Wedding Photography. Essential Planning Information For Bridal Couples.

Introduction.

There is so much information on the Internet about wedding planning and preparation, it can be overwhelming for the bride and groom to take it all in. This blog has seven simple key points that will help guide you through the basic preparation for you're wedding photography. All the information in this blog is necessary for the preparation of your special day. You may ask yourself “Shouldn’t my wedding photographer take care of all the planning?” Yes, most of it will be planned by your photographer, if you find a good professional, but you still need some basic information to get you started.

Where do you start? I have found that overloading clients with too much information can make them lose focus and forget the simple but essential elements that make their wedding photography flow smoothly. Getting the basics right the first time will ensure that your photographer will provide you with the best possible results. There is a lot of useful information on blogs and the Internet but for now all you really need are the basics to get you started.

Once you find a photographer they will be able to go through all the detailed planning with you later. I provide an extensive wedding planning guide for my clients and this will possibly be available as a blog later. The guide includes location ideas, logistics, dresses, and much more. If you are interested you can contact me at: www.aaronphoto.co.nz

Before you make any decisions on venues and locations, please read all this information before booking your venue. The advise here will go a long way to getting the best out of your photographer and will provide you with a more enjoyable experience.

You may make a copy of this document and keep it on file.

Good luck!

I have broken this content into seven short sections to keep it simple.

1. Book in advance!

2. Venues / Reception

3. Family Shots

4. Main Photo Shoot

5. Timing Issues!

6. What qualifies a professional photographer?

7. Budget!

1. Book in advance!

A good photographer will usually be booked a year to possibly two years in advance.

Yes, it’s true! Start looking as soon as you can. Trying to book within six months will almost be impossible… almost. Many couples book their wedding venue first. This is fine, but how much do you value your precious images from the day? If you use a good professional, they will be the best wedding investment you make.

2. Venues / Reception

When choosing a venue it is very important to know any time restrictions the venue might have. Some venues can limit your photographic time severely. Before you book make sure the venue can be flexible with your photographic time requirements.

Venues like vineyards can be open to the public earlier on you're wedding day. This will limit the times for your main events. A good venue should provide a flexible and professional service. If you want your photos taken close to sunset, this is an important thing to consider. Check with your photographer before confirming any times.

3. Family Shots

Keep it simple and your group shots short. It is less complicated if you organise less group shots. Groups of about six – ten people are ideal. You will need to allow for about forty five minutes to one hour. If you are having photographs taken at the reception you can have candid and more intimate shots of your family and friends. This is better for some individual portraits. It is vital to find one or two people that know your family and are excellent at organising. This will give the photographer time to concentrate on the job.

Also having someone else take care of things will reduce your stress and will enable you to enjoy yourself. Provide them with a basic list of both families. It is important to let the person or people you have chosen for this task know how important it is. This is the most chaotic part of the day and people tend to wander off and socialise, forgetting they have a job to do in a small amount of time. You will need to find two reliable people.

Never serve hors d’ouevres or canapes while your family shots are being taken!

Wine and other drinks are fine. No-one likes photographs of family with food in their mouths. Also it makes organising family members very difficult as everyone wanders off in their own direction looking for food.

4. Main Photo Shoot.

How much time will you need for the shoot? This is something you will need to discuss with your photographer. Your photo shoot should be about two to two and a half hours. Any less can be stressful for you and the photographer. The main shoot will include the family shots. So in reality the photos taken away from the family will be about one to one and a half hours. You will not be away from your family for that long. If you have the option to take your main photos before the ceremony or after the reception, that can work well, depending on how traditional you are. Just remember you need to factor in your traveling.

Having a hot reception lunch and photo shoot after can work well for better light and give you more time and flexibility to do something a little different. You could always return to the reception for dessert and the party. There are no rules, it’s your wedding.

It’s a good idea to prepare a hamper for the main shoot.

It’s very likely you will be hungry by the time you return from the main shoot. Food and drinks will make you feel more relaxed and it will give you something to do.If your venue is supplying you a hamper, make sure all the food is simple and is ready before you leave. Hot hampers can sometimes take awhile to get to you. This can put a hold on your photo shoot. Every minute is precious, especially if you are traveling.

5. Timing Issues!

This is what will catch most couples out.

You have just finished your ceremony and leave the church or venue to get ready for your family shots. You then realise that there are many people wanting to meet and greet you. You had not factored this extra time in and are now under pressure.

No one wants to feel pressured on their wedding day, but because there are so many things to consider this will most likely be one thing you have not thought about.

The list below is a standard time buffer you need to allow for different events of the day.

You will be surprised how much time you can lose throughout the whole day.

Once you have considered these key timings you will find that your day will be much more relaxing. This is something you will need to go into great detail with your photographer when you meet.

Getting ready

Whatever time you think you need to leave for the ceremony, plan to be ready in your dress thirty minutes before. Time will go by very quickly while getting ready.

For a bridal party with three bridesmaids, you will need about four hours +

Ceremony

Allow for a five to fifteen minute delay for your arrival at the ceremony venue.

Meet and Greet

You will need fifteen to thirty minutes for the meet and greet after the service.

Family Shots

Allow for about forty five minutes – one hour for the family photos.

If you are having a shot of everyone, that can take up to fifteen minutes alone.

Leaving to go on your main shoot

This should be as quick as hopping into a car and leaving. Sorry, all your bridal party has become sheep and wandered off! Allow for about fifteen minutes.

Main Shoot

This depends on how much time you have allocated for your events and if there are any time restrictions with your venue. Do not let the venue pressure you, it’s your day. If you think the venue cannot adjust the time to your requirements then you might need to consider using a more flexible venue. Most photo shoots including your family shots will take about two and a half hours. Any less can cause a lot of unnecessary stress. You want your day to be fun and relaxing. Just remember, for a two hour shoot, you will probably be away from your family for just over one hour. Not that long really.

Reception

Not too much to worry about here.

If your venue has a buffet style of dinner then you will have a bit of flexibility with when you can arrive back. If you are being served a la carte, you will need to be back on time. To the minute, almost. Most professionals are good with timing and will get you back on time, or within a ten minute window.

6. What qualifies a professional photographer?

This is a difficult question. There are many great internationally recognised wedding photographers. The problem is that there are many photographers with recognised qualifications that are not at the top of their field.

On the flip-side there are many experienced photographers who do not hold national or international qualifications but produce outstanding work and have very high professional standards.

Besides creating beautiful images, having a professional approach to their business is the difference you need to look for. Someone who takes an interest with the details of you're wedding and is prepared to help you every step of the way. This is a sign they could be the right person for you. These attributes can be recognised with a little research when looking for your photographer. Holding a national or internationally recognised qualification, eg. NZIPP is not essential, but it does provide a great safety net. Qualified members are bound by a stringent code of ethics that ensure they are professional in both their business and creative practices.

Do not be afraid to ask questions like:

“Do you have any personal or professional references that I can contact directly?”

“Are you a member of a national or internationally recognised photographic association?”

“Are you the photographer on the day?”

“What are your contract and copyright policies?”

“What facilities do you have for backing up our wedding photos?”

“What professional equipment do you use?” (Google professional wedding camera equipment before asking that one, so you know what you are talking about)

“How long have you been photographing weddings?”

“Do you specialise in photographing weddings?”

“Please can you show me some of your recent work?”