5 wedding tips from a wedding photographer

Cooler Weather means LOTS OF WEDDINGS!

8/30/2021

5 WEDDING TIPS YOU SHOULD HEAR

IF YOU ARE PLANNING A WEDDING HERE ARE 5 TIPS FOR YOU!

IF YOU ARE PLANNING A WEDDING THIS FALL OR EVEN NEXT YEAR, I HAVE SOME TIPS FOR YOU! AS A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, I SEE A TON OF WEDDINGS! I HAVE WORKED WEDDINGS ALL OVER THE SCALE. FROM THE MOST LAID BACK TO THE MOST ORGANIZED. THE ONE THING MOST OF THEM HAVE IN COMMON IS .... SOMETHING WILL ALWAYS GO WRONG. IT'S HOW YOU HANDLE IT THAT MATTERS THE MOST.

FROM A MEMBER OF THE BRIDAL PARTY BEING LATE OR LOST, TO THE BRIDE FORGETTING HER BOUQUET, TO THE WRITTEN VOWS BEING LEFT AT HOME, TO SHOES NOT FITTING, SOMETHING WILL GO WRONG.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, NOT ONE OF YOUR GUESTS WILL NOTICE!!

SO AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT THOSE "GONE WRONG" MOMENTS WILL NOT EVEN MATTER AFTER YOU WALK DOWN THAT ISLE! THE THINGS THAT DO MATTER ARE THOSE MOMENTS THAT CAN MAKE GREAT PICTURES FOR YOU AND ALL AROUND YOUR DAY EASIER! BELOW ARE JUST 5 TIPS FOR JUST THAT! OF COURSE I HAVE SOOO MANY MORE BUT I WILL START WITH JUST 5!

The dress has been bought, the venue has been booked, the flowers have been ordered, the timeline has been made. The day is getting close and the excitement has set in. The countdown begins...

#1.NO PAPARAZZI!
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FOR A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER!!!! IF YOU DON'T TAKE ANY OF MY OTHER TIPS INTO ACCOUNT PLEASE TAKE THIS ONE!

I KNOW EVERYONE IS SO EXCITED TO SEE THE WEDDING PARTY WALKING DOWN THAT ISLE!
AND WHEN THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE IS THERE WAITING FOR HER SONG AND EVERYONE STANDS FOR HER TO WALK DOWN, THE EMOTIONS ARE ENDLESS FOR EVERYONE IN THE SEATS AND FOR THE GROOM. THE MOST INSTINCTUAL THING TO DO IS PULL OUT YOUR PHONE AND RECORD HER WALKING TO THE MAN OF HER DREAMS. I ALSO KNOW THAT EVERYONE THESE DAYS HAS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEY WANT THEIR VERSION OF THE BRIDAL PARTY ALL OVER THEIR PERSONAL PAGE.
I GET IT.
HOWEVER. WHEN EVERYONE IS STANDING AND HOLDING THIER PHONES OUT TO CATCH THAT VIDEO.... IT BLOCKS THE VIEW FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER. THE ONE PERSON (OR MULTIPLE) YOU PAID MONEY TO ACTUALLY CATCH YOU COMING DOWN THE ISLE. IT CAN BE THE MOST FRUSTRATING TIME FOR US PHOTOGRAPHERS. I AM DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO GET ALL THE DETAILS OF THAT MOMENT BUT UNFORTUNATELY, MORE TIMES THAN NOT, I GET A BUNCH OF CELL PHONE SCREENS IN THE SHOT. THERE HAVE BEEN WEDDINGS I WORKED (I AM SUPER SAD TO SAY) WHERE THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE HAS STOOD AT THE END OF THE ISLE SO SHE CAN CATCH HER DAUGHTER ON VIDEO WALKING DOWN AND ALL I CAN CATCH ON MY CAMERA IS HER. I HAVE TO CHANGE MY LOCATION AND POSITION IN ORDER TO WORK AROUND ALL THE CELL PHONES. IN THAT CASE, YOU MAY MISS THAT EYE CONTACT YOU MAKE WITH THE GROOM OR THE TEAR AS YOUR DAD LOOKS AT YOU OR THAT MOMENT WHEN YOUR SMILE BECOMES GOLDEN.
SO THINK TO YOURSELF IF THESE PARTICULAR MOMENTS DURING THE CEREMONY MATTER.
IF THEY DON'T, THEN CELL PHONES WON'T BE AN ISSUE. BUT IF THEY DO, I SUGGEST REALLY STRESSING TO YOUR GUESTS THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM AT THE CEREMONY. YOU CAN FIND CREATIVE IDEAS LIKE THE PICTURE BELOW TO HAVE THEM LEAVE THEIR PHONE UNTIL THE VERY END. THE BEST TIME FOR YOUR GUESTS TO CATCH YOU ON THEIR CELL PHONES IS THE INTRODUCTION AT THE RECEPTION. IT IS LOUD AND USUALLY SO MUCH FUN. PERFECT FOR THE INSTAGRAM STORY!

