You've carefully considered each small detail as you arrange your dream wedding. After all, it will be a day that you will never forget. But after the wedding, all that is left are the memories, feelings, and moments that your photo and video team documented.
Aside from hiring a skilled photographer, a bride may do several things to ensure amazing photos. I've compiled the top 17 wedding photography advice for brides.
1. Create A Pinterest Mood Board
To create personalized photography and videography, your photographers and videographers must understand your preferred style and preferences. It is advisable to make a mood board so that your creative team can get to know you. You can use this to express visually the kind of photography you want for your engagement and wedding day images.
2. Hire Photography and Videography From The Same Company
Choosing a photographer and videographer from the same studio is often the better choice for many reasons, including:
- Incentives that are shared and accountability
- Improved Positioning, Workflow, and Communication
- Fewer contracts and administrative work for a combined photography and videography package due to the common shared vision and style
- Discounts on wedding photography and videography packages
3. Schedule Enough Time For Each Part Of The Day
Making a timeline for your wedding day is essential, and your wedding planner may help you with this. A projected start and end time for hair, makeup, reception setup, etc., should be provided. All your photo shoots, including the first look, bridal party pictures, and couple's sessions, should be included in that timeline. Not sure how long you'll need to spend taking photos for each part of the day?
4. Minimize Your Photo Locations
We advise limiting the places for picture shoots to maximize photo time on your wedding day. You shouldn't spend more time getting from place to place than you should be snapping photos. Almost any location should be usable by a great photographer. Even if you don't like the available backdrops at your destination, have confidence in your photographer's originality.
5. Hire Quality Vendors
Trusted vendors can influence the way your day goes. We emphasize the significance of choosing the appropriate providers because of this. You wouldn't want a cosmetics artist who arrives two hours late or an amateur wedding photographer, would you? To reduce the stress that can appear in your wedding photos, we recommend reliable vendors.
The preparation process can be made much simpler by hiring a wedding planner, which frees you up to enjoy your wedding day fully. Your wedding planner will take care of any glitches so that you and your partner can breathe.
The right vendors for your wedding day may be hard to choose with many vendor possibilities. Do your homework, review the suggested vendor list for your venue before hiring any provider, and most importantly, trust your instincts.
6. Plan Enough Time for Hair & Make-up
Hair and makeup delays might cause the entire day to be delayed. Plan to complete the process far earlier than expected because brides frequently rush due to unforeseen setbacks. A plan for the wedding preparations will frequently be made by excellent hair and makeup professionals.
In order to capture final touches, detail shots, and unscripted interactions with your closest friends and family, your creative team will typically request an hour of your time.
7. Wear a Long Veil
Putting on that delicate piece of fabric does something to finally make you feel like a bride. We encourage brides to wear a long veil on their wedding day since it makes for some of the best photographs. Incorporate the veil in various ways during the couple's session and bridal photos.
8. Include Toss Items
Toss objects give your photos that additional special touch, whether they be of your group photos, your first dance, or your grand exit. Rice, paper airplanes, flower petals, confetti - the list is endless! These images convey joy and enthusiasm and cause you and your visitors to grin and laugh genuinely.
9. Incorporate a First Look Session
When the bride and groom first encounter one another, it is one of the most memorable moments of the wedding day. All the nervousness and excitement suddenly vanish, leaving only the two of them to savour this unforgettable moment. The first glance tradition is one you can't break on your wedding day since it provides for some of the most meaningful photographs.
10. Schedule The Couple’s Photo Session During The Best Lighting
It's essential to organize your couple's session 30-45 minutes before sunset, whether the breathtaking ocean view or the exquisite grapes in the winery were the reasons you chose your setting. Golden Hour is my favourite time of day to photograph the newlyweds because of the lovely lighting.
Golden hour is the final hour before sunset and the first hour following sunrise. These are the hours of the day when the sun is lowest in the sky, and the light is diffused. It is a little bit colder than in the middle of the day, making it more pleasant for you and your wedding party. Photographers now have more directional lighting that is less harsh, giving them more freedom to experiment with angles. The most common usage of this lighting is for taking pictures soon before sunset.
