Seven Things Wedding Photographers Love And Why

In the midst of planning your wedding, you’re likely to have several people tell you how the day goes by so fast, with hours passing like minutes on one of the most important events of your life. Photographs are a beautiful reminder of this special day, which, believe us, will become a bit of a blur when you look back on it once it’s all over.

For this reason, it’s important to carefully consider not only what you want from your wedding photographer, but also what your wedding photographer might want from you and your groom in order to guarantee some gorgeous images that you can treasure for years to come. Here, the lovely Maria Sundin, our very own BCME vendor, talks us through how you can help your wedding photographer to ensure that you remember your wedding day as the beautiful occasion that it was.

Above: Wedding Photographer Maria Sundin

1)    Communicating your wedding theme or vision

Your photographer will go to great lengths to make sure that your photos follow your chosen theme and have a good balance of details and colour tones. The photographer will also plan your couple photos, and all the detail photos around your theme for the day, to ensure that the light, colour and backgrounds in the images are exactly how you envisioned. 

If you have been consistent with your colour tones in your stationery and on your wedding day, your photos will have a coherent appearance throughout, which will also be an advantage when getting your wedding album made. I love when a bride and groom put a lot of effort into choosing a theme that reflects them and I do my best to capture exactly the kind of images that the couple want for their wedding day.

2)    Preparing a timeline

Folks, this is a big one. It’s the not the most fun but it’s necessary. The day goes by so quickly and there are so many photos to squeeze in, so a timeline really does help. If you don’t feel like doing it all on your own, photographers are usually happy to support you in creating a good timeline, to make sure your most important photos are captured in the best light. I usually work with my couples months in advance to ensure that the timeline works well for both the wedding party and in terms of the end result. I’ve written a whole post on the wedding flow, so if you’re keen to read more about how to plan your photo timeline, have a look here. 

3)    Picking the best photographer for YOU

How do you pick the right photographer for your wedding? It’s the same as with anything else. Don’t pick the most expensive one or the cheapest one just for the sake of it. Don’t pick the one everybody’s talking about or the one nobody is talking about. Pick the wedding photographer who you truly believe will capture you in the best way possible. Pick someone who has a style that you love, who is consistent and who understands how to capture light. That’s what photography is about, light. And you have to love your choice. YOU. Not other people, just YOU. Want to know more about what to think about when choosing your wedding photographer? Click here.

4)    Having an engagement shoot

Opt for an engagement or ‘save the date’ shoot. Engagement sessions are a great way to start the relationship with your photographer. It’s also probably the only time, except on your wedding day, that your husband-to-be will be willing to play along in posing in front of a camera with you.

It really is a great chance for both of you to let loose and get comfortable in front of the camera, and it’s also a way for the photographer to learn which angles are best for you and which poses make you more comfortable. Interested in reading more about a pre-wedding shoot? Click here.

5)    Couples allowing us to be the professionals that we are

Photographers love a bride and groom who are confident and happy with whom they’ve booked and trust our knowledge and art one hundred per cent. With the confidence of a bride and groom behind us, we can go out of the box and really find ourselves in our element of creativity, which also ensures amazing photos for you. It’s truly an honour to photograph a couple’s wedding day and I fully believe that if there is an established trust between the couple and the photographer, we can really create magical photos together. Click here to read more about what you can do to get the best wedding photos on your day.

6)    Being an organised bride

Praise the organised bride. Organised brides are great but of course we can also be flexible when things happen last minute on the day. One of the things I love is a bride who is geared up for a successful day! A bride that brings her full stationery suite with her to her bridal suite, some extra flowers, gets her bouquet delivered to the room early, has her dress and her shoes with her and all her bridesmaid’s details as well as the wedding band. If all the details are organised and ready in the bridal suite, we wedding photographers can capture all those details, which help tell the story of the day, whilst the bride gets her make-up done. That will help us to be much more efficient and on time! Read more about how to nail your getting ready shots here. 

7)    Working with a detail-crazy bride and groom

This goes hand in hand with choosing a theme or having a vision for your wedding. We all love a creative and detail-oriented bride and groom that have gone to great lengths to add in small details of personality, of their family and their background on their wedding day. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your wedding got published in a magazine like Harper’s Bazaar or on a local wedding website like Bride Club ME?

If you’d like to have the opportunity to get your wedding out there, details are what sell. Magazine, web and blog editors look for a good genuine story and lots of beautiful details. As wedding photographers, it’s our job to tell a story of your day and a detail-crazy bride and groom make our job that much easier.

We’re not all naturals or confident in front of the camera, yet on your wedding day you will be the centre of attention, which means that getting to know your photographer and being organised as much as possible beforehand can really help put you at ease. Communication and planning ahead are crucial. Thank you Maria for this fantastic advice!

Looking for more wedding tips and advice? Click here.