Good Light = Good Photography
Photography is all about light. When you want good images then you have to start thinking about light. If you are having an outdoor ceremony then any time from 3pm would be a good time to start. The sun is from one direction and there are no harsh shadows. Light at mid day is worst. Another good time for your portraits after the ceremony will be any time from 5pm. The light is golden and beautiful.
Bridal & Groom Prep
Ensure where you are getting ready in has a lot of room. Preferably hire a hotel room; they’re spacious, beautiful and easy on the camera. Keep it very neat. Assign someone to ensure that the room is kept spic and span. Have sufficient window light. It makes up for good make up pictures.
Group Photos
These are the traditional pictures taken after the ceremony Assign an MC or member of the planning team to have a list to help co-ordinate the session Make sure its orderly & short.
Bride & Groom Portraits
This will be the part of the day that your photographer’s style will come out the most. So be very careful when researching who your photographer will be. Let them guide you and pose you to get the best shots possible. If you have a particular idea, feel free to discuss it with the photographer. Make time. When you are planning your day, make some time in the schedule specifically to get some great couple shots. These are the ones you will want to frame, give to friends and use as thank you cards. The more time you give, the better the results will be.
Videographers
Ask your photographer to either recommend someone they’ve worked with before or even subcontract the services. This way you have one supplier less to deal with and it’s down to them to organize the day in such a way that they are not getting in each others way.
Wedding Planners
Always work with a wedding planner. They are professionals and they will save you a lot of heartache not only during the wedding but also during the planning. They will take off the pressure of coordinating a wedding and will ensure that you will have your dream white wedding just the way you envisioned it to be.
Un-plugged wedding
Un-plugged means that you do not allow your wedding guests to take pictures at your wedding. You are hiring a professional photographer to do so. Your guests came to enjoy the wedding not to be photographers. By doing so they stand in the way of the hired professional and block everyone else from shooting. If they have to take pictures then let them do so from their seats.
Feeding your photographer(s)
It’s all good nature to provide a meal for your photographer. They will be with you from morning till night, and a meal is just good courtesy, unless well, you provide them with the one hour break to go get themselves something to eat.
Enjoy Your Day
Do not let anything dampen your wedding mood. If something will go wrong, then it will. And you cannot do anything to alter it. Just enjoy your day and let it be. A happy bride makes for some pretty good photos.
Get an Album
Always invest in getting a wedding album/book. Most photographers offer this in their package. Do not buy in the hype of getting images in soft only. DVDs and flash disks get lost. An album will be with you for the rest of your life if well taken care of.
