Photographer's advice for brides
One of the best wedding photography tips you can benefit from is getting a preview of what to expect both working with your photographer and the images I will produce. Scheduling an engagement shoot is a great way to become more comfortable with your photographer. It will also give you an opportunity to give me feedback on what you like and do not like before I shoot your wedding day.
ENGAGEMENT PHOTOSHOOT
Example engagement and Wedding gallery,
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Having about an hour and a half with the bride before the ceremony would give me enough time to photograph all the details of the dress, shoes and jewelry as well as take some informal photos of guests. There’s always a mad rush before the dress has to go on and I like to have about 15-20 mins after the dress is on to do portrait photos of the bride with bridesmaids and the mother before I dash off. Sometimes this goes out the window because time goes quicker than people expect and its a shame to lose those shots.
Geting ready
For a couple who are getting married at a church, one of the questions I always encourage them to ask their officiant is “What are the church photography restrictions?”. Most brides and grooms are very surprised when I explain that it is very common to have specific rules which can vary wildly. I’ve been to churches which say “Do what you like" as well as “No photography at all- full stop".
The reason I encourage couples to ask early is to prevent nasty surprises on the day of their wedding and to ensure we’re all on the same page. It also means I won’t get an upset phone call from the newlyweds asking why there are no photographs of their wedding ceremony.
Common restrictions are-
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No flash photography
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No moving around once the ceremony has started
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Stay at the front at all times behind the vicar/priest
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Stay at the back at all times.
Remember: you need to inform the photographer of any photography restrictions on your wedding day.
CHURCH PHOTOGRAPHY RESTRICTIONS
Group shots
A family member or a best man is a huge help
Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph. I often advise to do multiple group shots, maximum of 8 persons. In these cases I often ask the couple to provide me with a family or family member who has a running sheet of the different groups of people to be photographed and can guide guests in an orderly manner. Having a family member do this helps to make sure you don’t miss anyone out, but also ensures that the group is familiar with the person and will generally respond well when they order them around.