Wedding Photography Tips
Your wedding day is a day like no other. It’s THE biggest day of your life celebrating your love for one another. So how do you capture all the moments? If you have the budget, you can’t look past a wedding photographer. These experienced professionals are experts in capturing every single element of your day, effortlessly and often with breathtaking results.
Of course you don’t have to engage a wedding photographer for your wedding day. Sometimes budget stands in your way. In other cases, the couple would prefer their family and friends to take the shots that will immortalise their wedding day.
Whatever the case, a wedding checklist for photography is a super important tool so that you don’t miss a thing.
Wedding shots you don’t want to miss
Wedding style is such an individual thing. And you want to capture all of those details from your wedding day in some shape or form.
Here’s a list of wedding shots you won’t want to miss capturing, whether you engage a professional wedding photographer or not.
Getting ready
- Photos of Lover 1 getting ready with their I DO crew and family
- Photos of Lover 2 getting ready with their I DO crew and family
- Photos of flowers, accessories, shoes, signs and transport
Pre ceremony
- Photos of guests gathering
- Photos of Lover 1 just before the ceremony
- Photos of Lover 2 just before the ceremony
- Photos of the I DO Crew helping each lover get ready
- Photos of florals arrangements and décor
- Photos of ceremony space signage, Orders of Service, confetti or other gorgeous décor in the ceremony space
- Photos of the ceremony space itself
Ceremony
- Photos of both lovers as they greet one another, exchange vows and a kiss
- Photos of guests enjoying the ceremony or service
- Photos of the newlyweds as they exit the ceremony space
- Confetti toss
Pre Reception
- Photos of the newlyweds together
- Newlyweds with family and friends
- Any other shots of groups specifically requested by the newlyweds
- Newlyweds with their I DO crew
- Newlyweds with their fur babies
- Post ceremony embraces, kisses and signs of celebration
Reception
- Photos of guests mingling in the reception space
- Photos of the newlyweds and their I DO crew arriving at the reception
- Photos of the cake
- The tablescapes
- Signage
- Dancing
- Cut cutting and other religious or meaningful rituals
- First dance
- Lighting and décor
- Food and drinks
- Musicians, DJ or entertainers
- Photos of the newlyweds leaving the reception
- Guest gifts
- Gifts and Card table
- Speeches and toasts
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4 skills a wedding photographer needs
Wedding photographers are pretty clever humans. They seem to know just the right shot to take and can create an epic wedding photo from the must ordinary of settings.
If you are planning on investing in a wedding photographer, here’s the 3 skills to look out for:
People Skills
Wedding photography is all about capturing candid photos of you and those you love at your most relaxed. Successful photographers know how to put people at ease.
Most people don’t love having photos taken of them at the best of times. So being a people person helps wedding photographers to make people feel super comfortable.
A Creative Eye
Ask to see prior work on the wedding photographers you’ve shortlisted. That will help you work out if they have a creative style of shooting weddings. Take note of how they frame shots, the angle of the photos and how they creatively capture all the elements of your day.
Whilst the line up shots of you with your family are important moments in family history, you are more likely to frame more creative shots of the two of you to hang on the wall, the mantle or to save as your phone or computer screen saver.
Proactivity
A bored wedding photographer may well take the same shots at the same venues every single time. More innovative photographers will want to meet with you before the big day. They will want to get to know how the two of you tick and the style of photography that works for you best.
Quality wedding photographers will scope out your wedding venues before they shoot there – either arriving early on the day or heading to your ceremony space and venue before the day to scope out the best angles, light and specific location options ahead of time.
Communication is key
Just because a wedding photographer has worked at hundreds of weddings, does not mean that they know exactly what you like. Communication is absolutely key. Put in the time in briefing and talking with your wedding photographer. Investing this time will help you to build rapport with your photographer.
It will improve the chances of getting that money shot and ensure you look at photo after photo that you love and adore.
Bonus Tips
Sunset shots
You will never regret having some of your wedding photos taken during golden hour. What’s golden hour? It’s that time around sunset when the light in the air is ridiculously magical. Wedding shots taken at sunset are often the shots couples love most.
So make sure you note the time of sunset into your wedding day timeline. This is the time to slip away with your photographer and have some insta worthy shots taken of the two of you basking in your just married glow.
Consider a first look
Another trend increasing in popularity is a “first look”. A first look is where you and your lover meet with one another before your ceremony. It creates an intimate space for the two of you to see one another for the first time and the photographs captured during this tend to be pretty awesome.
Having some shots taken at this time, reduce the time you’ll need for shots after your ceremony and before your reception. They also allow the two of you time to get rid of any pre ceremony jitters.
Trust your gut
If you love the vibe of a wedding photographer you meet, trust your gut. Believe me, you’ll have photos that make your heart flutter forever. If photographs are important to you both, wedding photography isn’t the place to skimp on budget.
There are ways you might be able to minimise cost whilst having your wedding photographer of your dreams. This includes reducing the amount of time they spend with you on the day, opting for digital shots not a full album and choosing to marry on “off peak” days.
Consider an unplugged ceremony
I’ve noticed that unplugged ceremonies are becoming more common. This is because couples, like yourselves, are super keen for their guests to be in the moment as they exchange vows. A sea of smiling faces is more powerful than a see of mobile phones raised in the air taking shots.
Why not leave the ceremony photography to your photographer giving them exclusive access to capturing your love one shot at a time.
You can ask your celebrant to let guests know you are going phone and camera free. Alternatively
Check out this great free printable you can frame and put at the entry of your wedding ceremony space to encourage guests to pop their phones away whilst you say I DO.
Read your contract thoroughly
Quality wedding photographers don’t create contracts to trick you. But to avoid any surprises, it always pays to take a good look over your contract with them to make sure you fully understand what is included in their service and what incurs an additional cost.
The contract should also talk about when you can expect to see your wedding proofs after your wedding day, what they will charge if your cancel or postpone and what happens in the event that they are unwell on your wedding day.
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