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My top tips for making sure you get the best possible wedding photos on your big day
The Transcript
As a photographer, it’s my job to make sure my couples get the best possible wedding photos. So to help make that happen, I’ve gathered my top tips to make sure you get the best possible wedding day photos.
01. Details
The first tip if I have you, is to make sure you consider the details. Think through all the elements of your wedding day and all the details you want to include to help complete the overall story.
I love when couples incorporate heirloom pieces, antiques, borrowed pieces, or something blue. It’s really special and really personalizes the day.
I start every wedding day by photographing the details. So I ask my couples beforehand to set aside all the details they would like photographed. This includes all the jewelry, the rings, hair accessories, the bow tie or tie for the groom, and anything you want photographed that you feel tells the complete story of your day.
If you look through magazines and editorials, you’ll notice including details is extremely important because they really do tie everything together.
So when you’re planning for your big day, make sure to consider details. Then make sure you work with a photographer who values details and will take the time to photograph them for your wedding gallery.
02. Style
Next, make sure you think about style. Think about your personal style, the style you’re aiming for on your wedding day, and then think about which photographer’s style that matches with.
There are a lot of different photographers out there: some with moody, darker, and golden tones and there are some, like me, with a more bright, light, and airy aesthetic. Think about the overall wedding day aesthetic you’re aiming for and then which photographer that matches with.
For example, my photos are heavily influenced by light, bright, airy rooms with lots of natural light—that’s my favorite environment to shoot in! Of course, I can work with any environment, but the environment does really affect the end result of your photos.
So think about that as you consider where to get ready, the ceremony location, and even the reception space. If photos are really important to you, make sure you talk to your photographer. Get some suggestions about where would be best for the overall style you’re going for.
03. Venue
My next tip for you is to think about photo locations at the venue. Sometimes venues are trapped in the middle of a city or it’s difficult to access other locations to take photos. So if you have a limited timeline and you won’t be able to travel to another location for photos, consider that when you’re looking for your venue.
It’s great if you have a venue that also has locations around it where you can take photos. So this is another thing you can talk to your photographer or planner about. Ask them to recommend venues that also have great photo locations.
04. Timeline
Consider the timeline of your wedding day. This is something I talk to all of my couples about when they’re planning their wedding.
It’s no secret that photographers love light, and they especially love golden hour (the hour before sunset). This isn’t always possible, but when I can, I love taking my couples out for portraits at golden hour. These aren’t always the only portraits I take, as I often take some earlier in the day as well, but I try to sneak my couples out when the light is golden and dreamy.
I can tell you from personal experience, that the photos my photographer took during golden hour are my favorite ones, and they’re the ones framed in my home.
So the timeline is definitely something to keep in mind if photos are very important to you. Talk to your photographer and planner about how you can rearrange and adjust your timeline so portraits can be at the time with the best light.
05. Connection
My final tip for you, is to make sure you pick a photographer you really connect with. You should pick someone you feel like a friend around.
My “why” statement for my business, is that I want to inspire people to see their beauty and feel at home in themselves. But the “feeling at home” only happens when I have a true connection with my couples. I want them to feel really confident in their own skin and look at their photos and think, “Yes! That’s me, that’s who I am, that’s my authentic smile, and that’s the true joy I was experiencing.”
Take the time to consider who you work with. Talk with them, get to know them, and even do an engagement or pre-wedding shoot with them before your wedding to see what you’re like together. That way, when you show up on your wedding day, you’ll know it’s a good fit.
I take the time to Facetime with my couples to chat with them, get to know them, and make sure our personalities mesh too. So take the time to connect, because connection really does have a huge impact on the overall result of the photos.
Well, there you have it. Those are my top tips for making sure you get the best possible wedding day photos. If you have any further questions on this, please do reach out! I’d be happy to answer them.
Other destination wedding planning resources:
How to Find Your Wedding Style
