As wedding photographers, we will help guide you through your day; however, there are key things that you can do as a bride/groom to ensure your photos go as planned.
We know it can be a busy time in the morning when you’re getting ready. There’s family and friends running around all over the place making sure everything is going as planned. If you have time before everyone arrives, or maybe even the night before, find all the detail items that you would like photographed and have them ready in one spot. What type of detail items?
- Wedding dress
- Bridesmaid dress
- Jewelry
- Rings
- Flowers
- Shoes
- Perfume
- Family heirlooms
By having these items ready photos can go smoothly without disrupting any hair or makeup time.
Think about the area you’re getting ready in. Natural light is best is possible. Remove any unnecessary clutter from the room that could be distracting to the photos. A nice clean space will help the photos convey the story.
Don’t forget the guys. Guys take usually a whole 15 minutes to get ready. A lot of the time they won’t think about the photos, and may not have a set plan on what they’re doing. Have a set place with all their details ready as well. Have a secure place where the guys can leave their wallets, keys, and cellphones, rather than carrying them in their pockets – bulky pockets don’t make for nice photos.
Talk with your wedding party and let them know that there will be a photographer taking photos while everyone is getting ready. This will help them prepare and feel a bit more comfortable. If the wedding party isn’t aware that there will be a photographer during those getting ready moments, it could catch them off guard and make them feel uncomfortable.
Remember to leave enough time. As the photographers we like to make sure we’re on location for the ceremony generally about 30 minutes ahead of time. This ensures that we’re completely ready and setup for the start of the ceremony. If you plan on getting ready until the last minute, we might not be able to get those final shots or we could run in to trouble being on time for the ceremony.
Above all, make sure to just relax and enjoy your day. If you have ideas, or have a certain important moment, let us know. This is your day, we want to make your vision come true.
