SOME ADVICE TO HELP YOU GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Over the years that I have been a professional wedding photographer, I’ve had the privilege of being part of a huge number of weddings. Based on my experience, I’ve put together this list of things you can do that enable me to take the very best possible shots of your wedding. Feel free to have a read!

Bride’s preparation

•    If you make sure you have some attractive hangers for your bridal gown and bridesmaids’ dresses, they will look much more elegant in your photographs than plastic or metal ones.
•    If possible, it’s best to have the bride’s make-up done near a natural light source, such as a window. This will make for much better images. If you are using a professional make-up artist, they will usually do this for you as a matter of course.
•    If you would like detail shots of jewellery, perfume, sentimental items etc, it would be helpful to have these in one place so they are ready to be photographed.

Entrance of the bride

•    If you are having bridesmaids and/or flower girls and page boys and you would like them to make their entrance first, do leave a reasonable amount of distance between you and the last bridesmaid. That way I can get a clear shot of your entrance.
•    Walk at a nice and steady pace and enjoy the moment!

Wedding ceremony

•    If your wedding ceremony is taking place in a confined space and you are also considering having musicians, you might want to think about leaving some access room so that I can move around easily to take photographs from different angles.
•    Please do have a chat beforehand with whoever is officiating the wedding to check what the photographer is allowed to shoot and where they can stand. For example, some wedding venues do not allow photographs of the couple while they are signing the    register (these can be posed afterwards). Do make sure that they are aware that these photographs are important to you and that you would like to get good coverage of your ceremony.
•    When you make your exit as a married couple, once again, walk at a nice and steady pace and enjoy the moment!

Wedding breakfast

•    Many venues go to a great deal of trouble to produce food for weddings that not only tastes good, but looks elegant too. This can make for some gorgeous photographs, but it’s best to talk this through in advance. If you would like your food to be photographed, simply let the caterer (and me!) know and we can arrange this. Kitchens can be hot, stressful places and a little forward planning works wonders!

Speeches

•    It’s great to be able to have some lovely clear shots of the bridal party during the speeches. This can often be a part of the wedding day which produces some fantastic pictures, but sometimes there are items on the top table which obscure the best view. It’s worth taking a couple of minutes to remove water jugs, wine bottles and tall floral displays just before the speeches – I can help with this.
•    If large gifts, such as a bouquet of flowers, are being given to those on the top table, it’s a good idea if these can be placed behind the table or at least out of sight until the speeches are over.
•    Timing of speeches – this is an important consideration if your wedding is taking place at a time of year when the sunset occurs relatively early. For example, if the sunset if at 7.30pm and the speeches are starting at 6pm, you might want to work out how long the speeches are likely to last if you want to catch the best of the light for your portrait shots. Once the light is gone, it’s gone!
•    If possible, it’s a good idea to leave a bit of space between the top table and near by tables to allow for access for photographing the speeches.

Portrait shots

•    If your wedding is taking place between March and October, there is a good chance you will have two portrait sessions – one before your wedding breakfast and one after your speeches or immediately after the wedding breakfast. You might like to consider holding back on the champagne until these shots have been taken!
•    Grooms – try and remember to remove items from your pockets.    Same goes for the groomsmen

•    Brides – it’s worth bringing along some alternative footwear, just in case the ground is wet and you want to save your shoes. It’s also wise to ring a pashmina as well, to keep you warm between shots.

Group shots

•    I’d advise keeping your group shots to a minimum (approximately 8 groups) to allow you time to enjoy your reception and for me to document this part of your day. This is my chance to capture some wonderful informal pictures of your family and friends
•    Please nominate somebody who knows your family and friends to help me with the group shots. It saves a huge amount of time if they are able to ensure the right people are available for each shot. I will bring copies of the group shot list which we will have arranged before your wedding day.

If you would like some tips and advice on how to choose your wedding photographer, please click here.