to begin before the ceremony.

Wedding Party - Photos of the entire wedding party

Recommended Time: 30-45 Minutes

Recommended Location: Venue, Park, or Beach

Tips: It is important to leave enough time for pictures with some of the most important people in your lives. It's best to get several group pictures of the entire wedding party as well as individuals. The time for Wedding Party pictures can vary, for the large group photos, it would usually take about 2 minutes on average to get everyone in position, then take a few pictures before changing to the next position. For individual pictures with each member of the wedding party plan for about 3 minutes per person.

Couples Session - Photos of the Wedding Couple together

Recommended Time: 45-60 Minutes

Recommended Location: Venue, Park, Beach, or Garden

Tips: This session is one of the most important parts of the day, so please remember to leave ample time for this. These pictures tend to be the photos that are selected for albums, wall art, and prints. Its best to time this session for the late afternoon about 1 hour before sunset, usually this fits into the timeline right after the ceremony. During this time of the day, you will be alone with the photographer to capture the photos that would really showcase your venue. If you chose your venue for any spectacular view, this is also the best time to get environmental portraits with this as your backdrop.

Ceremony Detail -

Recommended Time: 15 Minutes

Recommended Location: Ceremony Location

Tips: These photos are best taken after the ceremony site setup has been completed. It is best to let your wedding coordinators know that you want photos taken of the completed ceremony site so they can work with the photographers to make this happen before guests show up.

Formals -

Recommended Time: 30-45 Minutes

Recommended Location: Ceremony Venue, Reception Venue, Park

Tips: Wedding Formal Pictures are some of the most important photos that will be shown for generations. You will want to plan for these photos right after the ceremony. You will want to create a shot list ahead of time and have someone on both sides of the family make sure all the VIP's in these pictures stick around after the ceremony for the pictures. You will want to plan for 3-5 minutes per group for photos.

Reception Details -

Recommended Time: 15 Minutes

Recommended Location: Reception Location

Tips: Because of the pace of the wedding day, you often won't have a lot of time to soak in all the details and designs of your reception. These pictures will allow you to look back at all the details that you might have missed during the wedding day.

Nighttime Couples Session -

Recommended Time: 20-30 Minutes

Recommended Location: Reception Location

Tips: Nighttime couples portrait sessions will give you a chance to sneak out of the reception for a few minutes. These sessions will often give you a chance to obtain some truly unique photos to fill out your album and social media. The best time of the night for this is after the dance floor opens and you are looking for a quick break.

Redondo Beach Wedding for Ashley and Brandon at Womens Club of Redondo Beach

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 16:16:29 GMT

Ashley and Brandon first met 5 years ago and were immediately attracted to each other. Even though they both went to the same High School, they didn't meet until they were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. They bonded very quickly after realizing just how much they had in common. They both share a love for hiking, the beach, also a love for animals. They adopted two fur babies Belle and Buster, two very energetic and friendly dogs. On January 27^th, Brandon surprised Ashley on the beach and got down on one knee and ask her to marry him. This set us up for a fun-filled and romantic beach wedding that took place on Torrance beach. Here are some of the pictures from this awesome day.

Photo: @brandontomaphotography
Ceremony Location: Torrance Beach
Reception Venue: Women's Club of Redondo Beach @wcredondobeach
Hair and Make Up: Bright Crystal Weddings @brightcrystalwedding
Florist: Sweet Blooms Atelier @sweetbloomsatelier
Cake: Torrance Bakery @torrancebakery
Photobooth: BelovedPhotoBooth @belovedphotobooth
Up Lighting: @tempoedjs
Food: @top_flight_tacos

Romantic Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden Wedding Photos in Pasadena for April+Ryan

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 15:11:04 GMT

The Wedding for April and Ryan took place at Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden which is located in a quaint little area of Pasadena California. I was excited to photograph this wedding the moment I first heard from April and Ryan. I didn't get a chance to meet them in person until the day of the wedding due to the fact that they live in another state. But I enjoyed exchanging emails with them to get to know them beforehand.

This lovely and fit couple first met while working at Red Robin where they became friends. Then several years later they ran into each other and then started dating and bonded while playing WoW (World of Warcraft). They even traveled the world together and even adopted a spunky little dachshund name Slammer (ring bearer). On their 6 year Anniversary, Ryan proposed to April and She said yes! Which set the stage for this beautiful wedding! Here are some of the pictures from the day.

