how to plan your wedding for the pic

i’ve been shooting weddings for the past three years and i am always surprised at how little people know about what looks good in photos. so i’ve decided to let you in on the secret to having the best wedding photos.

photographer:

this one is pretty obvious. a good photographer goes a long way. a lot of times we are thrown into situations we can’t control and it does affect the photos a little but a good photographer knows how to roll with the punches and still produce good work. i could write a whole post about how to chose the right photographer for you but for now i’ll leave you with a few things to look for. 1. a variety of photos in their portfolio. obviously, photographers are only going to share their very best photos online or in their portfolio’s. what you need to be looking for here is that they showcase photos of all parts of the day (getting ready-send off) so you can see they are capable of making beautiful photos for every moment. 2. they edit in a style you like. light and airy or dark and moody it’s up to you but just make sure you really like it because what you see is what you get (and that should go without saying but i’m still saying it just incase.) 3. you like them as a person. you’ll spend 90% of your day with them and you’ll probably see them more than you see babe (babe = your soon to be spouse) so it’s important that you enjoy their company.

good lighting:

this. is. so. important. when you’re looking for a venue keep this in mind. look for a place with a lot of windows, natural light is key, and if you can’t find that, find some white ceilings or walls to bounce flash from. if you fall in looooove with a place that’s just dark, have a game plan for bringing more light to the space. light walls behind the alter are always a good idea for this. or maybe hang twinkle lights from the ceiling. or just bring all the lamps from your house, anything helps lol. don’t leave your photographer hanging with a terribly lit venue, help a brotha/sista out.

time:

if your ceremony is outside, plan it for about an hour or two before sunset so the light isn’t as harsh, but you still have time for those after-ceremony pics. this is still a good rule for an indoor wedding just a little less necessary. book your photographer for a good amount of time so everything is not rushed. when the couple is away from the reception for a long time for photos, guests tend to get a little antsy. distract them with food like a cocktail hour or let dinner begin before your entrance to the reception so you’re not rushing for their sake, especially if you didn’t do a first look because you have to do all couple and wedding party photos during that like 45 minutes. let your photographer make up a timeline for the time you book them for or at least work with your wedding planner to make one up. and here’s where i tell you the secret for giving your photog plenty of time and saving money: a fake send-off. most photographers build their prices around the amount of hours you want them for, and you really don’t need the photographer there for the whole reception, just around 2 hours of it. all the important stuff usually goes first anyway, so you really just have to move the bouquet/garter toss and send off up. then the photographer leaves and you and your guests go back to the dance floor! this gives them more time to capture the important parts of the wedding instead of standing around the receptions taking 500 pictures of your friends doing the cha cha slide.

a first look

that big reveal during the ceremony is iconic, i know, but hear me out. doing a first look gives you and babe (and photographer but they’ll be doing their best to be invisible) a private moment to see each other for the first time and it creates a beautiful time for the two of you to take in what’s about to happen. after you take that moment to see how hot babe looks, you have sooooo much more time and flexibility for pictures. wanna go across town? to the mountains? do pictures the day before? all that becomes possible. it’s definitely the way to go in my opinion, but i also realize this is a very personal decision so no pressure and do whatever feels right for you.

location:

don’t just look at how pretty the venue is, look at where it’s located. as long as it’s not raining, you’re definitely going to want to get some photos done outside. make sure your venue has a few good looking spots outside to make this happen. and vice versa, make sure your venue is pretty enough inside incase of a downpour (it happens, people.)

that’s all i got for now, but i hope this post helps make your wedding day, or at least you wedding photos, incredible!