I've put together some helpful tips to help you plan your day to
include all the photographs that you would like and to make sure all those
special moments are captured, it does not include advice for planning your day
completely. It is by no means exhaustive, but just a few things I have picked
up from personal experience both as a wedding photographer but also from my own
wedding in 2013.
- Plan ahead and provide your photographer with a initial list of all the photographs and ideas you would like from the day. Remember to include everything from the small details (a DIY project or sentimental jewellery) through to the group shots, the more information you can provide initially the better in my experience and this is just a initial list of ideas not a finite list. Do remember that your photographer will take a lot of shots as standard and they will do their creative thing with these.
- Provide the above list as early as possible so that there is plenty of time to discuss it with your photographer along with timings and all the finer details. This also allows time to discuss the individual shots and any creative ideas that you have and how to make them a reality.
- Provide a list of all the group shots that you want taken, this is a definite list of photographs that need to be taken and it is this list the photographer will have with them on the day. At this point it is also worth mentioning that it is a good idea to assign an usher/groomsman to help with organising the groups ready for the photographer.
- Don't hesitate to discuss your needs with your photographer, you have employed their services to capture you special day how you would like. Trust me, your photographer should welcome your input as it helps them more than you would believe! Also remember to provide the photographer with all the details of who is getting ready where and the full running order of the day, if you can email them an order of service beforehand that is always helpful.
- One thing to think about is allowing your photographer to do their job, after all that is why you have employed their services! This isn't directly about the bride and groom or even the bridal party, it is more about the guests. I have experienced it myself and read about it numerous times where well-meaning guests have wanted to capture all those wonderful moments, whereas this is a lovely thing it can impede the photographer from being able to take the professional images that you have asked for. It is becoming increasingly common now for couples to ask that people do not take their own photographs during the ceremony as not only can it potentially ruin the professional photographs, but it can also be very distracting for the couple to see flashes going off left, right and centre. This can be done in a couple of ways, either a small note in the invite or order of ceremony/service or asking the person conducting the service (or even an usher) to quickly say something before the ceremony starts. There are many polite and friendly ways to deal with this though so don't panic, and I think it's great to allow all your friends and family to take photographs as they will capture different angles and fun shots while the photographer is busy with the shots you have asked them to take. This is what I sent out to friends and family before my own wedding last year:
"Although it would be really lovely for
everyone to capture the day they way they see it, I would kindly ask you to
respect the professional photographer and allow them to do their job. There
will be plenty of time for everyone to take photos throughout the day."
- Factor in plenty of time for photographs, the last thing you want to be doing on your wedding day is rushing around, you want to enjoy it and if you allow more than enough time for the photographs you will end up with all the images that you wanted and more! Just as a guideline, I've put together some suggested timings to help you plan. These are just suggestions as a lot will depend on the location(s) of the ceremony and reception but you can discuss these in further detail with your photographer.
- Allow plenty of time for bridal preparation
photos. The photographer will take photographs of the dress, shoes, veil,
flowers, jewellery and any other accessories while you are having hair and
make-up done. At the end stages of the hair and make-up this is when the
photographer will start taking photographs of you and it is at this stage the
bridesmaids should all be in their dresses ready to help the bride into hers.
Once everyone is dressed and ready to go leave at least 30 minutes for bridal
party photos.
- Leave plenty of time for the photographer to
make their way to the ceremony venue (unless it is all in one place) and to
take photographs of the groom, best man and groomsmen, around 30 minutes for
the photography (plus travel time if needed).
- After the ceremony, allow around 30 minutes
at least for bride and groom photos only (this is when you will go off with the
photographer just the three of you) for some stunning couples shots. Of course
if you want more that is absolutely fine just set aside more time, after
all it is your day.
- Group shots. As a general rule you need to
allow for 10 minutes per group, it obviously doesn't take ten minutes to take
the photograph but you will need to round everyone up for it! The number of
group shots is up to you and often depends on the size of the family etc, but
do bear in mind when planning the amount of time these will take up.
- Sunset shots, if you would like photographs
taken at sunset please remember to make time for this during the evening
celebrations, that way there is not a quick dash outside to grab some shots, it
is well planned out.
- Leave time and plenty of it! Photographs often taken longer than people think, maybe include a time buffer, if you don't need it then great but if you do it's there and things won't get rushed and you will feel much more relaxed throughout the day.
- One final thing, you have chosen your photographer for a reason, you really like their style and you feel comfortable with them, so let go and allow them to work their magic! A good wedding photographer doesn't have to cost the earth but you do have to like their work and trust that they will capture your day perfectly providing you with truly beautiful memories of your day. Every wedding is different and I always like to have plenty of contact with the couple to make sure that I am aware of all the ins and outs of the day so that I can provide them with the memories they will cherish.
This is by no means a firm plan, it is just a few tips and tricks I have picked up through experience both as a bride and a photographer, different photographers will have different ideas and want different levels of input. For me I personally like to have a lot of input from the couple to really get a hold of their wedding and to make sure I cover everything for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment