When you are photographing a wedding day, you want to be sure to capture every part of that day so that the couple has a beautiful timeline of photography to look back and remember each moment. That includes moments from the time they start getting ready, to the first look, the wedding party photos, ceremony, reception and everything in between.
One very important part of a wedding day is when the couple is getting ready. During that time, the bride and groom are each feeling a million different emotions from excitement to nervousness to extreme happiness. They may even feel sad if certain family members are not able to attend their wedding day.
Photo credit: Matthew Evans Photography via SnapKnot
As their wedding photographer, the photos that you capture will help them remember all those different emotions they felt. It is also perfect for capturing photos of the wedding gown, wedding colors, jewelry and shoes that the bride is wearing. That is also a time that the bride and her bridesmaids are spending quality time together as well as the groom and his groomsmen.
We wanted to share a few tips today that will help keep you on schedule and prepared so you can take the best getting ready shots that you can for your clients.
1. Find Out What They Want
You will be meeting with the couple before the wedding day to find out what type of shots they are looking for, so also be sure to ask about the time before the wedding. Find what time they plan to start getting ready, as well as where they will be. Remember that many brides get ready in a hotel room - they do not always get ready at the ceremony venue. Knowing ahead of time what their expectations of the wedding photos are, will help you have a better idea of what you need to be capturing while they are getting ready.
Photo credit: The Becker
2. Be Flexible
While you are taking photos before the wedding, it is best to be flexible and just keep an open mind. Even if you have a schedule of when things will happen, you never know when it will take a little longer for hair or makeup or really anything at all. If you know that you must be flexible, you will not get flustered when things change up from the timeline that was originally planned.
Photo credit: OneLove Photography
3. Keep Number Of People At Minimum
When the bride or groom is getting ready, everyone in the family may want to stop in and say hello. There is no need to capture all of those people in the photos. The getting ready portion of the day focuses on the bride and groom as well as the bridal party. Keep the number of people in the photos minimized... the more people in each shot, the more the focus is drawn away from the bride and groom.
Photo credit: Atlast Photo Studio via SnapKnot
4. Keep An Eye Out For Special Moments
Perhaps the bride and her sister are sharing a sweet moment together while she is helping her getting the wedding gown on. Maybe the groom and his buddies are all having a good laugh together to relax a bit. These moments are the special ones that need to be remembered. Be sure to keep an eye out for those special times.
Photo credit: Astray Photography via SnapKnot
5. Pay Attention To Detail
A wedding includes so much detail. This is the best time of the entire day to capture some of those little wedding details that help make the wedding complete. A few examples could be the beautiful lace train of the wedding gown, the love note the bride wrote to her soon-to-be husband, the earrings and necklace that the bride is wearing, or the 'something borrowed' that the bride's grandmother gave her to wear. Many of these items will be harder to capture once the wedding ceremony and reception has begun, so take time beforehand to capture the little details perfectly.
If you loved these tips, here are a few other wedding related posts you may enjoy:
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