The Last Pieces of the Planning Puzzle

What a crazy week this has been--I'm really feeling the pressure to put all the pieces together of our wedding: vendors, logistics, schedule, etc. The good news is that I've got it all mapped out in a document I'm almost ready to hand over to our ATrendy wonder team. The document is broken out from the perspective of each vendor and wedding party/family member--what time they need to be there, instructions, etc.--as well as a bird's eye view of the whole day.

The biggest challenge, however, and the piece I'm STILL trying to resolve is where we have a formal family portrait photography session. Here our options:

We have a formal portrait session during the cocktail hour.

Pros:

• This doesn't cost extra money.

Cons:

• This will be really tight and may interrupt the flow of the evening. Since Granny and Pansy will be picked up at the garden gates at 6 PM and delivered to the mansion circle around 6:20 or so, only to be picked up again by 6:35/6:40 to be delivered to the Carriage House, that really only leaves us 20 minutes (at the absolute MOST) to have a portrait session. That, and if we have the portrait session here, the Grannys won't really get much of a chance to enjoy cocktails, if at all.

• If it rains, and the cocktail hour has to be moved to the Carriage House, where will we take photos? If it's light rain, and the ceremony is still outdoors, we could have a session RIGHT after the ceremony at the mansion circle, under the portico, and still have time to get everyone over to the Carriage House via horse/carriage. However, if the ceremony is moved indoors on account of rain, this is really tricky, as Chris and Ally will take a carriage ride right after the ceremony, and won't return until later in the evening, just before the reception, which leaves little time for photos, if at all.
  

We pay $200 more to rent the carriage an hour earlier, and have all family arrive at Oatlands by 4 PM

Pros:

• If we cut our wedding party and bride/groom cameos a bit shorter (say from 3:15-4 PM), we could have all family arrive by 4 PM for formal shots. The carriage would be available to escort the Grannys to the mansion for photos. They'd arrive at 4:20 where we'd have formal shots. Then, we'd wrap up by 5--all pre-ceremony photography--and the carriage would then take the Grannys to the ceremony garden.
  
• Rain or shine, this plan will hold up.
  

Cons:

• This plan costs us more money.

We don't rent the carriage an hour earlier, but still have all family arrive at Oatlands by 4:30 PM.

Pros:

• We don't have to splurge for an extra hour of the carriage.
  
• We have ALL family show up at 4:30 at the Carriage House and take the photos there, which would allow the Grannys to be at the original pick-up spot for the carriage that will take them down to the ceremony garden.
  
• With family arriving for their portraits by 4:30, the bride/groom + wedding party can have more time for their photos (3:15-4:30).
• If it rains, Ally can provide vintage umbrellas for shots, or we can move to the Administrative building under the porch top.
  

Cons:

• I can't think of any.

Not have formal family portraits, and just have cameos during the cocktail hour.

Pros:

• No worry for extra planning.

Cons:

• We miss out on family portraits that family might really like.
• If it rains and we have to move the cocktail hour inside, we will have very limited space for portraits.