6 Planning Tips For A Photography Friendly Wedding Day

 1-FIRST COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER:  You are the stars of your wedding day, so let your wedding photographer be the art director! Make sure your photographer knows what your vision is.  Tell your photographer what you like in advance, I cannot stress enough how important good communication between the bride and groom and the wedding photographer is prior to and during the wedding day. Let your photographer know about your favorite photographs or if you have a certain pose in mind. ( You can call or text me anytime with this information)

Remember, your photographer is there to document the entire event. When you are doing something important you should try to have eye contact. This will look great in your album. There are things to keep in mind such as slowing down when kissing so there is time to capture multiple images of that moment. When in doubt, always try to look for your photographer and smile.

2- ASSIGN A COORDINATOR: It's important to think about who might be the best person to take on the coordinator role. Remember, there will be always unexpected occurrences at the wedding. If you have children or there are elderly family members, make sure there is a person to help out with them so you have time to be fully present and pose for your photos.

Not looking happy and not smiling due to small irritations can ruin not only your wedding day but also your photos. For photographers to capture beautiful and genuine images, put all the little problems to the side and enjoy the moment with your future husband, family, and friends. From experience, brides who embrace the day and have a positive attitude, who laugh and smile and don't overthink, will have more genuine, exciting, memorable photographs than those who try to pose perfectly or micro-manage their event and can't shake the gloomy feeling.

When groups are involved, and many people are being directed to be in one place or the other simultaneously for an extended time period, this is often frustrating for everyone. We will be focusing on posing everyone, directing and capturing the best images from the group, and don’t have the ability and time to search for family members and bring them to the family photo locations. 

Therefore, it is extremely important for the couple to appoint a dedicated person to bring and organize everyone for the formal family group photos.

Assigning someone with this responsibility will save everyone time and effort, and make the entire photo shoot far less stressful by keeping the wedding day on schedule.

3- MAKE A GOOD WEDDING DAY TIMELINE:

Here’s the part that can be somewhat intimidating! The TIMELINE! I know this isn’t the most exciting aspect of wedding planning but vital for Wedding Photography.

If you like to make it easier, please ask for sample wedding day timelines.
 

Here are the approximate time periods necessary for each section.

90 Minutes for Bridal Details Bride + Groom Getting Ready

45 Minutes for First Look + Bride & Groom Portraits

30-60 Minutes Ceremony

15-30 Minutes for formal family photos

15-30 Minutes for wedding party photos

15 Minutes Bride & Groom Just Married Portraits

15 Minutes Reception Hall Details

2-5 Hours Reception

4-PLAN WELL FOR YOUR GETTING READY: Remember “Wedding Day Getting Ready” Place will be a background for your bridal and detail shots.

Bringing too many people into your getting-ready room might sound like a great idea and lots of fun. But it actually makes the room overcrowded and hard to work in. The photographer needs to be able to move around and capture the moments from different angles and points of view. If the room is overcrowded, this is almost impossible with all the bridesmaids and other people in the room shielding the bride from all vantage points. If you have to invite everyone, then consider booking an oversized room so there is a space for everyone, and room for the photographer to move around and take artistic images. And also if it is possible, choose a place with big windows and lots of natural light, your future self will thank you for that!

5- PRACTICE:

Most of the brides & grooms have never had their photos taken by a professional photographer. Posing needs practice before the wedding day so look at your old photos to see which poses of yours are your favorites and practice posing in the mirror. Also, Practice Walking in Your Wedding Shoes. On your wedding day remember to relax and smile.

6- TRY TO RELAX THE DAY BEFORE:

Here are some suggestions for the Day Before Your Wedding:

• Pack a bag of Personal Items, survival kit - Safety pins, Bobby pins, Band-aids, Floss, Hairspray, Deodorant, Pain reliever, Antacids, Lint roller, Hand lotion, Sunscreen, Bug spray, Tweezers, Q-tips, Toothbrush & toothpaste, phone charger, Tissues, Small snacks (like protein bars or crackers), scissors, Mints, Make-up, a Pair of Flip-Flops

• Write in Your Journal, Practice Deep Yoga Breaths

• Eat a Healthy Meal

• Drink Lots of Water

• Enjoy a Mani-Pedi

• Clean Your Engagement Ring

• Go Over Your Vows

• Take a nice, relaxing bath

• Watch Something That'll Make You Laugh

• Try to get a good night's Sleep