Planning your wedding is one of the most special times in your relationship, and you have so much to look forward to. Hours of romanticising and pinning to mood boards. Food and wine tasting, outfit shopping, the endless list of fun goes on. Once you have booked your wedding venue, your photographer is probably next on your checklist. Where do we even start, I hear you say! There is so much choice out there when it comes to wedding photography, and I completely understand that it can be a daunting process.
I have written this blog to give you an insight into how I will approach your photography on your wedding day. Every wedding day is different and unique to you as a couple, but my format is pretty similar for every wedding I shoot. I will approach your wedding day in a relaxed, natural, and unobtrusive way. Let me explain.
The wedding morning
Your wedding morning is a really special part of your wedding day, and it should be relished and enjoyed. You want this part of the day to be as relaxed as possible so that it sets the tone for the rest of the day. I will arrive with you around 3 hours before you leave for the wedding ceremony. After I have given you a big hello hug, I will spend a bit of time photographing all of your details, such as your dress, suit, flowers, shoes, accessories, etc. I love photographing details, and all the little details are a big part of your day. As such, they should be beautifully documented. I’ll then move on to photographing you all getting wedding day ready.
I won’t give you much guidance during this stage as I want to photograph your morning as it naturally happens. If there are certain shots that you have asked for, then we may have to stage these, such as a dressing gown shot on the bed, for example. Apart from that, we will go with the flow. You relax and let me capture your morning beautifully!
I am always looking for the perfect backdrop, and this is where my OCD kicks in a little. I just couldn’t photograph you getting into your beautiful wedding dress or suit, that you have spent years dreaming about, with a carrier bag in the background. I’d recommend that you try and keep the room as clean and as tidy as possible so that your photos look the best they can. If we have time, we will do a few portraits once you are looking super gorgeous and are ready to go.
We will also then do those extra special first-look photos at this stage. It is so lovely to see people’s reactions to you when you are all dressed and ready for your special day. This is always an emotional time and definitely one to be captured. The main thing is that you don’t have to worry about coordinating any of this; I will arrange it all. You relax, have a glass of bubbly, enjoy being pampered, and leave the rest to me.
Top tips:
If you can, put all of your accessories on one side, ready for me to photograph them when I arrive. This saves you or your bridal party from having to hunt around for things in the morning. If you can, put all suitcases and bags in a separate room and try to keep the main room free. This will save having to move bags when it comes to getting dressed.
Wedding venue shots
You may not see your wedding ceremony room until you are walking down the aisle, and at this point, you will be concentrating on each other and not the beautiful floral arrangements on the chairs. If you are getting ready at your venue, then this will allow me to nip off and photograph your wedding ceremony room before all of your guests arrive. This way you will have some beautiful photographs of it, untouched.
If you are getting ready elsewhere and I have to leave with you, then it is unlikely I will be able to capture the room untouched. I will still capture as much detail as I can when I am there, though, so don’t worry. The same goes for your wedding breakfast room. A lot of venues will invite you in to look at the room when it is all ready. If they don’t, then the first time that you see it, it will be full of guests. I will capture all of the details of this room for you too.
The wedding ceremony
The important bit, and the bit that will be causing those little butterflies in your tummy. If you are getting ready at your venue, then I will head to the ceremony room when you go in to speak to the registrar. When I arrive at a venue, I always speak to the registrar or the officiant beforehand. In some venues, more often churches, there are some strict rules regarding photography. I will always have a quick chat to discuss where I can or can’t stand and what I can and can’t do. They make the rules, and I will always stick to them. It is worth having a chat with them beforehand just to make sure they are happy for photographs to be taken.
During the wedding ceremony, I will spend the bulk of my time facing you, with your guests behind you. I want to be able to clearly see and document your reactions and the reactions of your guests. If I am working on my own, then I will do my best to move around as much as I can during the ceremony. I want to capture it from as many angles as I possibly can. If I am with another photographer, then all angles are well and truly covered. At the end of the ceremony, I will capture a shot of you signing the register, and then I will move to the back. I want to see your gorgeous smiles coming toward me as you leave the ceremony as newlyweds.
Confetti
I love confetti; it makes for amazing photos! You may choose to have it, or you may not. It is your wedding day so do it your way. If you do opt to have confetti, then relax and leave it to me and the venue to sort and arrange everybody. I will look for the best backdrop for the shot, and I will judge what the sun is doing on the day. The last thing I want is you walking into harsh light, causing you to squint! I will then guide everybody to leave the ceremony room, and I will get them all lined up outside, awaiting your arrival.