#2. ASK YOUR OFFICIANT TO STEP TO THE SIDE DURING YOUR FIRST KISS.
THIS ONE IS LESS IMPORTANT IF YOU DON'T MIND THEM BEING IN THE PICTURES

ALTHOUGH YOU MAY LOVE THE OFFICIANT DEARLY (OR THEY COULD BE A COMPLETE STRANGER) THEY MOST CERTAINLY WILL BE IN THE FIRST KISS PICTURE UNLESS THEY STEP TO THE SIDE. THAT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIRST KISS PICTURE BEING "FRAME WORTHY" FOR YOU. USUALLY AS A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, I TAKE MULTIPLE PICTURES OF THE FIRST KISS. ONE ZOOMED IN CLOSE AND ONE REALLY ZOOMED OUT SO I CAN SEE THE ENTIRE WEDDING PARTY. SO IF THE OFFICIANT IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE DEARLY, MOST OF THE TIME YOU WILL STILL GET A PICTURE OF THE FIRST KISS WITH THEM IN IT, EVEN IF THEY STEP ASIDE. SO YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE YOU LOVE BETTER. ALSO (HERE IS A TIP INSIDE OF A TIP) HOLD YOUR KISS FOR A LITTLE BIT. IF IT IS TO QUICK (WHICH I HAVE HAD TO TAKE BEFORE) THEN THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAS A HARD TIME CATCHING IT AND YOU WON'T GET THAT CLOSE UP AND ZOOMED OUT PHOTO. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SUPER LONG OF A KISS. JUST LONG ENOUGH WHERE IF I HAPPEN TO BLINK, I DON'T MISS IT.

#3. BRING YOUR WEDDING INVITATION TO THE VENUE

MOST PHOTOGRAPHERS LIKE TO TAKE DETAIL SHOTS AT THE VENUE AND YOUR WEDDING INVITATION IS ONE OF THOSE DETAILS. I PERSONALLY LIKE TO ADD TO IT WITH YOUR SHOES, OR RINGS, OR FLOWERS, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. SO JUST THROW AN EXTRA INVITATION IN YOUR PILE OF THINGS TO BRING TO THE VENUE JUST IN CASE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER ASKS FOR IT.

#4. MAKE A LIST AND STICK TO IT!

WRITE DOWN ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS YOU WANT PICTURES WITH AND GIVE IT TO YOUR MAID OF HONOR, OR IN MY CASE, MY ASSISTANT AND 2ND PHOTOGRAPHER. THIS WAY WE ARE ORGANIZED AND THIS PART GOES SO MUCH MORE SMOOTHLY! YOU HAVE PAID MONEY FOR THE VENUE, DJ, CATERER, PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEOGRAPHER, ETC. AND FOR THE MOST PART THESE VENDORS ARE ON A TIME SCHEDULE. AS THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, IT IS CRITICAL OF ME TO STICK TO A SCHEDULE SO THAT EVERYTHING ELSE FLOWS TOGETHER. YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER (I DO THIS) MAY HAVE GIVEN YOU A TIMELINE FOR PHOTO'S. IN THAT TIMELINE IS THE "AFTER CEREMONY FAMILY PICTURES" AND THIS IS THE TIME FOR YOUR LIST AND IS SUPER IMPORTANT. IF A NAME IS NOT ON THAT LIST (IT USUALLY INVOLVES IMMEDIATE FAMILY AND GRANDPARENTS) THEN THAT PERSON NEEDS TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE LIST HAS GONE THROUGH AND IF THERE IS TIME LEFT, WE CAN TAKE EXTRA PEOPLE. OTHERWISE SUE, JOE, DAN AND FLO WILL ALL ASK FOR PICTURES AND YOU WILL BE TAKING FAMILY PHOTO'S FOREVER AND GET OFF SCHEDULE.
THE TIME TO GRAB THOSE PICTURES WILL BE DURING THE RELAXED PART OF YOUR RECEPTION.

#5. BUSTLE YOUR DRESS!

IF YOU ARE NOT PLANNING ON CHANGING FOR YOUR RECEPTION, MAKE SURE TO GET A BUSTLE AND HAVE SOMEONE PRACTICE HOW TO DO IT WITH YOU. THIS SEEMS LIKE THE SMALLEST THING BUT I HAVE SEEN IT CAUSE A LOT OF ISSUES AT WEDDINGS. THE BRIDE CAN'T REALLY DANCE OR MOVE ABOUT WITHOUT THE BUSTLE AND IF SOMEONE HASN'T PRACTICED HOW TO DO IT, THEN IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT. IT CAN HOLD UP THE RECEPTION FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE TRYING TO FIX THE DRESS ISSUE. IF YOU DO DECIDE TO CHANGE FOR THE RECEPTION, I SUGGEST A BEAUTIFUL JUMPSUIT. THEY HONESTLY CAN BE SO FLATTERING AND THEY ARE SO MUCH EASIER TO MOVE AROUND IN DURING THE RECEPTION. OF COURSE THIS PART IS COMPLETELY UP TO YOU!