Planning a wedding is certainly no picnic and most of you have probably never done it before! Your wedding photos are one of the few things that remain afterwards and will be looked back on for years to come so your photography experience should be as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. Your photos are your little legacy.
I want your wedding photos to be flawless and beautiful. Here are some useful tips for when it comes to your wedding photography…
Getting Ready
Brides – allow 50% more time for your hair and makeup than you originally anticipated on the big day. This will ensure you have plenty of time for everything else and that if you over run – you’re not late! If you’d like bridal/bridal party portraits please make sure everyone’s completely ready in plenty of time (allow about 15-20 minutes for these depending on how many bridesmaids you have!)
Also it’s a good idea to try keep the area as tidy and clutter free as possible. Ideally getting rid of any loose sainsbury’s bags that might be lying around!
Restrictions
It’s SO important to check (multiple times!) with your venue that it’s OK to take photos during the ceremony. Lots of religious venues are very strict and have various restrictions on when photos can be taken and where photographers/videographers can be (unfortunately we have a bad rep!! Even though most of us are sneaky and you won’t even notice us!). In fact some venues have banned photography during the ceremony completely, which makes any photographers job very difficult. It’s very important to check with the vicar/registrar beforehand about any possible restrictions, so that expectations can be managed in advance rather than finding out ON the wedding day that you’re not allowed any photos to be taken at all.
First Kiss
During the ceremony, please don’t rush your first kiss! At least 5 seconds of kissing should be enough to make sure that myself and any videographers who you hire have a chance to capture the moment properly!
Couple Portraits
To shoot a couple’s portrait session, I will recommend allowing around 15-30 minutes at some point during the day. Some couples like to have some additional portraits of them in the evening during golden hour/sunset if the skies are looking good. If you’re keen, I might ask to grab for you for literally 5 minutes to get these gorgeous photos outside while the light is at its best!
Family Formals
Please also allow 15-30 minutes after your ceremony for group photos. I send out a questionnaire around 6 weeks before the wedding and in there I’ll ask for a list of names required in the group photos. I recommend around 8-10 group photos so that you can enjoy your day fully and we’re not spending ages rearranging 20 combinations of the same people!
Getting people where they need to be for the photos is by far the most time-consuming part of group shots so a great tip is to pre-assign a couple members of the wedding party, (a useful usher or bridesmaid?) who knows the people to be in the pictures to round them up for the photos. This is super helpful for me as I don’t know who Auntie Mary or Great Uncle Bob are! They help make the process a LOT more efficient!!
Timings
Please, make sure the cutting of the cake and/or any other parts of the evening to be captured occur within the booked time. Usually I cover about 8 hours which starts from Bridal Prep and finishes just after the First Dance. I like to stay for a few songs after the first dance so I can get some fun photos of everyone’s amazing dancing skills!
Smile!
Lastly don’t be afraid to smile and talk to each other when you are being photographed. Don’t feel that you constantly have to stare at the camera, we want to create memories – not awkward photos! RELAX and enjoy your day that you’ve been been waiting for!