11. Include A Sneak Away Session
Dark skies and glittering stars provide a stunning backdrop for photographs. The Sneak Away session is usually arranged during the reception and right after supper, lasting no longer than 20 to 30 minutes. Another possibility is to take these pictures right before the guests leave for the evening. The romantic quality of the night sky allows your photographer to use lighting to produce dramatic photos.
12. Include A Sparkler Exit
While planning your spectacular entrance, have you given any attention to your grand exit? Exits with sparklers are a fantastic way to cap out a day of festivities. Sparkler exits are not only unusual and thrilling, but they also make stunning photographs. Guests have been sending farewells to the newlyweds with nothing but happiness.
While many venues permit the sparkler exit, some might not. Alternatives for your grand exit that still look amazing in pictures include confetti, bubbles, and flower petals.
13. Enjoy Your day – Your Photos Depend On It
Weddings are stressful, and some brides have spent their whole lives preparing for their special day. Don't worry about the intricacies when the big day comes, though. There will be problems because they always do. It is now up to you to enjoy the day rather than worry about the little things.
Be content. Smile. Take everything slowly and savour each moment. But above all, take pleasure in your new partner's companionship. The first day of the rest of your life is today. Beautiful wedding images result from radiant happiness.
14. Best Time For Outdoor Ceremonies
I can state with absolute certainty that after 15 years as a wedding photographer and a multitude of weddings under my belt, I have documented weddings in nearly every location possible in nearly every weather scenario you can imagine. While you probably thought about the weather when you planned your wedding, it's unlikely that you also thought about the lighting in the ceremony area. It matters a lot where the sun is in the sky when you get married for your photos, particularly if you have a specific style in mind. There are some universal facts about the optimal time to take outdoor images, but every photographer has their own unique aesthetic and shooting approach.
The timing of your wedding must take into account whether you want to capture images during the golden hour. Golden hour typically occurs during the reception for weddings that take place earlier in the day. The best time to slip away for pictures is not right now. After a late-afternoon wedding, golden hour photographs are ideal because the majority of the reception will take place after sunset. As a result, you don't miss out on taking the images of your dreams or enjoying your guests' company.
15. A Beautiful Ceremony Background
Be sure to consider what you will be standing in front of wherever your ceremony is taking place. Will the background of your images be appealing or uninteresting? Will it enhance your wedding's theme or detract from it both in person and in your photos? When deciding on the ceremony's decor, these are crucial questions to consider. Many couples appear to be more concerned with the aisle flowers than they are with the events that will directly affect them.
Consider those close-up shots as well. Having flowers or any other decorative element on stands on either side of you is wonderful for framing wider shots. What will they appear like without any flowers or decorations? Whatever you choose, such details give your ceremony images a distinctive touch. Consult your florist or wedding designer to get the ideal finishing touches for your ceremony.
You can get married in front of stunning views at several venues or private spots. Getting the image you have in your thoughts into your hands depends on your photographer having the tools and the know-how to ensure that the background can be seen. To balance the light, if necessary, make sure your photographer has off-camera flashes.
16. How Long Do The Bride and Groom Portraits Take?
The portrait session with just the two of you is such a wonderful occasion because it's the only opportunity you'll get to be by yourselves on your wedding day. Approximately 20 to 30 minutes should be allotted for each location, for a total of an hour or more total. Some of the couples we deal with set aside an hour or more just for bride and groom photos, and they never fail to express their gratitude for taking the time to spend time with, relax, and capture the moment.
17. Unplug Your Ceremony, Please!
Everyone has seen the pictures of wedding guests who believe it's more important for them to grab a picture of your first kiss on their phones than for the professional photographer to record that moment online. We are heartbroken by images like that. You deserve to have your wedding ceremony moments beautifully preserved because you invested a lot of time and money in your photographer. Uncle Tony shouldn't ruin it for everyone by interrupting your first kiss by standing in the aisle.
