Tips to get the best photos on your wedding day!

On your wedding day… make an effort to spend the day together.

“Well, duh!” you might be thinking! But it’s surprising how many couples get swept off talking to friends and family and forget to actually be with each other. Not just at the same location, but actually side by side… So here are my wedding tips to get the best photos of you and your guests on your wedding day!

The thing is, if you want natural couple photographs of you together on one of the happiest days of your lives, you actually have to spend the day in close proximity to each other!

What most couples do – they spend the morning apart, then come together for the ceremony (you probably won’t remember much of this), and then after the confetti is thrown they’re away talking to their guests on opposite sides of the room! Then apart from the group shots and portrait session, they don’t normally come together again until it’s time for dinner.

Allow plenty of time for portraits before the ceremony!

This is THE BEST TIME to get lovely portraits of you looking your best. After the ceremony there won’t be much time, as you’ll want to spend time with your wedding guests; it might be a bit windy and your hair won’t be looking so perfect; your makeup may have worn off a bit…

Be ready early rather than late, and that goes for the bridesmaids too! We want a nice calm chilled out Bride, not one who’s panicking about running late. I always like to get the Bride and her maids to play a silly game to get them all laughing and relaxed. Natural, relaxed wedding photography is what we’re after.

Your bridesmaids need to be completely ready before you start putting on your dress so that they can fully help out with doing the dress up, and finishing touches, and generally be in the photos. It helps if the bridesmaids are there fully ready, to keep the atmosphere relaxed and make the photos more fun.

A good Hair & Makeup Artist will know to get you ready with plenty of time for portraits, but don’t be afraid to tell them the time you want to be ready. The worst thing is when either the hair and make-up artist, or bridesmaids, make the bride late and there’s no time for any portraits.

Bridal portraits – I advise all my clients to aim to be completely ready an hour before you need to leave – this is a good time to do portraits of the bride and her bridesmaids, and also photos with the bride’s parent(s). And the reason I say an hour is because more often than not you’ll be running late!

Alternatively… be alternative! Have some photos of you both before your ceremony!

If you’re not a traditional couple, and you’re not having a traditional wedding, why not get ready together and/or have a ‘first look’ portrait session before the ceremony? Especially if you’re having a later ceremony! This also works well for Winter weddings when it gets dark a lot earlier.

Wouldn’t you like to have more time to socialise with your guests and get more of those natural shots after the ceremony?

CEREMONY…

Forget about the camera being on you both and really enjoy the moment as everything is unfolding. That way if you are both more relaxed the photos can capture these moments and both of your reactions!

Walk Slow down the aisle, Don’t Run!

It usually works best having your bridesmaids walk down the aisle first. This way we can get some amazing photographs of all of them before you make your fabulous entrance!

BUT… please all walk slowly and leave big gaps!!!

This way everyone can marvel at how lovely they look and they can enjoy the moment too! Brides – make sure you wait until the last bridesmaid is in her seat and out of the way before you start walking. Otherwise, your groom can’t see you in all your glory! Grooms have to fight to see you from behind the bridesmaids and then photographers can’t get the perfect shot!

Please tell your guests to turn off their phones/cameras/tablets!

Oh. My. Goodness. I know people like to get their own photos, but pleeeease tell your guests to leave it to the professional photographer. The amount of times I’ve taken shots of the Bride and Groom at key moments (e.g. first kiss, or walking down the aisle), but only for there to be a wedding guest with a phone, or even tablet (don’t even get me started on people who take photos with tablets!!) getting right in the shot so I can’t see the Bride/Groom or your lovely guests faces!

My mission for you – try and stick together and speak to your guests together after the ceremony

You’ll get loads more natural photographs of you both together, which you’ll thank me for, especially if you hate posing for portraits! This way you can get the pictures of moments that you might have missed of you two celebrating together with your nearest and dearest…

Many thanks for checking out my tips on getting the best photographs on your big day!

Are you planning on getting married at a venue in Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, or West Sussex? Please Contact Me for a quote and to check my availability before it’s too late!

Alternatively, you can see some more of my lovely weddings HERE

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this Blog.

Ginny x