You’ve hired the wedding photographer of your dreams, but are you making sure that you have enough photos? Wedding photographers take thousands of photos during a wedding day. The most important thing is to make sure that there are plenty of great shots for the bride and groom to choose from. Here’s a checklist for what to look out for:
CEREMONY
In addition to the wedding party, you’ll want to make sure that you have photos of all of the other important people who will be in attendance at your ceremony. These include:
- The bride and groom, obviously. They are what this whole thing is about, after all!
- The officiant. It’s a good idea to have a few shots of him performing the ceremony—but don’t waste time getting too many if he isn’t really into it (or if he doesn’t seem comfortable with having his photo taken). If you’ve hired a professional photographer for your ceremony instead of taking care of it yourself or hiring some friends to do the job for cheap rates, then ask him or her what they think you should do with regard to timing and posing during these moments; they’ll probably already have an idea as far as how long each event should take place before moving on so that everyone can get back into their seats before anything else happens…just make sure not all those shots are blurry because someone was looking away from where they were supposed to be looking!
FAMILY PHOTOS
A family portrait is a great way to capture your family as a whole, but it can be tricky to get everyone looking at the camera. Here are some tips to help you get great family photos:
- Give instructions before the shoot. If your wedding party is large or includes young children, it’s best to let everyone know what they need to do ahead of time. For example, if you want everyone in the photo together and facing forward toward one direction (which makes for better-looking portraits), remind them of this when you’re saying goodbye at the end of your ceremony and before heading off for photos.
- Bring props that relate specifically to each member of your bridal party or family members so that people have something fun and familiar with which they can interact while being photographed—for instance, maybe everyone has their favorite stuffed animal or toy from childhood!
THE BRIDE & GROOM PORTRAITS
The bride and groom portraits are some of the most important photos you’ll take on your wedding day. The bride and groom portraits are a chance to capture the couple in a more candid setting, without having to worry about getting them “in-sync” or looking their best. Here’s what you need:
- Bride & Groom Portrait (Bride & Groom Together)
- Bridal Party Portraits (Bride & Groom with other members of the wedding party)
- Couple’s Portraits (Bride & Groom with parents or family members)
GETTING READY
The getting ready process can be a lot of fun, but it’s also one of the most stressful times for you and your wedding party. You have to get dressed, hair and makeup done, and pack up all the belongings that you brought with you. This is an opportunity to relax and enjoy this time with your friends before the ceremony begins.
While it’s important to make sure everyone has a plan for how they want their photos taken during this time, it’s also important that there is someone there to capture those moments on camera! Many brides choose to hire professional photographers for this part of their big day because a good photographer will know how best to capture these moments without disrupting anyone’s preparations or making them feel uncomfortable in front of the camera lens (which can happen if an amateur attempts this task).
If possible, try getting ready in a private area where no one else will be around while you’re getting ready—if everyone knows what is going on then they’ll wonder why they’re not invited into their friend’s private space!
RECEPTION
At the reception, make sure you have photos of the cake cutting, first dance and bouquet toss. If there is a special moment that happens at the reception that you want to capture as well, like a garter toss or something else unique to your wedding or venue, make sure you get that on camera as well!
If your photographer doesn’t already have everything covered off-camera, here are some other ideas for fun poses:
- Photo booth (you can DIY it!)
- Family photo with all your family members together in one shot
- Group photos with people who are important to you – bridesmaids, groomsmen/groomspeople; guests who traveled far distances; etc.
Take advantage of the beautiful creative backdrop that your wedding venue provides and make sure you have all the photos that you dreamed of.
Taking advantage of the beautiful creative backdrop that your wedding venue provides is one of the most important things you can do to make sure that you have all the photos that you dreamed of. If you are planning a wedding at a beautiful beach, make sure to get some fun shots with waves crashing behind you. If it’s in a forest, take advantage of the greenery and create an outdoor wedding shoot like no other! Be creative and come up with new poses and ideas that will stand out from others’ weddings.
Make sure to get a wide variety of photos as well—you don’t want any one pose to be too similar from one photo to another! It’s also important not only for yourself but also for other people involved in this big day–your family members might not know what kinds of pictures they’d like until after seeing them on their own screens later on down the road when browsing through pictures together online or through physical albums (which we highly recommend).
Wedding photography is about documenting your special day in a way that you can keep for generations to come. It’s important to remember that the photos are not just about what was happening at the time you took them, but also about how they make you feel when looking back on them years later. So take your time during each moment so that every shot is perfect and has meaning behind it!