Gone are the days of the wedding being just one day. Modern couples are rewriting the rules—and honestly? We are so here for it. These days, it’s not unusual to see weddings unfold over an entire weekend. Think welcome parties, farewell brunches, golf outings, spa mornings, karaoke nights (with varying levels of talent), and yes… the actual “I do” moment tucked right into the middle.
Whether you’re planning a faraway destination wedding or bringing guests into your own mountain hometown, a wedding weekend is about connection, shared experiences, and giving your guests the time of their lives—not just four hours on the dance floor.
What Exactly Is a Wedding Weekend?
Glad you asked.
A wedding weekend is a multi-day celebration that usually includes a mix of casual hangouts and planned events that stretch beyond the ceremony. It’s part vacation, part celebration, and 100% unforgettable. Picture this:
- Welcome Party: An icebreaker bash the night before the big day. Think tacos and tequila, wine tastings, or even a backyard BBQ with lawn games. It’s the perfect way to mingle with your crew before things get formal.
- Group Adventure or Experience: Especially for destination weddings, couples are choosing to host something fun before the wedding—golf outings, guided hikes, a lake day, or themed costume parties (we see you, ‘90s prom night).
- Rehearsal Dinner: Still classic, still meaningful. But now, it’s often expanded to include extended family and out-of-town friends, turning it into a whole vibe.
- Wedding Day: The main event, where all that anticipation and buildup turns into tearful vows, wild dance floors, and grandma absolutely crushing the cha-cha slide.
- After Party: Keep the party going and bring those night owls to a local speakeasy for a night cap, dueling piano bar for some entertainment or club to dance the night away (don’t forget about a second look).
- Farewell Brunch: A chill way to say goodbye and soak in those post-wedding feels before everyone scatters back to reality.
- Adventure Sessions: One of our favorite hidden gems of a wedding weekend—a day-after or two-day-after photo session where you and your boo get back into your attire (or not!) and we capture you somewhere epic, relaxed, and fully in the moment. Bonus: zero timeline pressure.
Why a Wedding Weekend Is Worth It
You’ve gathered your favorite people in one place, likely from all over the country (or globe). Why limit the memories to just a few hours? A wedding weekend gives everyone a chance to connect—not just with you, but with each other. That means less small talk at the reception, more genuine “remember when…” moments all weekend long.
For you as a couple, it’s a chance to actually spend time with the people you love instead of waving at them from across the room between cake cutting and sparkler exits.
We’ve also found that when we’re there for the entire weekend—not just the ceremony—something beautiful happens: we become a familiar face in the crowd. Guests stop seeing us as “the photographers” and start seeing us as part of the celebration. That connection makes everyone more comfortable, which means the laughter is real, the hugs are tighter, and the photos feel like they were taken by a friend who just happened to have a camera.
(And honestly? We’ve been invited on more than one family vacation after weekends like these.)
That familiarity allows us to read the room intuitively—and that’s the key to truly authentic, documentary-style storytelling. Because we don’t just know where to stand… we know who we’re standing with.
Why You’ll Want the Whole Weekend Captured
From a photographer and videographer’s perspective, a wedding weekend is a goldmine of unforgettable, candid moments. Some of the most meaningful images we’ve captured didn’t happen at the altar—they happened on the dock at sunrise, around the firepit at midnight, or during a spontaneous dance-off at the welcome party.
When you bring us in for the whole weekend, we’re not just documenting a day—we’re telling the full story of your people, your place, and your once-in-a-lifetime experience. And trust us, the toast your college roommate gives at the welcome dinner might end up being just as iconic as your vows.
Plus, adventure sessions give you a chance to breathe, reconnect as newlyweds, and capture stunning portraits in a low-stress setting. Whether we’re hiking into the hills or strolling through the streets of your favorite city, these sessions add something truly personal and epic to your story.
Pro tip: Even if your “destination” wedding is local to you, if your guests are coming from all over, it is a destination for them. Lean into that and build a weekend worth remembering (and capturing).
Reach out if you’d like to start adding photo and video coverage to your wedding weekend with Girard Photography + Films.
