Planning Your Wedding from a Photographer's Point of View

As a professional wedding photographer I have witnessed many weddings. Some have been a breeze to shoot and others have been quite challenging. At a wedding a great photographer is expected to take what is given them and make fabulous photographs. There are some scenarios where it becomes extremely difficult. Here is a guide to avoiding those scenarios so you can have the best possible photographs.

Location
When choosing a location keep in mind it will be the backdrop for your photographs. Think about where you will be standing and the angle at which the photographer will be taking the pictures. Many brides choose something beautiful like an arch or a nature scene to stand in front of, but they forget that the photographer will also be getting shots of them walking down the aisle.

Time
If you are having an outdoor ceremony and/or reception the time of day will be crucial. Most people hope for a bright sunny day for their wedding. Unfortunately the brighter the day the harsher the light and the shadows will be. Early morning or evening ceremonies are better. When the light is lower in the sky it is much easier to work with. If you have a location with lots of open shade you can have your wedding even closer to the middle of the day. If possible you should visit the venue about the same time of day as when you have your wedding planned.

Time is also something you will want to plan plenty of for pictures. If you want family group shots as well as pictures of you and your new husband (or wife) plan on plenty of time between the ceremony and the reception.

Use Your Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids are there to assist the bride. Of course you will want to treat them well to avoid having them feel like servants, but most are happy to help. Assign a maid to quickly check you over well before it is time to walk down the aisle. She will be able to make sure you didn't forget something important that you may have forgotten. You don't want to forget your veil or flowers or shoes (I have seen these things forgotten, it happens). Once you get to the spot where the ceremony will take place you are oftentimes moved by the officiator. Sometimes they will have you turn so you are facing your guests. Other ceremonies may require you to kneel. Assign a bridesmaid, or flower girl that is old enough, the job of making sure your train is spread out nicely. You will want your train to be perfect for your photographs.

Be Flexible with Photo Locations
You may have some ideas in mind about backdrops for posed pictures. Share these with your photographer. You must be flexible though. Your photographer will know what locations will work to make your pictures look the best. At a recent wedding we shot the group shots in the shade behind a building. The venue had a spectacular waterfall but it was simply too sunny during the time they had allotted to take the photos. I asked the bride if she wanted the background to look great but risk having squinty people and sharp shadows across their faces or have the people look great in flattering light in a less dramatic backdrop. She chose the latter, and the pictures turned out beautifully. The family members looked their best, and the focus was on them. We cropped the images tight so they filled the frame. Later as the sun went down we were able to quickly pose some pictures of the bride and groom in front of the waterfall.

Lighting
Receptions are usually held in dark venues. Photographers can use special lighting equipment and high powered flashes, but there are some things you can do to make your pictures better. During key events, like the bouquet and garter toss and the cake cutting, have the house lights turned up. This will help the photographer by enabling him to use a faster shutter speed to stop the action. It will also help avoid pictures that look like they were taken in a black hole.

Countdowns
When doing the bouquet and garter tosses do a countdown. Count down from three and then toss the bouquet or garter in the air. It will help your photographer capture them in midair with the guests in the back reaching for it. This sounds silly, but grooms may want to practice throwing the garter once or twice in private. They are lightweight and don't fly very far when thrown. A lot of grooms prefer to fling it like a rubber band. This is effective. Make sure you aim high. I have seen many garters fly only about two feet very unspectacularly.

Communicate
Make sure you communicate well with your photographer about what you expect. Also make sure to communicate with your family exactly when and where they need to be for group pictures. Tell them to be early. Remember that when someone holds everyone up you are making the photographer's job harder. When pictures are rushed you get fewer and the quality goes down because everyone is rushed.

Your photographer may have specific tips that go with the style of photography they use. Hopefully the ones I have listed will help you start thinking more critically about how important your role is in ensuring that your pictures will turn out wonderful.