Tips for the Bride and Wedding Photography

As you plan your dream wedding, every detail is carefully curated to create a day you’ll cherish forever. Among the most important elements are the talented photographers and videographers who will capture precious moments, emotions, and memories you’ll treasure for a lifetime.

While hiring an exceptional photography team is crucial, there are additional steps you can take to ensure your wedding photos are simply astonishing. From incorporating a romantic first look to selecting the perfect bridal gown, we’ve compiled some valuable tips to help you get those breathtaking wedding photos that will you love.

1. Begin by creating a Vision or Inspirational Board

To deliver a truly personalized experience, your photography and videography team will take the time to understand your unique personalities, preferences, and the special bond you share. This process begins with a detailed questionnaire designed to help you communicate your thoughts and vision, enabling your creative team to document your wedding day accurately.

We encourage you to complete the questionnaire thoughtfully. Even though you hired us because of our style, which resonated with you, providing a few sample photos from your inspiration board is welcomed. A few curated images that helped you envision your dream wedding will guide us to achieve that goal and bring your dream wedding to life. These visuals will also help your photographers understand the specific style and aesthetic you envision for your wedding photos. Remember, this is your opportunity to communicate the look.

2. Photography and Videography Team Who Work Together

It’s a good idea to pick a photographer and videographer from the same company or two companies that have worked together for a long time, like the alliance we formed over 10 years ago that has benefited clients. Here are the reasons why hiring both services together is beneficial:

1. We share the same goals and hold each other accountable and to a higher standard.
2. Each team has decades of experience with their respective talents.
3. We communicate and work well together, providing the best-combined service for our clients.
4. We have a common vision and style for capturing weddings.
5. It’s easier and simpler to book photography and videography services.
6. We offer incentives in our respective packages when both services are hired together.

3. Allow Ample Time For Each Significant Part of the Day

When planning your wedding day timeline, scheduling plenty of time for each significant part of the day is essential. From getting ready with your loved ones and friends to savoring every aspect of your ceremony and reception, allotting ample time ensures you can fully immerse yourself in the experience without feeling rushed. By adding buffers and accounting for potential delays, you’ll be able to embrace each moment to the fullest. You will be creating cherished memories that will last a lifetime. Read our Wedding Photography Timeline for more details.

4. Minimize Your Locations And Allow For Great Photos

Having just one or two locations for your photo shoot is best to get the most time for taking photos on your wedding day. Traveling from one place to another takes up valuable time that could be spent taking beautiful pictures instead at one or two locations.

A talented photographer can make almost any location look amazing in your photos. So, if you’re not in love with the backdrops at your wedding venue, trust that your photographer can use their creative skills to find great spots and angles to capture you both looking your best. Keeping it simple by sticking to just your venue or one other nearby location will ensure you have plenty of time to get all the photos you want without feeling rushed.

5. Hire Quality Vendors and Make your Day Smoother

The vendors you hire for your wedding can impact how smoothly the day goes. That’s why it’s so important to choose good vendors. You wouldn’t want your makeup artist to show up super late or your photographer not to have much experience, right? We recommend hiring quality, professional vendors to avoid unnecessary stress that could affect how you feel and look in your wedding photos. Finding and hiring the right photographer will bring that peace of mind you need on your wedding day.

With so many vendor options, figuring out who to hire can be challenging. Before you book anyone, list your preferred vendors and do plenty of research on each one from that list.

If your budget allows, hire a wedding planner who can make this process much easier and allow you to enjoy your wedding day stress-free. A good wedding planner will bring your vision to your wedding day and work with vendors closely to ensure everything runs smoothly. Your experienced photographers will help you create a timeline that will ensure every creative moment is captured.

A planner can also handle any issues or mishaps on the wedding day while you focus on celebrating and having an amazing time, and we photograph you at your best.

6. Schedule Enough Time for Hair and Make-up

Getting your hair and makeup done with your bridesmaids and other family members can be challenging, but a professional makeup artist and hair stylist can provide a timeline that coincides with the photographer. This will allow the photographer to capture your getting-ready photos and not throw off the timeline, which can make you feel rushed and stressed instead of relaxed and happy.

