After speaking to so many brides about their wedding day and discussing their journey from the proposal to the "I do's", it became very clear to me that I could help ease the pressure and provide some guidance to any bride and grooms to be, not only on picking the right photographer for you but also what to expect of them on your wedding day.
Here are my 6 top tips I hope will help make your day run much smoother.
Bridal/Groom Prep: Let your photographer control the light. This sounds silly but the photographer and their skill set know how light works more so than anyone else (most likely.) One thing you might consider is the light in the place you are getting ready. I love soft natural window light - its super flattering and great to shoot in, so a nice big window light is always a good choice!
Clutter: This may seem an obvious one however a bride brought it to my attention once and it stayed with me ever since. Clutter during bridal/groom prep. Whats important to you? Do you want a clear tidy space so you remember your day that way or would you prefer it to be documented with you in a completely natural environment.
Whichever it is, remember to tidy as you go or leave things as they are, and let the photographer document your day EXACTLY as it was!
If you're getting married in a church, it will be worth checking the Priests/Vicar's rules and any restrictions in advance of the wedding day. If there are restrictions on photography, then perhaps see if they would be at least happy with me at the front just to photograph your entrance and when you see each other for the first time, such a great moment to capture for you both, then I can move out of the way when the ceremony starts.
However, some churches don't allow the photographer to be anywhere except the back of the church. The important thing is for you to be aware of that in advance to avoid any upsets on the day. If the Vicar has concerns I'm more than happy to speak to them.
I firmly believe it's important to get some lovely group photos with you and those people who are genuinely close to you. Depending on your schedule & the weather, a good time to do this is between the end of the ceremony and before its time to eat.
Finalising the group shots before your wedding day is important! A large group photo could take 4/5 minutes or more to arrange. So if you have 10 group shots you'll need to factor at least 45 minutes for this. I strongly suggest between 8/10 group shots maximum.