Photographer: Brandon Toma Photography @brandontomaphotography
Venue: Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden @storrierstearns http://www.japanesegardenpasadena.com/
Coordinator: Allegro Events @allegro_event http://blog.allegroevent.com/wp/
Florist: Sincerely, Vavé @sincerelyvave https://sincerelyvave.com
Cake @mmcreamery http://mmcreamery.com/
Menu @jackiechendesign
Ring Maker: Midwinter Co
DJ: DJ Etch-a-Sketch
Sound System: Pacific Events
Catering: Jay's Catering
Valet Parking: Precision Valet

Verandas Beach House Wedding Photos for Erin and Tony in Manhattan Beach

Sun, 26 May 2019 01:30:15 GMT

The love story of Erin and Tony first began at a Laguna Beach Wedding. One of Erin's oldest friends was getting married to Tony's cousin. From a story that was told by one of Tony's groomsman, you could tell that Tony definitely sense chemistry with Erin as he pursued her throughout the night. Fast forward 10 years later and we now arrive at their wedding.

The Wedding for Erin and Tony took place at the Verandas Beach House in Manhattan Beach California. The day started off with preparation taking place at the Seaview Inn down the street from Verandas followed by a quick and intimate ceremony. This Beach Wedding was such a beautiful ceremony located just steps away from the strand and 27th street. During the ceremony, we did get a little bit of rain but Erin and Tony didn't mind because they also believe the ancient Hawaiian saying that "Rain on your Wedding is a Blessing!". This completely held true as we continued to receive many Blessed Moments throughout the rest of the day which included many heartfelt speeches, such as when the Brother of the Groom spoke about their father Big Dave. The emotions that were brought out made me really happy that I could be there to capture all these special moments. here are some of the pictures from this awesome day.

Photo: @brandontomaphotography
Venue: @verandasbeachhouse
Catering: @newyorkfoodcompany #nyfc
Hair/Makeup: @beeprettymakeup
Florist: @lilypadfloraldesign
Transportation: @swoop
DJ: @voxdjs

Wedding for Justin and Helen at Brookview Ranch in Aguora Hills

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 21:51:43 GMT

The Wedding for Helen and Justin took place at the lovely Brookview Ranch in Aguora Hills California. I first met Justin while photographing his sisters wedding, I knew from then that photographing his wedding would be a blast! and i was correct! it was lot of fun during the wedding, especially taking the golf carts up to the top of the hill which allowed us to get some stunning sunset shots, as well as taking some of fun photos with the groomsmen. Take a look below for some of the pictures from the day.

Venue: Brookview Ranch http://www.brookviewranch.com

Photography: Brandon Toma Photography http://www.brandontoma.com/

Make Up: Lexi Makeup http://leximakeup.com

DJ: DJ Rod Chrolon https://rodchrolon.tumblr.com/

Wedding for Anthony and Erica at the California Country Club in Whittier

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 00:15:11 GMT

My team and I recently traveled all around the San Gabriel Valley to photograph this beautiful wedding that started off with some prep shots in West Covina, from there we went to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Rowland Heights, And finished it off at the California Country Club in Whittier. We had a ton of fun at this wedding, the whole wedding party were some of the funnest people to be around and work with. They stopped at nothing to have a good time. It made this day very enjoyable to watch it unfold and capture any moments that came up. One of my favorites was coming up upon all the In-N-Out trash, it was too good of a photo to pass up.

Photography: Brandon Toma Photography - http://www.brandontoma.com/

Videography: SVT Studio - http://svtstudios.com

Church: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church - https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Elizabeth-Ann-Seton-Church/111349092231107

Reception: California Country Club - http://www.golfccc.com

Circus Themed Birthday Party

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 22:30:42 GMT

Having worked with Jessica of 3 Little Birds Event Planning before for weddings, I was honored to have a chance to photograph her son Christopher's 1st Birthday. After seeing her work on weddings I knew this party would be amazing. I was not disappointed, from the moment I entered the parking lot you could already see this extravagant birthday party that was setup. It was a Circus themed Birthday party filled with everything from a cotton candy machine to a tall man. Check out some of the pictures from the day below.

