1. Make a list.
Even if you're not a natural list maker. It can't hurt to be prepared and you and your photographer will be on the same page. Sit down with your other half, write out a fairly short and decisive list of group photos, give it a week or so and then have another look at it. As soon as you've decided, send it to your wedding photographer, and try and do this in plenty of time before the big day, it's such an easy thing to forget to do.

2. Give the list to your photographer, and at least one person from the wedding party.
I mean no disrespect but there are a lot of people at your wedding that I don't know, I've never met before, and so having names on a list becomes pretty meaningless to me in terms of organisation. I could be standing right next to your Aunt and not have a clue! So give your list to one or two other people, I would recommend people who are in your wedding party (because they'll be expecting to be on hand to help you out), and preferably people with a loud voice who aren't shy.

I was reading an article the other day that caught my attention about a term I had never heard of. Reading it I learned that Pete and I had a “Destination Micro Wedding” and didn’t even realise! (I even photographed one at the end of last year! Pictures below)

Yes yes it sounds like a trendy idea that could go out of vogue in a matter of years, but I’m prepared to go out on a limb and say that I think they might be here to stay. If you don’t have a big budget, or are low key or introverted people who don’t want a fuss but a nice intimate wedding day, they are definitely something to consider.

Micro Wedding 
[ˈmaɪkrəʊ ˈwɛdɪŋ]
An small and intimate wedding that is similar to an elopement, but you invite a small number of close family and friends along too.

PROS:
Sometimes less really is more, and if you have a smaller budget it can go a lot further and you are able to have more of the things you want for less. For example, feeding let's say 12 people is obviously going to cost you far less than feeding 100 or even 200, so you have the option to spend more per head than you would if your guest list was bigger.

A lot of wedding suppliers such as photographers, florists and bakers are willing to do the same great quality of product you want, but for less because you probably need less of a service from them. If there's only 12 of you for dinner, you are less likely to have a huge wedding cake that feeds 200 right? (or maybe not, maybe you really like cake!)

From personal experience you also get around to talk to all your guests much easier than you would at a larger wedding, and I found the day is so much less stressful.

This is a question I've been asked a few times this year, especially since Lana (above) has been working with me, so I will tell you what I told those people:
​
To be honest for most weddings (less than 200 guests) I wouldn't say that you need to have a second photographer/"second shooter".

If it's something that is going to be an extra cost, and if it would make a huge difference to the overall price I would seriously suggest you think about it. It would be a lovely added bonus but it's not really a requirement. I cannot deny that having a second Photographer there gives you an obvious second person perspective and I can only be in one place at one time, but one wedding photographer alone should give you hundreds of images of your wedding day.

Often (like Lana) the second shooter will be there to purely get work experience and to shadow the main Photographer to learn and assist, and so they will often be there for free or for a very small amount. The reality is if they want to become a Wedding Photographer, experience is invaluable but difficult to come by. Unless they know lots of people getting married, it really is the best way to learn!

I really enjoy going to wedding shows as part of my job, but as a bride it was a completely different experience. So trust me when I say that I understand when people tell me they don't think they'll bother going to one. The truth is you can often feel hounded, there’s an awful lot going on and you sometimes feel you have to make on the spot decisions.

​But it's a great way to see in person what local wedding vendors can offer you, and talking to suppliers in person allows you to make decisions in a way I don’t think you can on the internet. You can often see and touch samples for example (like my USB boxes and photo books) and talk in person to potentially the people you are trusting to help make your wedding day a success and perfect for you both.

Weddings can very easily be an expensive thing, and I am sure it must be so tempting when you have a friend or family member who is learning photography (who might be quite good at it) to want to ask them to shoot your wedding to save some money.  

You can probably guess what side of the argument I'm on, but the last thing I want to do is sound like a snobby elitist so and so, so please let me explain: ​

It's a question that I hear every now and then around the world wide web, and I think all Photographers have a slightly different answer to the question "Should you feed your Wedding Photographer?". 

Some Photographers think you're just there to do a job so quit complaining, others think it's almost a crime to not be fed. But here's my opinion - If your Photographer is going to be at your wedding all day, I think you should feed them. More than anything it's appreciative and it's polite.

At quite a few weddings I've worked on, I've sat on a table with guests socialised with them and ate a three course meal. Other times I haven't been put into the seating plan but I'm still given a meal, and so I eat it elsewhere at the venue. At one wedding I was given a little picnic as my lunch, and it was so hot that day that it was perfect! I sat under a tree (I felt like a Hobbit!) in the field right next to the barn where all the guests were eating their dinner, I took off my shoes and I enjoyed my lunch. All of these different scenarios made me more than happy and did not go unappreciated. 

Most catering companies or wedding venues will have an option in one form or another for a cheaper meal that you can give to your Photographer (or other vendors you may have hired). 

I hope you found this helpful and happy wedding planning!
If you have any questions you'd like me to answer, feel free to get in touch. ​​​