5 Dos & Don'ts for your Wedding Photos - From A Wedding Photographer & Former Bride

A wedding is not the sort of thing you can re-shoot. Your Photographer is just as important to get right as the dress, the location, the cake. Here are five Dos and Don’ts to bear in mind to make sure you avoid disappointment.
 
1. DON’T leave booking your Photographer to the last minute
If you’ve set a date for your wedding, and you’ve found a great Photographer who is perfect for you, please book them! I don’t want to sound bossy, but the longer you leave it the more likely it is the Photographer you really want will already be booked. The amount of people that get in touch with me a few months before their wedding and ask me if I’m free is crazy, and then of course I usually have to turn them away because I typically get booked around twelve months before a wedding. (I’ve already spoken to a couple of people planning their weddings for 2019 and even further on in the future!) ​

2. DO meet up with your Photographer a week before the wedding
By this point there should be no real question about how the day will unfold and the timings of everything. Meet up for a coffee with your Photographer, and talk to them about the running order of the day in full and go over any last minute details or changes, so that both you and your Photographer are on the same page. Make sure you’ve given a list of everyone you want a group photo with and a list of any other shots you’d like your Photographer to get.

3. DON’T dismiss the idea of an “Engagement Shoot”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have my picture taken by a professional Photographer on a daily basis (nor am I comfortable being in front of the camera). Try to think of an engagement shoot as a test run. You get to see how your Photographer works and you know what to expect. I can always see a difference on the wedding day itself, between couples who I did an engagement shoot with and those I didn’t - they are so much more relaxed it’s crazy! Plus you can use the photos for invitations, guest books, decorations – the list goes on!

4. DO speak up about your ideas
Maybe you’ve always had an idea in your head about the "perfect wedding photo”. Maybe there’s a place of significance that you want to go to at some point during the day for photos. Or maybe you found a cool wedding photo on Pinterest that you’d love to pay homage to. Make sure you tell your Photographer about it. If you see a photo you like the look of, think about why you like it and show your Photographer. This should mean that your Photographer is kept in the loop and you get all the shots you dreamed of.

5. DO try to relax as much as possible
My main goal as a Wedding Photographer is to help you both remember your amazing day. You want to look back at your wedding photos fondly, and not look at a bunch of photos in which you are too posed and self-conscious. If your Photographer is worth their salt, they will be able to capture the day as it unfolds, and know when to step in to give direction and gently coax you when you need them to. I often feel like a cheerleader on a wedding day, supporting “my team” and cheering them on – I’ve got your back guys, just enjoy yourselves!

Love & stuff
​xo.