How to Prepare for your Wedding Day Photography
March 19th 2019
Educational Post
A little while ago I made a poll on my Instagram Stories asking for brides, grooms and followers advice on some wedding planning topics they are more interested in while planning their wedding day! One of the ones that got the most votes was how to prepare for your wedding day photography so today on the blog I am giving my 5 biggest tips on little things you can do to make your wedding images look amazing, help out your photographer and keep the day organized!
Tip Number 1: Make sure to have your wedding details ready to photograph
I recently touched on this subject a few weeks ago as an Instagram post but I feel like it can save time and make everyone’s life a little easier day of so I am adding it as a tip in this blog post as well! The night before or the morning of when you arrive to your getting ready location be sure to gather all of your important details (dress, shoes, invitations, rings etc.) in one spot so that when your photographer arrives he or she can grab them and begin capturing them right away! This allows for less time for people running around trying to track down everything and more time to photograph the important details and move onto more candid wedding day moments! This tip applies to bride and groom getting ready, in the grooms case make sure to have suit, tie, shoes, watch, cufflinks and anything else important!
Tip Number 2: Choose getting ready spaces with lots of room and natural light
I know this is not always a possibility, but if you can make it work I would highly recommend trying to find a house or a hotel room with plenty of space to spread out and with lots of natural window lighting. This makes it easier not only for the bridal party to spread out and get ready but it also allows your photographer to choose the best spots for details and getting ready images without crowding everyone! The natural light aspect is important as it makes for brighter and natural looking images, this being said in multiple occasions I have needed to adapt and use limited window light with reflectors or even use flash bounced off walls or the ceiling to get the images needed! Your photographer will know how to deal with less then ideal lighting but if you can choose a space that has good lighting to begin with it makes for fantastic images!
Tip Number 3: Make a family photo shot list
This is a big one, I always tell my couples that a family photo shot list is needed for me to complete family photos quick and stress free! It is something I have listed in my wedding day questionnaire and something I touch on even at client consultations that I will be asking for a list closer too the day! There are may reasons for this, first of all family photos can get hectic very fast, a list helps to keep each grouping organized and allows a second shooter or family member to read out names and get people ready to be photographed. Second it is possible to miss important photos and people without a list of names and who they are, it is upsetting for the couple and the photographer when an important grouping of people is missed!
Tip Number 4: Be clear about any “must have” photos
This one is a little tricky, by must have photos I mean a special family heirloom at the reception or ceremony, a veil that was handed down from your grandmother or a special group of people who don’t happen to be immediate family such a friend group from college. These should be told to your photographer if it is something they may look over or don’t know if it is important or not. When it comes to must have images such as, the first kiss, bride walking down the aisle or entering the reception, your photographer will know that these are very important moments and will be photographing those no matter what! Make sure to hire a photographer who you love, you can trust and who has at least captured a few weddings or has second shot, they will know hands down all the super important moments throughout a wedding day!
Tip Number 5: Seat your photographer in your reception space
Last tip has to do with the reception, sometimes venues or the couple ends up seating the photographer and videographer outside of the main reception hall area. This can be a huge issue and lead to some very important moments or photos not being taken, imagine you have speeches happening between courses, decide to squeeze in a cake cutting or just a beautiful candid moment happens between the bride and her father. Now imagine your photographer or videographer weren’t in the room to capture these happening! It is very important to make sure to have them present so that they know whenever something that should be captured is occurring.
I hope these 5 tips are helpful while planning your wedding day!! As always if you have any questions or think of anything to be added please feel free to get in touch through my email hello@michelleaphoto.com!
Sincerely,
