Getting Wedding Photos You Love

Part One – Bride & Groom Preparation

Every bride imagines her photographer capturing pinterest perfect images throughout her special day but sometimes reality can be a little different than whats inside your head.  Its so super important that you are getting photos you love and here are a few things to keep in mind before you even book the venue or start your planning process. Obviously step one is to hire a photographer (or any wedding vendor for that matter) who will be upfront and honest with you. Someone who is ok telling you that your not planning enough time or that something you are wanting may not work. This is a little something I like to call “Managing Expectations” and its amazingly beneficial to my couples.

Let’s be real… a photographer who doesn’t advise you in the right direction will only give you false hope and a bunch of photos that are not what you expected. So, right here and now I am speaking up, so please listen!! I promise that everything I am saying here will help improve your images, getting photos you love and adore. Today we are going to go over the getting ready process.

BRIDAL PREP

As many photographers will tell you, the light throughout the day can make or break you photos. It’s something most couples don’t pay attention to and it’s also a key component to beautiful images. Important lighting starts in the getting ready room. Make sure that the room you are getting your makeup, hair and getting dressed in has Nice big windows. This allows for beautiful soft light to make you look amazing vs overhead lights that can look orange and can sometimes still be really dark. You don’t want to get ready in a cave and you don’t want your photos to look like that also!  This is something your makeup artist will also find important. Place a chair in front of the window so that the light hits your face. You will be getting photos you love and perfect makeup.. It’s a win-win situation!

The Bride – Getting photos you love

Other things to think about when getting ready? Declutter!!! Its really important to have all the girls “stuff” in one room and to have the biggest, brightest room nice and clean so that getting ready photos don’t have bags of Cheetos in the background. Try to have your flowers delivered to the hotel or getting ready space so that detail shots can be done before you get dressed and so that photos of you and your girls are accentuated by your beautiful flowers. Last but not least, its important to allow enough time for your photographer to get all the detail shots, the feel of the room and the getting ready photos! Please figure at least 1.5 to 2 hours before the ceremony to capture all these things as it takes much longer to get ready than you think!

GROOM PREP

Guys seem like the easy ones in the getting ready process, don’t they? I mean, they have far less to think about and it takes them nearly no time at all to just slip into their extremely debonair suit. This is all true but there are a few things to remember. Lighting & decluttering is equally important for guys. Secondly, make sure that when the photographer or cinematographer arrives you have your pants and shirt on and that your details are ready to be photographed. This includes your tie, belt, cufflinks, pocket square, flask (if you have one), watch, jacket, love notes and any gifts that your bride has given you. Once we are done with the details and getting photos you love, we will move on to the groom putting on the rest of his attire followed by him and his guys hanging out. Please men… don’t get drunk before your wedding. Its’s not attractive having the groom fall out of the limo onto his face (true story) but instead opt for a toast with your guys to relieve the tension and get some great photos. This should take about an hour and if your photographer has 2 shooters then this can be covered at the same time that the bride’s getting ready shots are being done.

The Groom – Getting photos you love

We know that getting the best photos for your wedding is important and we want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the right decisions. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our next post “Getting Photos You Love – Part Two”  where we will go over the ceremony location.

Cheers!

-Stephanie