Your wedding photos are something you’ll treasure for decades to come and should provide you with a lifetime of amazing memories from your wedding day. To help you have the best experience and get the most out of your photos, here’s a few tips you might like to consider while planning your wedding.
INVITES
It’s a good idea to stash a save the date card, wedding invitation, and anything else you will be sending your guests prior to the wedding and have it for me on the morning of your wedding day. I want to tell the story of your wedding when I put your photos together, and this is a great way to start.
WEATHER
Check the weather forecast a few days out. If it looks like there may be a chance of rain, it’s a good idea to invest in some umbrellas. Either matching or of a similar theme would look great. White and clear are best as they won’t affect the colour of your faces. It’s also possible to hire umbrellas for your guests, that way your photos won’t feature umbrellas with massive corporate logos on them, which seems to be what most folks have in the boot of their car. If you’re planning on having a winter wedding, have something warm (and matching) for the bridesmaids to wear.
GETTING READY
Preparation images will make up around a quarter of your wedding day story, so put some thought into where you’re planning on getting ready. Maybe book a nice apartment or house, there’s a lot of great options on Bookabach & Airbnb. Getting ready at your family home can be nice as everything present will be relevant to you, but make sure that the house is as tidy and clutter free as possible. Make sure it’s only the people that need to be there present; Bride, bridesmaids and parents. It’s a good idea to use one room to store all your bags etc, one room for hair & makeup prep and have another room to get dressed in. I’d rather spent my time taking photographs than having to move bags and furniture out of the way!
MAKEUP & HAIR
Makeup artists and hairstylists will be in your photos a lot, so make sure they turn up looking presentable and wearing smart, plain clothing. Tell them that your ceremony is an hour before it actually is to ensure you don’t run late. You want to start putting your wedding dress on an hour before you plan on leaving so there’s time for portraits of you, with your bridesmaids and parents and also so that I have enough time to set up at the ceremony location.
DETAILS
Purchase some nice wooden coat hangers and have the dresses hung and ready to photograph for when I arrive. Have your jewellery, shoes, perfume and any other special details all ready together for photos.
GROOM PREP
Have all the Groom’s gear ready to be photographed together. For example, a special bottle of whiskey, hair product, watch, cologne, cigars, sunglasses, cuff-links etc. It would be good if the guys button holes are present too. Make sure all the guys’ suits are hung on nice wooden coat hangers and ready to be photographed. It can be cool for the groom to have a pair of special socks that reflect his personality, and while you’re at it you may as well pick some matching socks up for the groomsmen as you know how unreliable those guys are! If the groomsmen are wearing ties, it’s a good idea for them to learn to tie them before the wedding to save time researching on Youtube.
GIFTS & LETTERS
It‘s the little things on your wedding day that create the memories. A simple gesture like a handwritten love letter or a gift for them to open in the morning will add to the excitement and anticipation of your wedding. Some ideas to give to the groom are a watch, cologne, hip flask or cuff-links. As for the bride, earrings, fragrance, lingerie and champagne are all things she will love.
VEHICLES
Having a nice vehicle can add another element to your wedding images. It will also make your day more fun and memorable. It doesn’t need to be a fancy limousine, just go for something that suits your theme and reflects your personalities. No doubt someone you know has an interesting car and I’m sure they would love to help you out.
UNCLE BOBS
Think about having a policy on your guests taking photos. You can arrange with the celebrant or MC to kindly ask that guests don’t take photos during the ceremony. It’s a lot nicer if everyone can experience your wedding first hand rather than looking through a screen, plus it makes your photos a lot nicer having a bunch of smiling faces in the crowd rather than people holding their cameras and phones up. Some couples let guests take photos but request no one puts any images onto social media. That way the first photos anyone sees of your wedding will be the professional shots, not a blurry iPad shot from Uncle Bob.
CEREMONY
Traditionally a celebrant stands between the Bride & Groom. It’s important that they wear neutral colours and not patterned or too distracting. When it comes to the first kiss it’s nice if the celebrant can move to the side before they announce you husband and wife. You have to be really clear with the celebrant on this as often their interpretation is to say “You may now kiss the bride” and then walk off to the side. Which means your kiss photo then has a random person wandering out of the frame. A lot of celebrants will spend the majority of the ceremony standing to the side so they are not a dominant feature of your photos. Also, a good tip is to hold the kiss for a at least 3 seconds so I can fire off a bunch of shots. Don’t be scared to go back in for a second smooch.
