Your wedding is days away, can you believe it? If you haven’t read this article I wrote about shot lists and my approach to capturing weddings, please read!
You’ve come a long way, and I have just a few more tips to help make your wedding day go by extra smoothly:
1. Gather All Your Important Details Early In The Day
Please gather any details in one place so I can photograph them quickly! This makes the getting-ready portion of the day go by much more smoothly, and it allows me to spend more time focusing on the spontaneous moments when everyone is together. This list is mainly for the ladies, but same advice goes for the groomsmen. Here is list (not comprehensive) to jog some ideas:
- Ring
- Jewelry
- Hair pieces
- Flowers
- Shoes
- Socks
- Cuff links
- Socks
- Letters
- Pictures
- Gifts
- Cultural items
- Invitations, programs, printed pieces
…and any unique items you’ve put thought into!
2. Have Meals Ready for Photographers
The best time for us to eat is when everyone else is eating, because most people don’t want photos of themselves chewing! We kindly ask that your caterers have meals ready right when food is served so we don’t miss moments. This allows us to go straight back into the crucial moments that usually happen during meal time, like table rounds, cake cutting, and other important activities.
3. Consider Changing Your Dress Hangers
I will be taking a photo of your dress hanging somewhere, and the hanger is often forgotten about! Wooden hangers look infinitely more appealing in the photos than a standard plastic hanger. *Make sure the hanger has ridges for your dress straps!
4. Appoint Someone To Help With Formal Portraits After the Ceremony
In addition to the candid and natural portraits that are taking place throughout the day, many couples like to also include formal portraits with family and friends. The best time to do these formal family portraits is typically right after the ceremony. As a result of large groups of family and friends, this tends to be one of the more hectic parts of a wedding. This time can be extra chaotic if family members and friends are not all in the same place. For me to do my job best, it helps to have a designated friend who can proactively gather the groups so that I can focus on creating beautiful photos! Usually this person knows the groups pretty well, they have a loud voice, and they can round people up with ease. Do you have someone who could help during these portraits? This would allow me to focus on the photography rather than a list of names! To avoid any confusion during this time, here is what I’d recommend:
- After the ceremony, have your officiant make an announcement asking family to stay in the ceremony location.
- Have an appointed friend help facilitate the different groups you would like to have photographed. This means that they have the list of family members and they are gathering people either with an extra loud voice or a handheld microphone.
- Keep your list of groups short. Please note that each group shot can take 2-3 minutes. We would all love to have photos with every important person at the wedding, but time is of the essence. Less is more in this type of situation, and you will have the reception to get group shots if necessary.
When these are in place, you are destined for fun and smooth formal portraits! This also allows for fun and creative wedding party photos afterwards, as well as romantic bride & groom portraits with beautiful golden hour lighting!
Wedding Day Tips
These wedding day tips were written by Day 7 Photography, an Austin Wedding Photographer available for travel throughout Texas and beyond. We create natural, candid, and organic wedding photos for the modern bride. DAY 7 is about slowing down and enjoying the world around us. I believe every wedding is a beautifully complex story filled with raw and authentic moments waiting to be captured. Taking on a limited number of weddings each year allows me to focus intensely on the detail of your unique wedding. I meet with every couple to determine how I can best fit your needs.