Detailed list of things you will want to consider before your big day!
Wedding Tips
Wedding Photography
- Have all items to be photographed (attire, invitations, rings) in one spot in the room so I can grab them as soon as I arrive. Would be good to have them all in a bag (except attire) in case I need to take them outside of the room.
- A small bucket of extra floral pieces from your florist that I can incorporate into your detail shots would be great.
- Remove all tags and stickers from attire and jewelry prior to wedding day.
- Make sure to have a nice hanger for your attire. A plain wooden hanger will work just fine.
- Have makeup/hair person set up close to a window with good light.
- Remove clutter. Store all items not wanted in photos in a separate room or closet.
- Will need a decent size area (clear of items not wanted in photos) preferably near a window for putting the dress on.
- Try to keep indoor lights off to the extent possible while getting ready photos are in progress as outdoor light and indoor light are different color temperatures and do not mix well.
- Make sure hair/makeup artist is aware of time deadlines and checks time to ensure dress can be put on at time indicated. Hair makeup will probably take 3 hours.
- Have flowers delivered to getting ready location prior to hair/makeup completion time.
- Ensure people helping you get dressed are completely ready prior to the time you need to get dressed.
- Do not wear anything constricting under your clothes (undergarments/jewelry/hair tie around wrist) the morning of your wedding that may leave lines on you. Same for your wedding party.
- Ensure there’s sufficient time for getting ready without feeling rushed and add extra time to account for any unexpected delays.
Getting Ready
- Walk slow and smile while walking down aisle. Same for the wedding party.
- Enjoy the ceremony and allow yourself to feel the emotions—whether that’s laughing, crying, or smiling at each other. Those raw, authentic emotions translate into the best photos.
- Let us know if you have special moments planned during the ceremony, such as unique rituals or surprise performances.
- Face each other during the ceremony. Have someone from the wedding party hold flowers during the ceremony.
- Try to extend the length of your first kiss.
- Walk slow and smile while walking back down aisle.
- Consider an "unplugged" ceremony (where guests are asked to put away phones and cameras) to help us capture moments without distractions or obstructed views.
- Some officiants are okay with photographers moving around during the ceremony, while others require photographers to stay behind a certain point. Also flash may not be allowed during your ceremony. Ask your officiant if they have any photography restrictions before the wedding.
Ceremony
- On average, each family portrait will take about 3 minutes. This would be 10 family portraits in 30 minutes. Small groups (4 or 5 people) can be faster and large groups (8 or more people) can take longer.
- Have someone there who knows who everyone is and is loud. They can read the names out and make sure the right people are in each portrait. This will help get through them quickly.
- Send out an email to all people included in formal photos and indicate the time and place where they will need to be ready. Also tell them to look at my camera only, even if there are other people standing around taking photos.
Family Portraits
- Grab one of us if you would like photos with specific guests during the reception, but remember it may take a few seconds to adjust our cameras if we are shooing something different.
- Let the venue know the photographers need to eat at the same time as the bride and groom to ensure we can eat quickly and be ready to shoot again as soon as you are finished eating.
RECEPTION
- Enjoy your day. Make sure to start way earlier than you think it will take to get ready so you are not stressed and in a rush at all during the day.
- If you do not have a coordinator, assign specific people to take care of anything that may come up during the day and help keep things on schedule.
- Try to avoid chewing gum – same for wedding party
- Be yourself and have fun. It will come through in the photos.