Things you should do with your wedding photographer to made your day run smoother. Planning a wedding and making sure the day runs to plan will help you achieve that relaxed vibe on your day.
1. What’s the time
Make a timeline for the wedding day as a wedding photographer we need to make sure we know what’s going on. It does not need to have every detail just the important things that the photographer should need to be aware of.
2. The fam and peeps
Make a list of Family photos and let those people know they will need to around after the ceremony. Depending on the time you have after the ceremony try to keep the list shorter with direct family, if it’s too long you will lose time for wedding party photos.
Let the photographer know if you want a group photo of the guests after the ceremony, these take a bit of extra time to arrange. Sometimes it is not always possible to do this at some locations.
Tell the photographer if there are any awkward family situations so that we can avoid any embarrassment on the day.
3. Have the good vibes at your wedding
Getting ready before the ceremony can be stressful with hair stylists, make-up artist and bridesmaids all in a room. Try having a larger space while also hiding aways any handbags or stuff lying around in the room. So when the photographer gets there, time can be spent on photos.
Empty water bottles or potato chip packets are hard to photoshop out later, a clean environment is best for your wedding photos.
4. Just hanging about
Hang your wedding dress up if you can for the photographer to take photos of it.
Don’t forget to have a nice coat hanger to hang it on, it looks so much better.
Have any bouquets and shoes, perfume and jewellery that you will wear, have them handy for photos to be taken.
5. All the good spots
Give a list of locations you would like to get photos at, besides your wedding venue if you want to get photos at different spots. Don’t pick too many locations though, you don’t want to be driven around all day.
If you are having the ceremony and reception at the one venue and the photographer is experience at that venue they should know what to do.
6. Give yourself enough time to chill
Give yourself plenty of time after the ceremony to do congratulations and family photos before heading off to do the wedding party photos. Allow enough time for the photos with the photographer, relaxed photos are far better than rushing to meet a deadline to get to the reception. After entering the reception you can always go outside for a few more photos, I get the best shots doing this especially with summer weddings with the later time that sunset happens.
7. Getting the best light for your wedding photos is not midday
Let your wedding photographer know of your plans as early as you can they may be able to guide you with the ceremony start time. Let’s face it nobody likes standing in full sun on a hot day at 1-3pm. You may be able to push things back to 4-4:30pm to get the cooler part of the day.
Unless it is overcast wedding photos in the middle of the day with strong sun creates harsh shadows, late afternoon is always preferred.
8. Just relax it’s your wedding day
Weddings can be stressful and testing sometime and occasionally little things don’t go to plan.
Best not to worry over these and just focus on your partner and enjoy the day. Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.
Trust your wedding photographer weddings are what we do and our creative input can really help the day run as best as possible.
9. Share the love
Give your wedding vendors list to your wedding photographer as most will want to have photos or tagged in any on social media. We all love to feel appreciated and it’s good to share the love.
10. I can get hangry
We spend so much of the day taking photos at a wedding sometimes we start before lunch and have no time to grab a meal. So providing a meal for your wedding photographer at the reception is always appreciated. Also ask if the meal could be served at the same or similar time as the bride and groom, if the speeches were to start and we are served at the end of service we need to leave the meal.
This happens a lot at weddings and we need to work along side of the couples schedule so we can capture moments when they happen. We never take photos while people are eating their meal so this time is also the best time for us to eat.