Here is also a list of all the vendors that made this amazing day come together:

Planning & Rentals: @3littlebirdseventplanning
Catering: @pattywagonla
Balloons: @theenchantedflorist
Additional Props: @platinumproprentals
Circus Backdrop: @joannebhongjanevents
Desserts: @kjkreations & @wildbakes
Signs: @sandee85 @charliechalkdesigns @rasterandcutsdesigns @craftsbymonicarosario
Favors: @orientaltrading
Straws: @evespartymarket
Confetti: @sparkanddelight

Backyard Wedding for Angie and Johnny

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 17:13:43 GMT

This wonderful Wedding took place in the backyard of a house in Northridge California. It was a very hot summer day, and to make matters worse the AC went out for the house. So the entire wedding party was left with getting ready in the scorching heat of the San Fernando Valley. But they were all troopers and dealt with it like a champ. So having seeing that I knew I also had to suck it up and deal with the heat. Angie and Johnny remained poised and positive the entire day and just had the time of their lives, it was really special to experience that with them.

This wedding was designed and setup by 3 Little Birds Event Planning. This was my first time working with Jessica and her team and let me tell you what a please it was to work with them. They turned this backyard into an amazing looking venue, as well as kept everything moving forward on point. I couldn't believe how much thought and detail was put into this event. anyways please enjoy a few of the pictures from this amazing backyard wedding.

Wedding Planner: 3 Little Birds Event Planning - https://3littlebirdseventplanning.com/

2017-05-23 Kizuna Roast and Toast of Jerry Fukui

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 22:45:49 GMT

On May 23rd Kizuna held its 2nd Roast n Toast, this occasion would be to showcase and celebrate the many accomplishments they achieved as well as well as honor one of their biggest supporters and Roastee for the evening Jerry Fukui. The evening was Emceed by David Ono and Megan Ono, who also helped complete a fun evening full of laughter. Here are a few pictures from the evening

For more information about Kizuna and to find out how you can also support them please check out their website at http://www.kizuna-la.org/

Who: Kizuna LA (http://www.kizuna-la.org/)

What: Kizuna Roast n Toast of Jerry Fukui

Where: OMNI LOS ANGELES HOTEL

When: 2017-05-23

2017-06-10 Wedding for Roxan and Ronaldo

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 15:11:07 GMT

When Roxan first contacted me on The Knot and informed me that she would be flying all the way from Virginia to get married in LA, I felt pretty honored to have the opportunity to photograph her wedding. Because of the short timeline I was only able to meet Roxan and Ronald on the day of their wedding, but I could immediately see the love that these two shared. They decided to get married at the Guadalupe Wedding Chapel located in the heart of Downtown LA. After a very intimate ceremony, we headed over to the lovely Vista Hermosa Natural Park for couples shots. Here are a view pictures from this very lovely day.

Photobombed by cousins!

Lydia + Kirk Maternity Photography Session at El Dorado Park in Long Beach California

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 00:12:35 GMT

Last month I had the opportunity to photograph a very special occasion for Lydia and Kirk which was the Maternity shots of their very first child. This was a very fun shoot because we a chance to capture a wide variety of shots, it even had a few mishaps that ended up being pretty funny.

The morning started out by heading to the beautiful El Dorado Park in Long Beach, which was just blocks away from the couples Cypress home. We decided to start here while the morning sun light was still soft, and later move to an indoor location to finish up the session. Kirk had some really fun ideas about trying to capture home life while Lydia was still pregnant so that they could show their child where they were during all of this.

Once we got there we stopped to take a few pictures at our first spot, while we were there, we thought it would be pretty cool to have flower falling. Of course not all things go according to plan, you can see the images below.

Thinking that it would be cool to have flower falling, Kirk collected some and threw it in the air. The problem was that the flower all stuck together in a ball which lead to a pretty fun sequence of photos.

After Quickly Cleaning up we proceeded to a few more spots in the park.

The story reading on the bed is probably one of my favorite pictures of this session.

Shari And Mark Wedding Assumption of the blessed virgin mary church Wedding Photographer long beach

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 17:59:37 GMT

A couple weeks ago I photographed a wedding for Shari and Mark, they have actually been married for 4 years as they eloped while in Hawaii. But now have decided that they wanted to have a ceremony so that they can receive their blessings. The Ceremony took place at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Long Beach. This is was my first time at a Greek Orthodox church, so I was looking forward to seeing how the Ceremony would be. After the Ceremony we headed down the street to the reception location at Tantalum Restaurant.

