Measure the route everyone actually walks.
Tour from getting-ready room to ceremony, cocktails, dinner, restrooms, and transportation. Include elevators, stairs, gates, and after-dark paths. A five-minute walk for two people may be fifteen minutes for a full guest group.
Identify room flips and access closures.
If ceremony space becomes dinner or cocktails become dancing, ask where guests wait, how long staff needs, and what spaces become unavailable to photography. The timeline should not schedule portraits in a room under active turnover.
Keep portraits on the social route.
A nearby courtyard, hallway, street, or landscape edge can create variety without isolating the couple. The best layout lets portraits happen while the photographer remains aware of guests and returning events.
Use a second photographer where layout creates simultaneity.
Multiple floors, distant preparation rooms, separate ceremonies, or inaccessible routes may justify a team. The reason should be physical coverage, not a general belief that more cameras are always better.