The best plan is to give yourself time to prepare and avoid that unnecessary rush and stress. Great hair and makeup artists will make a schedule in advance to keep everything organized while you’re getting ready. Professional artists will likely ask your photographer to provide their timeline to ensure everything stays on track.

Your photography team will also need an hour to an hour and a half to take creative and final touch-up photos, detail shots of your dress, jewelry, and other accessories, and finish with candid pictures with your family and friends before the ceremony.

Check out our Ideal Wedding Timeline to see precisely how much time you should set aside for all the different photography portions of your day. Proper planning helps everything run smoothly!

7. Consider a First Look Session

One of the most memorable and exciting parts of a wedding day is when the bride and groom see each other for the first time. You’re both looking your absolute best, dressed up so beautifully. All those pre-wedding jitters suddenly go away when you lay eyes on your partner.

Doing a “First Look” gives you both a chance to share a remarkable private moment before the ceremony starts. A First Look lets your photographers capture some of the most heartfelt, loving, and sweet photos of your whole wedding day. It’s an unforgettable tradition that many couples cherish.

When you see your partner-to-be looking stunning, and they see you the same way, it’s a feeling you’ll never forget. The First Look intimately lets you experience that special moment before saying, “I do.”

8. Schedule Your Sunset Photos During the Best Light

If you choose your wedding venue because it has beautiful views and scenery, you’ll want to schedule your couple’s photo session right before the sunset. The hour leading up to sunset is called the “Golden Hour” because the warm, glowing light makes for the most romantic and stunning photos.

Right after the Golden Hour, there’s also the “Blue Hour,” when the sky turns gorgeous shades of blue and purple. These magical lighting conditions are perfect for taking some of your absolute favorite couple’s portraits on your wedding day.

The Golden Hour and Blue Hour photos will most likely be photos from your wedding that you will cherish. You’ll want to get as many shots as possible during this time, which will most likely end up in your wedding album and wall art to decorate your new or existing home.

Just let your photographers know you want to prioritize taking sunset photos and are willing to schedule the session about 30 minutes before sunset. With the beautiful, rich colors a sunset can produce, these photos will indeed document that unforgettable moment!

9. Schedule time to View The Ballroom

Take time to see the reception room. Get to see what you’ve been envisioning for months. It’s a great opportunity for your photographer to capture candid reactions as you walk through the ballroom. While you are at it, perhaps take a moment to practice your first dance before your guest enters the room.

9. Schedule A Sneak Away during the Reception

Getting photos taken during the “Blue Hour”, when the sky is that deep blue, can be very beautiful. Now imagine that scene with both of you in the foreground and a beautifully lit venue in the background. An epic romantic photograph that is completely the opposite of a photo taken during the daytime.

Remember that the Blue Hour photo session is really short—only about 20 minutes. Your photographers will likely schedule it during your reception, either before or after dinner, so you can slip outside for a little bit without your guests noticing you stepped away.

No worries if you have other events planned that night and can’t go outside! Your experienced wedding photographer can take some awesome night photos at the very end of the reception with the use of special lighting. The perfect way to photograph your wedding venue in a whole new light.

11. Schedule a Special Exit

You planned your grand entrance; now it’s time to plan your grand exit. Sparklers or string lights lend themselves to a great exit. Not only are sparkler or string light exits unique and exciting, but they also make for some stunning and colorful photos. Your guests will be thrilled to be part of making your spectacular exit.

Some venues may not allow a sparkler exit, but there are other ways to end your celebration. Your guests can toss confetti, bubbles, or flower petals, which are great alternatives and look great in photos. Follow up with your wedding venue to see what is allowed.

These are all great Tips for The Bride and Wedding Photography. We hope you find these tips useful. If there are any other important tips you find we may have missed, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to include them in the list. Now it’s time to kick off your shoes and let the wedding begin.