There are always some things that get forgotten while wedding planning. Even I am guilty of forgetting to tell my clients certain things to ensure they can get the best photographs possible on their wedding day! So that is my mission with this post. Here are 8 tips your wedding photographer forgot to tell you.
1. THE LESS CLUTTER, THE BETTER
Clear the room of any clutter, especially if you’re getting ready at home rather than a hotel room. (But actually I have seen some pretty messy hotel rooms!) Anything that you wouldn’t want to be seen in the photographs (plastic bags, water bottles, clothes over the bed, etc), move it before your wedding photographer gets there to photograph finishing touches. Unfortunately these things take FOREVER to edit out of photos, so please save us some work and try to get everyone to help clear the clutter before the photographer arrives!
2. DON’T FORGET THE DETAILS!
If you want your photographer to photograph any other details such as shoes or jewelry please have them ready and put to one side. It is SO easy to forget things like this. If you want detail shots of the groom’s shoes and tie, make sure you have them with you (we will get them back to him in time of course!). An invitation is always good to have as well, because some photographers, like myself, like to set up a nice shot displaying your beautiful invites. Also PLASTIC HANGERS SUCK. Photographers hate them. I try to always have a wooden hanger on stand by, but like I said, I do forget sometimes. It is helpful to already have one there.
3. COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Instruct your DJ to communicate with your photographer during the reception. It’s best if they let us know BEFORE they start the cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc., so we can be prepared for these shots. Your uncle Bob might have dragged us in another room to get shots of distant family members, we might be in the restroom (this has happened, I promise), or we might just be completely caught off guard, and then we will miss it. And you’ll be upset. And so will we! Help us out and make sure all communication channels are very open!
4. WE EAT WHEN YOU EAT
Photographers need to eat when you do. We can’t photograph people eating (not very flattering! Haha.) But if your servers/caterers say they won’t feed us until AFTER the guests then we don’t get to eat because that’s when the bride and groom (you guys!) are finished and the action starts up again. Pretty please give instructions to the caterer to feed the photographers at the same time as the wedding party, NOT after the last guest! We promise we don’t do this to be greedy or weird, we just want to make sure we capture everything we possibly can!
5. HAVE AN UNPLUGGED WEDDING
I could literally write an entire blog post about having an unplugged wedding, but I will spare you (for now!). Having an unplugged wedding is SO important. You hired us for a reason! We are professionals and these bright screens and Uncle Bob stepping in the aisle can be distracting things in our shot. Please please please have your officiant announce that your wedding will be unplugged! Your guests should enjoy the moment with you rather than trying to document it on their phones and immediately post it to social media. I PROMISE it will be SO worth it!
6 Your Photographer Doesn’t Know Who the VIPs at Your Wedding Are.
It may go without saying that your photographer doesn’t know your family (unless they do, of course), but it can be easy to forget this in the rush of the big day. If there are certain people in the mix that you would like your photographer to give special attention to, be sure to task someone to pointing these people out to the photographer as they arrive at your wedding venue
7 Do I really need a second photographer?
No one needs a second photographer, but they can provide you with more images and a different perspective. Many of the top photographers only work with assistants who carry gear and help with professional lighting. The best thing is to ask your wedding photographer to see how they prefer to work. You can get good results either way.
08. How far in advance should I book a wedding photographer?
Many in-demand wedding photographers book weddings at over a year out. As it gets closer to your wedding date, it will be harder to book your first-choice photographer.
If your favorite photographer is unavailable on your date, don’t panic. Ask them for recommendations — they may know someone with a similar style and a lighter schedule.
