How to Get the Best From your Wedding Photographer – update 2016.
Hiring a photographer can be one of the largest expenses of your wedding plans. As any purchase a buyer wants to get the most for their money. There are several things that can help during the planning and the actual wedding day.
1. Schedule enough time for photos
As a wedding photographer, I love the candid shots. They are so full of emotion and help tell a story. But, I also love the bride and groom portrait session. Most times they are done separately so the couple does not see each other. I always like to have at least a half-hour for the bride and a half hour for the groom. This way we can have a little fun as well, walk around see what trouble we can get into. So make sure you have planned this in to your hair appointments and golf games. Remember the more time we have, the more photos you have to choose from.
2. Remember your wedding photos when you pick your reception place.
Lets face it, the photos center around the bride and groom. The reception venue is the background to a lot of what goes on at the reception. If your wedding reception facility has lime green walls, guess what, so do some of your photos. There are ways around this. Black and white photos hide green walls. A good photographer will walk around and scope out other places to stage a few things or allow a different angle. When you pick a reception place think of your photos. Can you find lots of different backgrounds and nicely lit areas?
3. Don’t like the look of your church.
Is the church a little too traditional for your taste? Just schedule time after the ceremony to make a stop. Parks, creeks, lakes, the horseshoe all make great areas for a photographer to create a great image. Plus its nice to get away from the mob of guests for a few minutes.
4. Tell your photographer about all the little touches.
Every couple has downloaded from the Internet a generic list of things they want photos of. Not a problem. What I like to know is the stuff not on the list. Did Aunt Sally stay up all night to make the favors? Are dad and brother playing guitar as the guests arrive? The details are so important to the story. They even add a little of your color to the album. The key details are the ones that are special. A couple of weeks ago a bride had a gorgeous bouquet. On my detail list, she had mentioned the bouquet was wrapped with a tie her dad wore. It was so well done I could barely tell it was a tie. But this detail meant something special to her. I would have never known unless she but that on my list.
5. Let your photographer create.
I will say that I have had some of the best clients over the years. Most have told me what special events are happening and then told me “just do your thing.” Every wedding is different. The more flexibility a creative person has, the better the end result will be. If you did your job finding the right wedding photographer, they will have a style that you already like.
6. Last and most important, Be part of your wedding photography.
I know it sounds stupid but hear me out. Have fun, get out of your shell. The more you do, the more opportunities there are to take photos of. Hold hands, kiss, laugh, love. I guarantee you did not hire me because you saw a photo of a couple with just sitting there and not having fun. Ever wonder why the outgoing people seem to have their picture taken all the time? It is your day. Your wedding day…a day like no other. Enjoy it!
