WEDDING PLANNING

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12 TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS

HOW TO ENJOY YOUR DAY AND TAKE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS AT THE SAME TIME

Hey you, I feel your pain, I know you might not always (or at all) feel comfortable in front of the camera and that you might have even surrendered to the idea that you don't like to have your picture taken. Now you are planning your wedding and things have started to become overwhelming even without having to add the whole "I don't know what to do with my hands" in the mix.

I am here to tell you that it doesn't have to feel like that, which is why I've made this list with helpful tips I've developed during my experience as a wedding photographer. I promise you that by the end of this article you will feel much more relaxed and confident in yourself, knowing what to expect and how to prepare for getting the most out of your wedding photos!

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BOOK YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION

01

An engagement session is not just for having more beautiful photos of you and your partner, but it is also the perfect practice run before the main event – your wedding day. During an engagement photoshoot you will experience first hand what it is like to work with your photographer, get to know them better and get used to being in front of their camera. Not to mention you will discover how fun this can be, especially while you get to spend some quality time with your loved one.

Since you will already know what to expect when it comes to posing and relating to your photographer, you will feel less self-conscious on your wedding day and the less you have to worry about, the better!

Not sure what to wear for your engagement session?

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CONSULT WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER ABOUT YOUR WEDDING TIMELINE

02

Your photographer has done tens if not hundreds of weddings before so they have a very good idea about what works best and how much time should be given to certain tasks. The last thing you would want on your wedding day is feeling rushed and behind schedule!

Your photographer will help you organize your timeline so that it also coordinates with the other vendors, especially with the hair and makeup professionals. For example, it is usually during the preparations that the biggest delays happen, so it is important that everyone is ready to take photos when the photographer arrives at your house in the morning.

Always factor in some extra time, you will most surely need it, if not for taking candid, natural looking photos that can only happen when you are not being pressed for time.

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GET READY IN A TIDY ROOM

WITH LOTS OF NATURAL LIGHT

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The getting ready photos capture the mood and all the energy put into the anticipation of the wedding ceremony: emotional family, perhaps even a few tears here and there, eager friends helping out with last minute details and other special moments you will want to look back to over the years.

Please keep in mind that dark, cluttered rooms can take away from the beauty of these moments, so make sure that you:

- get ready in a reasonably tidy room with lots of natural light coming in;

- do your hair and makeup in front of a big window whenever possible;

- turn off any artificial lights and TVs

- store away any unnecessary items (bags, bottles, suitcases, laundry, etc.) in a separate room or in the closet.

You could also consider renting a stylish AirBnB in a great location that works well with your timeline. Not only are there lots of cozy AirBnBs to choose from, but they are also clean and tidy so you don’t have to worry about that!

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HAVE YOUR WEDDING STATIONERY AND OTHER ITEMS READY FOR PHOTOS

04

Make sure you prepare any items of personal significance you want captured before your photographer arrives. For example, I've had clients who wanted me to photograph old photos of their family members who had passed away, their grandmother's earrings or even their drawer with funky socks! Anything that holds some kind of meaning and it is important to you.

Here is a list to help you out: wedding dress, groom's jacket, shoes, earrings, wedding rings, cufflinks, boutonnières, flower bouquets, floral crowns, stylish hairpins, groom's (bow)tie, wedding stationery (ask your wedding stationer for extra copies just for this purpose).

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DO A FIRST LOOK

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Taking place before the ceremony, a first look allows you and your partner to enjoy a quiet moment alone before the day officially starts, take a deep breath and connect with one another. If you know you are emotional but you don't want everybody to see you tear up when seeing each other at the ceremony, having a first look will remove the anxiety and any pressure you might feel from having all eyes on you. Walking down the aisle is still going to be an emotional experience, so unless you are very traditional about this I would say to go for a first look.

Another added benefit to having a first look is the fact that it can transition into a small photo session from which you will get beautiful photos looking at your best. This session can help shorten the main portrait session you have scheduled for later in the day, or it can even replace it completely! This means that you can return to your guests faster or not leave them at all!

Consult with your photographer on the best spots for doing a first look considering your wedding timeline and locations.

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HAVE AN UNPLUGGED CEREMONY

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Speaking of walking down the aisle, consider asking your guests to put away their devices during the ceremony and not to stand up on the aisle because they might inadvertently compromise the work of the professional photographer you hired for the job. Also, who wants to see in their photos a bunch of mobile phones, tablets and cameras pointed at you instead of the happy and emotional faces of your guests? Unfortunately, nowadays everybody is after "their perfect shot", hiding behind their devices instead of being in the moment. While people might mean well, they might actually not be aware of the full picture. ;)

Here are some ideas on how you can politely let your guests know ahead of time about your unplugged ceremony:

- mention it on the wedding invitation/info card;

- have a sign put up where you are having your ceremony at;

- ask your officiant/priest to make the announcement before starting just to remind everyone about it.

