Want to get the most out of your wedding photography? Follow these essential tips.
1. Make Wedding Photography Important
Having excellent photos is not important to everyone. But if it is important to you, make sure to convey that and plan to budget accordingly. Typically, a higher budget for photography entails higher quality photographs. Spend as much as you can to get the very best photographer within your budget. Unfortunately, you’ll only regret it if you don’t. The number one thing people say when asked about what they would do differently if they were to get married again is that they wish they’d prioritized the photography more. Cheap photographer typically equals cheap looking photos. Sorry…..but that is the reality of it.
2. Do The “First Look” Thing……..Please!
Trust me us on this one. Yes, tradition frowns on this but it’s recommended for many reasons and lots of modern weddings include this nowadays. With a First Look, the bride and groom get to see each other before the ceremony begins. This helps to calm your nerves before taking the big leap. This also gives you ample time to take intimate photos that you will cherish forever. It will be difficult to take those “special moment” photos after the ceremony begins due to the flurry of activities and people around.
3. Keep Clutter Out Of The Photos
You can do this by requesting that your bridesmaids keep all their stuff in a special corner or even in another room. Keep the Bridal Suite as neat as possible. This will insure that there is no clutter in the background when your photographer is taking the candid “getting ready” photos.
4. Think About The Ceremony
Your ceremony photographs will be some of the most important shots of the day. Most couples I speak to after their wedding say they were surprised just how much they cherished those photos. This day will likely fly by in a blur and it’s very common not to remember a whole lot about it. So these photos are even more important for that reason alone. However a lot of churches will insist that the photographer stand at the back of the room the whole time and will not allow us to get up close to get the best shots.
As a photographer this is disheartening to hear the morning of the wedding. So if you really want the best images of your ceremony, make sure you speak to whoever is officiating your ceremony to find out if there are any limitations beforehand when selecting a venue.
Another VERY important thing to consider is to politely ask your guests to not take photos during the ceremony. You can state this in your programs or have your planner make an announcement before the ceremony starts. Guests holding up mobile phones as you walk down the aisle can sometimes ruin the professional shots that you paid us to get. Just politely let them know that you hired a professional photographer for a reason.
5. Don’t Hold Back Your Emotions
If you feel the need to cry, go right ahead and do it. I’ve done way to many weddings where the bride tried to keep herself from crying and this resulted in the bride looking very “grunty and constipated” in the photos. You don’t want that to happen. So please, allow the emotion to flow. And don’t forget to smile. This is a happy occasion. Let this show in your photos.
6. Makeup Is Important
Hire a makeup artist if your budget allows. Or enlist one of your bridesmaids or an experienced family member to do your makeup for you. You want to look your best on your special day, a bit of makeup will help with this and will help you shine throughout your photos.
7. Make Time For The Photographs
The more time your photographer has for the bridal party portraits, the better and more fun your photos will be. Group shots for example, are notorious for taking longer than expected. Having to round up family members or rowdy younger siblings for the photos can take a while so make sure your photographer has a list of names. If possible delegate the task of helping round people up to a trustworthy usher or bridesmaid.
Getting ready: Your photographer will need about an hour and a half with the bride and groom (separately) before the ceremony to photograph all the details of the dress, shoes, jewelry, groomsmen, etc. There’s always a mad rush before the dress has to go on and I like to have about about 20 minutes after the dress is on to do portraits of the bride with bridesmaids and her mother at this time. Sometimes this goes out the window because time goes quicker than people expect and its a shame to lose those shots. Be sure to give your photographer a timeline so that they will know when to catch you getting ready.
Group shots: Allow about 20 – 30 minutes total for family group shots. You would be surprised how time can go by and how easily people can disappear on you, even when they know they will be needed for photos. Have your planner make an announcement right after the ceremony that the bride and groom’s parents, grandparents, siblings and entire bridal party should stick around for photos. All other guests should be ushered to cocktail hour at this time so that they do not get in the way of photos.
Bride and groom portraits: For this I like to have at least an hour to an hour and a half after the ceremony. But unfortunately, this is not always possible. A good tip is to make time for this between dinner and the evening reception when there will be a bit of down time. This is an excellent time to get a few extra bride and groom photos that may have been missed because time ran out after the ceremony. You and your fiance may have had some wine and are a lot more relaxed by this point too! This will make for some great photos.
8. Keep The Moment Sacred
I know I have already stated this, but as a photographer, one of the things that breaks my heart is when I am shooting the bride during her graceful walk down the aisle towards her waiting groom, and I see a dozen bright screens of cell phones and an iPad or two leaning into the aisle to snap that personal photo for Instagram. These screens will not only be an ugly distraction in the peripheral of the photo and will make the photo look dated in the coming years. But most importantly, it takes away from the special moment of the bride walking towards her groom. If this is something that would bother you, state this in your program AND ask the officiant to make an announcement right before the ceremony about the use of cellphones during the procession and recession (also mentioning that the bride and groom had hired a wedding photographer for a reason, and for them to just relax, enjoy, and take the experience in with their eyes, not their phones).
9. Give Your Photographer (and all other vendors) Your Timeline
Things will go a lot more smoothly if all of us know what’s supposed to be happening and when. As a photographer, having a timeline ensures that I get all the needed photos of all the important events throughout the ceremony and reception.
And remember not to stress. This will be one of the most cherished days of your life. Take it all in. Enjoy it!
XOXO – Karice