The lighting in the venue wasn't the greatest, but luckily they allowed flash, which is something I am not used to as most church's don't allow them. here are a couple pictures of the venue

Here are few quick prep pictures of the couple getting ready

After taking some traditional family pictures we headed to the reception location at Tatalum Restaurant in Long beach right in the Marina. Being right on the water made this venue very nice. The cool ocean breeze was nice to feel on an otherwise hot day.

Kizuna 5th Annual Family Showdown

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 22:29:47 GMT

On September 25th, Kizuna held their 5th Annual Family Showdown. This Event is one of their biggest fundraiser events and I was happy to volunteer my time to help them out and document it. For this event teams participated in head to head competition with each other in a variety of events such as an Extreme Eating Contest, Ultimate "Jan Kan Pon", Instagram Scavenger hunt, and much more. Here are some pictures from this event.

Adriana And Juan Wedding at Orcutt Ranch in West Hills California Photographer

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 05:49:20 GMT

Adriana and Juan got married at Orcutt Ranch this summer, I was happy to have the chance to document their special day. This Venue was pretty nice and had a lot of great places to take pictures. We did have limitations though as it was still a mid day sun which was putting shadows on peoples faces. I really enjoyed this gig as I had plenty of opportunities to capture the natural smiles of the couple as they enjoyed their wedding. It was pretty nice to see that! anyways here are some pictures from this wedding.

Lisa and Rene Trejo Wedding Los Angeles California, Stevens Steakhouse

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 15:08:21 GMT

Here are a few pictures from a recent wedding.

Ceremony Venue: Iglesia Roca De Salvacion Church

Couples Shots: Hermosa Vista Park

Reception: Stevens Steakhouse

Lisa and Steve Engagement Shoot Downtown Los Angeles

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 16:33:52 GMT

On May 22nd 2016 I was fortunate enough to be able to shoot an Engagement session for Lisa and Steve. I felt really honored for the opportunity to try and capture the love that these two feel for each other. They first met while both working at UBOC in downtown LA and it was love at first site. Even though they now live in Santa Monica, they wanted to return to their old stomping grounds for this shoot as a reminder to where they first fell in love. Here are a few pictures from this shoot.

Kizuna 5th Anniversary at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach California

Wed, 11 May 2016 19:28:32 GMT

On May 7th 2016 Kizuna celebrated their 5th Anniversary and I was honored to have the opportunity document this night for them. Kizuna is a non-profit organization who's mission is to build the future of the Japanese American community by educating and engaging the future generations. They have several programs for a wide range of ages from elementary school students all the way to adults. For more information please check out there website in the link below. For now here are a few of the pictures from the event.

Who: Kizuna LA (http://www.kizuna-la.org/)

What: Kizuna 5th Anniversary Celebration

Where: Hyatt Recency Hotel In Long Beach California

When: 2016-05-11

Rosemburg and Brooke Wedding at the Grand Hotel in Long Beach California

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 05:53:17 GMT

Rosemburg and Brooke had been dating for 7 years before he finally popped the question, of course she said "yes" and 1 year later here we are at the Grand Hotel in Long Beach California. I was honored to have the chance to help them capture these precious memories, here are few pictures from this wedding.

Date: 2016-04-09

Venue: The Grand Hotel in Long Beach California (http://thegrandlb.com)

Wedding Planner: So Real Designz (http://www.sorealdesignz.com/)

Sophi and Ozzy Blomgren Ranch Wedding Photographer in Santa Clarita California

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 07:50:59 GMT

On April 9th 2016 I was fortunate enough to be able to shoot the wedding for Sophia and Osbaldo(Ozzy). This wedding was a blast to shoot as Sophie and Ozzy were having tons of fun the whole day along with the rest of bridal party. Despite a few hiccups Sophie still handled it like a champ by staying positive the whole day. This wedding was at the beautiful Blomgren Ranch located in the sunny hills of Santa Clarita California.

Congratulations Sophie and Ozzy!

Venue: Blomgren Ranch - http://blomgrenproperties.com/

Kim and Peter's Engagement in Palos Verdes California

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 16:32:54 GMT

Congratulations to Kim and Peter!

We decided to do this engagement shoot in Palos Verdes because of the rocky beaches and the beautiful cliffs that over look the ocean. Here are a few pictures from this event.