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Ah yes. It’s Wednesday again, and I’m excited about another Wedding Wednesday post!
My own wedding is only a little over four months away (EEEEKKK!!!) and I am hesitant to admit that my subconscious worries are making nightly appearances in my DREAMS! Most recently, I had a horrible dream about my own wedding photography–it consisted of a late photographer, the wrong photographer, rushed time-lines, and missing photographers–and when I woke up, heart pounding, wet with sweat, and a reality check later I thought that Photography matters would make a superb wedding-Wednesday post!
Being in front of the camera is TOTALLY different than being behind the lens, and because of that, I’ll admit I have been thinking a lot about what I want our pictures to portray and what I can do/say/prepare for our wedding photographer to make sure I get the look I want and my ideas and important moments come across clearly.
- First, do your homework. When choosing a wedding photographer, pick a budget you are comfortable paying within…then find a photographer with a style that speaks to you. Try to figure out what it is about that photographer you like, and tell them why you chose them. Not only does it make our job as a photographer easier, it gets you the type of images you want. Remember when you hire a photographer you are not only hiring the service, you are hiring the artistry and the creative license they’ve grown their business around.
- Communicate! This is key to keeping all parties on task. You’re photographer does not know what is and isn’t important to you solely because you picked them. If you know you will not be happy if some key element is missed, TELL ThEM! Keep your photographer informed and up-to-date with any last minute changes, special moments, time-lines. Again, we don’t know unless you tell us! Sure, there are always the traditional must-have moments all wedding photographers and sure to get, but it is helpful to know the rough time-line of these events, and or to know if there is any non-traditional thing you want captured! Also, I always tell my clients to go ahead and email me any pictures they absolutely love, or envision their day to be like. Whether they are from my website or someone else’s. I love fresh ideas and I truly want to give them a product as close to their imagination as possible. What better way than to have examples of what they love at hand!
- Bring props that reflect who you are. Don’t be afraid to prepare fun signs, bring goofy sunglasses, wear funny hats, or make funny faces! You’re photographer will be sure to get traditional shots of you, but in ten years, you don’t want to look back and say “that’s so not me.” Be yourself, and your personality will shine through in your photographs. Do what feels right and natural to you.
- My favorite recommendation? THE FiRST LOOK! Is my favorite thing for so many reasons. Not only does it allow for great solo-photo time, it is jam-packed with emotion and gives you guys (the couple) a tender moment of stillness in a day that can be gone in an instant. I have done a couple of these with my clients, and when I touch base with them, they all say hands-down it was one of the best decisions of the day. It gives the couple private moments that become an unforgettable part of their day, and makes for some of the best pictures I have ever seen. Whenever I am perusing my favorite blogs, the pictures that often choke me up the most are from the first look. I could keep telling you about how wonderful this is, but I realize it’s a very personal part of your day and to some people it’s not an option. That is okay too, I just really love it (in-case you couldn’t tell).
