4 Tips on How To Get The Best Photos on Your Wedding Day!
Trust your photographer
When hiring your photographer you’re doing so because you love their work so when you wedding day rolls around, let your photographer do their thing- after all, that’s what they’re there for! While we appreciate structure- it’s why we have a lengthy pre-wedding questionnaire- no one likes being hovered over as they’re working or worse, being micromanaged. Our experience shooting over all of these years has taught us how to not to miss big, milestone, moments (first kiss, first dance, happy tears during speeches) while our unique creativity and intuitiveness allows us to spot the more subtle and intimate moments that are a pleasant surprise to find in your gallery (someone unexpected wiping a tear during the ceremony, friends and family together sharing a laugh, what kids do when they think no ones watching). So trust us when we say: we know what we’re doing.
Create your timeline with your photographer in mind!
If you want great photos you need to allow the time for them to happen! Whether that’s setting aside the right amount of time for getting ready photos in the morning (which is more than 30 minutes please but also 2hrs can be way too much!), or having our own private access into the reception to shoot detail photos before guests come in. Each photographer is different so when you’re working on your timeline make sure you check in with your photographer, and ask how much time they need to do the best job possible. Peep our suggested timeline here.
Consider location & lighting
Dark and dingy rooms will not give you bright and airy photos. In order to make beautiful photos it doesn’t hurt to be set up with a beautiful environment. When booking your hotel room book an east facing window for bright morning light, or if you’re reserving an Air BnB make sure the decor matches your vibe for the day and has things you won’t mind being the background of your photos. Open all of the blinds and turn off all of the ambient/overhead lights that are on in the room. (Note: while overhead lights or a lamp can bring in a little extra light to a darker room they overall make a photo look worse)
Shoot an Engagement Session!
We’ll say this until we’re blue in the face: shoot your engagement session! It’s basically a trial run before your wedding. It gives you the opportunity to get in front of your photographer’s camera beforehand so that when your big day rolls around, you know what the experience is like, you get into the same/similar poses (which by then you’ll be nailing because you’re a pro!). You’ll also get to see yourself in photos before your wedding and have an understanding of angles and lighting that you like for yourself, or poses that feel comfortable and natural to you both. We find engagement sessions to be so beneficial we’ve incorporated them into our packages at no extra cost and we highly, highly, encourage everyone to take advantage!