CONFETTI
Throwing confetti, rice, or flower petals is a fun wedding tradition that can make a great photo. Usually guests will throw confetti when the bride and groom are exiting the ceremony, but it can be used at different times during the wedding. If you’re having a group photo it can make an awesome shot if the bride & groom kiss and all the guests throw confetti. Or guests can throw during the first dance. Just check with the venue first to make sure it’s ok.
FAMILY PHOTOS
When planning your family group photos it’s essential to write a list of names for each photo. Don’t just write “Brides Family” but instead list each person’s name as it’ll make things run far more smoothly. You’ll want to designate someone from each side of the family that knows everyone on the list to be in charge of organising each group. This person needs to be both reliable and very bossy or this part of the day can take an unnecessarily long time. Allow 3-5 minutes for each group photo; most of this time will be spent gathering everyone together. If you’d like a photo of all the guests it’d be great if there was a ladder handy for me, most venues will have one there already. I’m working for you for the day and I’ll happily stand there snapping away family photos for as long as you want, but after about 5 family group photos I definitely notice the bride & groom start to get over it. You are best to prioritise who is actually important to you and concentrate on them. This is the only time of the day that I can guarantee we will get photos of you and family members together, so if you want a photo of just you and your mum, then you’re best to add that to the list.
BRIDAL PARTY
Allow around 30 minutes for bridal party portraits. It’s nice to have a picnic or at least a basket of drinks to make for a more relaxed and fun vibe. Also consider bringing a picnic blanket to chill on. If you’d like photos in paddocks or in forests, it’s worth mentioning to the bridesmaids to wear heels that are comfortable and practical for walking in.
BRIDE & GROOM PORTRAITS
Allow 1 hour for Bride & Groom portraits. If you plan on leaving the venue you’ll also need to allow for travel time. During the Bride & Groom portraits, it’s best to go to a location where no other guests or members of the bridal party will be around, so that it’s possible to have some nice intimate moments between the two of you. Don’t be scared to get closer than what feels comfortable in front of the camera; gaps that might not feel awkward during the shoot are often amplified in the images.
EVENING PORTRAITS
Usually the bridal party will eat first so there’s a perfect opportunity for the Bride & Groom to sneak away for a couple more photos together if the weather permits. The light is the best from an hour before sunset, and this is often when you’ll get your favourite images from the day. Allow 30 minutes for these photos.
FIRST DANCE
It doesn’t matter if you have absolutely no dancing skills, you can still get amazing first dance photos. The best first dance photos happen during the more intimate moments like when you gaze into each other’s eyes, and have a close hug or a kiss. Dance together for at least an extra song while guests join in, as it looks really nice when guests dancing and having a good time surround the Bride & Groom.
SPECIAL REQUESTS
Remember to talk to me about any special requests you have before the day as this is the only guaranteed way that they will be photographed – for example, you might be doing a sparkler exit. Or maybe there are special family members that you’d love me to take extra photos of or that you’d like photos with.
HAVE FUN
I’m working for you for the day, so don’t feel like you have to do everything on this list or anything if you don’t want to. I just want to ensure that the day runs smoothly and you both are having as much fun as possible, as that’s what will make the best images and the most memorable day for you guys.
A SUGGESTED TIMELINE
12:30 – photographs of groom’s details
1:00 – groom gets dressed
1:30 – photographs of bride’s details
2:00 – bride gets dressed
2:30 – bride portraits
3:00 – photographs at venue
3:30 – guests arriving
4:00 – ceremony begins
4:30 – drinks & canapés
5:00 – family portraits
5:30 – bridal party portraits
6:00 – bride & groom portraits
6:30 – bride & groom enter reception
7:00 – dinner
7:30 – evening portraits
8:00 – speeches
9:00 – first dance
I’ve compiled a list of local vendors that I’ve previously worked alongside that produced a great product or service and that are nice to have along on the day.
Video: Bad Panda Productions
Celebrant: Miriama Smith, Marry Me Chloe
Flowers: Honeysuckle Rose, On My Hand
Cake: Spongedrop Cakery, Sage and Grace
Catering: Sage & Grace, Devour Catering
Makeup: Fiona Clare, Estelle’s Makeup, Michaela Bird
Hair: Fiona Clare, Victoria Spain
DJ: Addictive DJs
Live Music: The Generators, Josh Pow
Rentals: LL Furniture Hire, The Heirloom, Twelve Tables
Styling: On My Hand
Stationery: Paper Darling