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ASK ABOUT ANY PHOTO RESTRICTIONS INSIDE THE CHURCH

07

If you are having a church ceremony, I recommend you ask the priest if there are any restrictions in place for the photographer. For example, some churches only allow the photographer to shoot from the aisle or from the back, while the altar is out of bounds. Some are more permissive and allow the photographer to move freely but don’t allow flash photography.

I personally confirm with the priest ahead of the ceremony, just to be sure we are on the same page as far as which restrictions, if any, apply. but it is always best if you can have this conversation with the priest/person in charge early on. In this way, the photographer will know what to expect and have enough time to plan their shooting positions accordingly in order to capture your ceremony in the best way possible.

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AVOID HARSH OR UNEVEN LIGHT DURING THE OUTDOOR CEREMONY

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If your ceremony takes place outdoors, make sure you avoid the harsh light of midday by scheduling it at a later time when the sun isn’t so strong. If you don’t have any control over the timing, try to place yourselves and the officiant under the shade so you don’t have any dark, unflattering shadows on your faces. Aim to stay away from dappled light too, so you don’t have bright spots all over you, as these will become very distracting in the photos, taking away from the moment that is pictured in them.

If shade is not available at your wedding location, don’t worry! What you could do in this case is to position yourselves so that the sun is behind you, as backlit photos look great and you won’t be squinting either!

Best consult with your photographer for the best options available at your desired ceremony location!

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PREPARE A LIST OF YOUR FAMILY GROUPS IN ADVANCE

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Since most of the time is usually spent on finding and gathering people, I recommend taking a photo of the largest group of people before anything else. Afterwards, you can start forming smaller groups while the people are still there. Make sure that your family knows beforehand when and where the group photos will be taken and designate someone from the wedding party to be in charge with rounding up the people when the time arrives.

For things to run smoothly, write down a list with your must-have group photos starting with the most important first and share this list with your photographer and person in charge with gathering the people. It can quickly become tiring to smile for each photo, so try to prioritise and limit the number of group photos if possible.

When estimating the time allocation, please take into consideration that one group photo may take 5 minutes to set up.

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HAVE YOUR PORTRAIT SESSION DURING

THE GOLDEN OR BLUE HOUR

10

The best time for having your couple portraits taken is roughly around a hour before the sun sets, during the so called ‘golden hour’, or an hour after the sun has set which is known as the ‘blue hour’.

The light during both of these moments is very flattering, romantic and dramatic so I would recommend organizing your timeline in such a way that it allows you a window of at least 30-45 min in which you can disappear with your photographer and videographer to get some beautiful shots. This time can be shorter if you've previously had a first look and managed to get some portrait shots at that time.

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DON'T USE COLOURED LIGHTS DURING YOUR FIRST DANCE

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Make sure there are no coloured lights being used during your first dance as these might create some unwanted effects such as covering your faces in coloured spots. These spots might become very distracting in your photos as they cannot always be removed completely. My suggestion is to only use clear light until you’ve finished your dance and the rest of the party begins.

Also, please keep in mind is that lasers can be very dangerous to the eye's retina and even more dangerous to camera's sensors so it is best not to use lasers at all.

If your wedding takes place outdoors, I would recommend having your first dance right after returning from your sunset portraits, taking advantage of the beautiful golden or blue light. If you can also add some candles on the tables and hanging string fairy lights from above, even better! These details can create a very romantic and cozy atmosphere and look absolutely great in photos!

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ENJOY YOUR DAY!

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This is what it's actually all about! This is one of the most important days of your lives and you will want to enjoy it to the fullest. The more relaxed you are and the more fun you are having, the more natural and efortless your wedding photos will be. This is your moment, and I would love to capture you just being yourselves, showing off your unique personalities and what makes your wedding day yours!

BONUS

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PRINT YOUR PHOTOS

When was the last time you checked the photos you took on your phone? Rarely close to never? Yes, same here. Don't let that happen with your wedding photos too, they deserve a life beyond the screen. Having your photos printed and being able to physically touch, hold and sift through them will have an even greater emotional impact on you than seeing them on a screen. From a psychological point of view, humans use touch as a means of connection.

I am sure everyone remembers the pleasure of going through their grandparents' old photos or seeing these in frames hanging in their home. So when you print your own wedding photos you open up the possibility of connecting through generations, allowing for your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be able to experience the story of your wedding the way it was intended.

The internet isn't forever and technology is always advancing so anytime soon USB pen drives will become obsolete - you can see this happening right now with CDs - basically making your photos inaccessible.

In my opinion, printing your photos, either individually or inside an album, is the best way to get the most out of your wedding photos time and time again!