 by
Celeste Mackenroth
Okay, the time has come. You found Mr. Right and he
has finally proposed. You are now planning the wedding of your dreams.
You have secured the church and the reception site. You found the perfect
dress and the perfect veil. You also found the perfect photographer. You
did your research and asked all the smart questions. You have cut pictures
out of magazines and printed out dozens of pictures off of the internet.
Now its up to your photographer to make it happen, to make sure that your
wedding pictures are exactly as you imagined.
Work With Your Photographer To Get The Best Photos Possible
Great communication between you and your photographer
is so important. The biggest concern for the bride and groom is how much
time they will have to spend taking pictures. That is the first thing a
couple will tell me, "We don't want to spend a lot of time taking pictures.
We want to enjoy our reception." The last thing your photographer
wants to do is to control your wedding day. In fact, it is just the opposite.
Your photographer wants to unobtrusively capture the
moments of your day as they unfold. There are many things that you can
do to help ensure that your pictures will be the lasting memories that you
treasure for years and yet, not take up too much of your time. The first
thing you can do is to make sure that you are ready and on time. Start
your day early and enjoy every minute. Give yourself plenty of time for
your hair and make-up. Schedule your appointments early enough in the day
so that if your hairdresser takes longer than expected it won't put your
entire day behind schedule. Plan well and allow extra time for unexpected
delays.
Why Keeping On Schedule Is Important
Your photographer will need you and your bridesmaids
to be ready and willing to take pictures. The last thing you want is your
photographer waiting around for your bridesmaids to get dressed when she
/ he could instead be taking those fabulous pictures of YOU getting dressed!
Remember, before your ceremony starts, your wedding day is all about you.
Don't miss a moment. If you end up running late, then your photography
time will end up being cut short. It is the biggest day of your life -
don't rush through it. Enjoy it and feel like a star.
Talk to your Groom and groomsmen about the photographs.
Make them understand that your wedding photographs are important to you.
Make sure they are aware of when and where they should meet your photographer
for their photographs. Stress to them the importance of being on time.
You already know which of your groomsmen is the one that is always 15 minutes
late. Talk to him beforehand. Tell him to arrive 15 minutes earlier than
the rest. This time, let him be the one waiting for everyone else.
Is your photographer aware of any specific requirements
or restrictions placed on her during your ceremony? Not all churches, priests,
and ministers are alike. Do you want to take your bridal party pictures
at the church once your ceremony is over? Find out if there is a time limit
at the church or chapel for taking formal pictures. It could be that another
wedding is scheduled after yours and the church or chapel needs time to
clean up and prepare for the next wedding. The key to great photos is allowing
the time to let your photographer give you those great images. Allowing
enough time is the key.
If your photographer shoots in a photojournalist style,
formal shots are still necessary and important to the documentation of your
wedding. It is usually the family pictures that take the longest. There
a couple of things you can do to minimize this time. Advise your family
in advance that you would like for them to be in a picture. Advise them
that it is important that they pay careful attention and follow the photographer's
instructions so that the picture can be taken quickly. You have more control
of your family than the photographer. Be aggressive if you have to. You
don't want to have to go looking for family members. Valuable time can
be lost at weddings trying to round up stray family members. Advise your
family and friends to stand clear when the photographer is trying to set
up shots.
Many people bring their little point and shoot cameras
or their camera phones to weddings to capture the bride and groom. Most
of the time this is not a problem. Even if your photographer allows others
to shoot while she is working, keep in mind that this will invariably slow
down the photographer. You don't want to stand around waiting for Uncle
Bob to frame his shot then try to figure out why his flash is not going
off. Even if your photographer is a good sport about this, you may want
to ask your friends and family with camera phones to let the photographer
do her job.
Be Prepared
A list of your must have shots can be a great asset to
your photographer. Though most photographers have a list of the important
traditional pictures that they will take, the photographer may not realize
that your best friend from the first grade has traveled 3000 miles to attend
your wedding. Make sure that the photographer is aware that you want that
special picture. As long as you have informed your photographer of the
"must get" photos you should not need to tell her which groups
to photograph. Many mothers (not knowing that the photographer has been
told in advance) will start calling up groups and sets of people to be photographed.
This may throw off the schedule that you and your photographer have discussed.
Discuss the pictures with your groom and both sets of parents before the
wedding and give the photographer a list of what group pictures you want.
This way your photographer can plan accordingly. Also, let your photographer
know of any situations in which people may not want to be photographed together.
For example, the groom's divorced parents may not want to stand next to
each other in a family photo. If your photographer is aware of this, then
family pictures will not be uncomfortable.
About Your Wedding Video
Many times your wedding photographer and videographer
will be "juggling" for similar vantage points to get the best
shots possible. The lighting from both the photographer and the videographer
can adversely affect each other making it important for them to work together
for your benefit. My husband is a videographer and through planning we work
closely together during the wedding to help each other get the best possible
shots for our couple.
Though it takes months to plan your wedding, it only lasts a few short
hours. After the cake is cut, the guests have gone, your dress is packed
away and the honeymoon is over, what remains are the memories. While your
photography and videography is certainly not the most important part of
your day, just remember that your photographs and your wedding video will
be what you will show your children and your grandchildren years from now.
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