Our Professional Wedding Photographers Share Their Wedding Day Advice
It seems that once you announce your engagement, you get advice from well meaning friends and family. Well, we have some advice too! Here is some wedding day advice from Mike Staff Productions experienced wedding photographers and designers.
Get fitted.
A properly fitted dress can make all the difference. Not only will you look great, but you’ll feel confident when you can move without worrying about a wardrobe malfunction.
Hire a professional makeup artist.
You’re spending a great deal of effort and money on your wedding day and you want to look your best in your wedding photos. A make-up artist can help you do just that. Just be sure to do a trial run in advance.
Read More: Tips For Your Wedding Day Makeup
Create a workable timeline and photography plan.
Delays will occur on your wedding day (hair and makeup often causing the most), so creating a time line with flexibility can help reduce the stress on your wedding day. Work with your wedding photographer to establish a photography plan with your priority shots to make sure those are the first captured. Allow time to create additional images throughout the day.
Minimize travel time.
You don’t want to spend your entire wedding day traveling between locations. Getting ready close to your ceremony site and choosing a romantics location on the way to your reception venue help you best utilize your time.
Be mindful of pre-ceremony photos.
Keep the area as free from clutter as possible so it doesn’t appear in your getting ready photos. Start the coverage with the bride and bridesmaids after hair and makeup are done, but before putting on the dress for the best use of your time. The same is true for the groom and groomsmen if you want to capture his getting ready moments.
Bonus Tip: Have items you want photographed during your pre-ceremony time prepared and set aside for your photographer. Items include your flowers, invitations, jewelry, shoes, and any other details you want captured. If you will be giving gifts to the attendants or each other, this is also a good time to do so.
Consider a first look.
More couples are choosing to meet in private before the ceremony, allowing for some beautiful and intimate photographs and videography to be captured. It can be a private event for the couple or shared with close friends and family. This time is a low pressure, yet highly emotional, way to spend a few special moments as a couple before walking down the aisle. If your wedding day timeline is tight, a first look session can allow you to create amazing images, without sacrificing time with your guests.
Read More: Should We Do A First Look?
Practice Bustling.
Bring a bridesmaid to your final fitting. Lacing and bustling dresses can be a difficult task. Make sure that the person bustling yours has practiced and can do so quickly.
Be ready.
Your wedding day is a countdown clock. If you or people you want in images aren’t ready for their photographs at the designated time, you are losing great picture opportunities by the minute. Be sure to communicate with the bridal party and family members that you need their cooperation for wedding photos. Most churches allow 20-30 minutes to capture family formals. Someone leaving the ceremony will lose your chance for these family history shots.
Read More: Your Checklist For Family Formals
Relax.
Our best wedding day advice? Relax! You have planned this day for months, sometimes years. Be sure to take a few moments to relax and reflect upon how special this day really is. If you are stressing about every detail, it will show in your wedding photos.
Mike Staff is the founder and CEO of Mike Staff Productions, one of the most highly acclaimed wedding services companies in the country, providing award-winning Wedding DJs, Wedding Photographers, and Wedding Videography for over 25 years.