Top tips:
Get lots of confetti; you can never have too much! Check with your venue beforehand that they are happy for you to use confetti, as some places will have restrictions. Most venues will stipulate that you have to use biodegradable confetti, such as real petal or biodegradable paper confetti. There are so many vendors online, and there is so much choice. My personal favourite is biodegradable paper; it looks amazing in photos! Shropshire Petals and Flutter Darlings are your one-stop shop for all things confetti.
I will remind you on the day, but halfway down your confetti walk, stop and have a kiss. I will ask your guests to continue to throw confetti on you; this makes for a great photo.
Drinks reception
At the start of your drinks reception, we will do your group shots. These are your formal shots with friends and family. I choose to do them at the start so that everybody can then go off and get a drink and relax, plus I have a captive audience after the confetti. I try to make these as relaxed as I can, and we can throw a few fun ones in there too if you like. Normally I recommend no more than 10 group shots. The photos themselves don’t take long, but getting everybody together can take a little while, and I really want you to enjoy some of your drinks reception too.
I will look for the best backdrop, and I will judge what the light is doing on the day. If it is really sunny (I know I go on about this a lot, but the sun is the bane of a photographer’s life), then I will be looking for a nice spot in the shade. I will ask you for a list of your group shots in your questionnaire before the wedding. This way I will have a list to go from on the day.
After the group shots and portraits, it is back to the drinks reception. Grab a glass of bubbly and go and mingle with your guests; they will all want to greet you. The only time of the day I will give any direction is when we do your group shots, and a little during your portrait session. The rest of the day I will be taking lovely relaxed, candid shots of you and your wedding guests. Capturing your day as it naturally happens is really important to me. I love the interaction between people; I am a real people watcher. I have to pinch myself that I get to do it as a job!
Top tip:
I will ask you beforehand to nominate somebody whom you trust who can help me rally the troops. Someone who knows most of the people involved in the group shots. It just helps to speed things along a little.
Portraits
After the group shots, we will go off for your portraits, my favourite bit! This is the first time you will spend some quality time together as a happily married couple, so I want you to enjoy it. Try and relax as much as you can and don’t worry if you feel a little awkward. Most couples that I speak to say they are not overly comfortable in front of the camera. It is my job to make you feel relaxed, and I will, I promise.
I always start any portrait session with a simple stroll, holding hands. I want you to concentrate more on each other than you do on me; this will immediately relax you more. We all stiffen up when we smile for the camera; I do it too. I promise I won’t make you do any naff posing or cheesy grins; I much prefer the more natural approach. Just beautiful and simple portraits are my bag!
If it is a really bright summer’s day, then I may suggest that we do them later in the evening. The light will be softer and much more flattering. I don’t want you to struggle in the sun, and harsh light and squinting don’t make for beautiful portraits. I will spend your whole wedding day looking for beautiful light; it has become an obsession. Whenever we choose to do them, this part of the day will be amazing; everybody says so.
Golden hour
I know I mentioned before that I am completely obsessed with light; I really am! If we are blessed with some beautiful evening sun, I will be on the case. I will come and grab you, and if you are happy to, then we will pop outside for another ten minutes or so. Trust me, it will be worth it. It would be a huge shame not to.
Wedding speeches
You may choose to do your speeches before the meal, or you may choose to have them after; either is perfectly fine. We chose to have ours before the meal because my dad was so nervous about it and I wanted him to relax and enjoy his food. If seating permits, then I will move around the room as much as I can to capture your and your guests’ reactions from all angles.
Top tip:
If you can, try and keep your speeches to no more than 30 minutes. If you choose to do them before the meal, everybody will be really hungry by this point and their attention may wane. Keep everybody’s attention by throwing in a little humour, emotion, and messages from the heart.
Party!
I love this part of your wedding day, the grand finale, the big bash! You would normally have your cake cutting and then go straight into your first dance. During your first dance, I will position myself on the sidelines, facing you, with your guests behind you. Once your guests all join you on the dance floor, so will I. I love the dance floor as this is when everybody is really relaxed, and they all let their hair down. I will then stay with you for some of your evening party. You won’t find me rushing off after the first dance; your story is not complete! Once I feel that I have captured enough of your day, I will depart and leave you all to party the night away!
Top tip:
Don’t worry if you are not ballroom dancers and you haven’t spent weeks practicing a choreographed first dance. Most people don’t! Nobody will be expecting a dirty dancing lift on the dance floor. If you can and you feel comfortable with it, a little gentle movement makes for great pictures. A simple twirl or a dip looks great in your photos
I really hope you enjoyed my blog, and I hope that you are now a little clearer on how I will approach your wedding photography on the day. If you like what you see and you would like to have a chat, then please contact me. I would love to chat about your special day. To see some of my real weddings and find some more inside tips, then please check out my blog here. I can’t wait to hear from you and talk all things wedding. Please also check out my portfolio page to see my recent work.
