Seven top tips to get better wedding photographs.

Want great wedding photos? Aside from choosing the right photographer for your wedding, here’s a list of 7 practical tips to help your photographer create amazing images for you.

 

1) Time

Don’t rush. The last thing you’ll want to be doing on your wedding day is looking at your watch and stressing about the time. So when you start planning, make sure you give yourself enough time to enjoy each part of the day. The rule of thumb is to overestimate how long each section of the day will take. For example, many people presume that a wedding breakfast will take an hour or so. Truth is some can be nearer 3 hours, and that’s without speeches! Most importantly factor in time to celebrate and enjoy the day with your friends and family. Photographs of these scenes can really capture the atmosphere of the occasion.

2) Posture

Whilst most wedding photographers these days don’t do much posing (me included). I do however have many tips that I use to help my couples along the way. Simple things that will make all the difference. This is something that I do as I go along and include things like which foot to put most weight on, which way to tilt your head and how to hold a boquet properly. These tips help eveyone, no matter what shape or size and can be applied even when guests are photographing you with their phones.

3) Hands

Flat hands don’t look good in photographs and can be unflattering especially for women. Tucking hands in a pocket, behind your back or holding something helps to avoid this.

4) Light

One feature of great photographs is quite often great light. There are things you can do to maximise this on your wedding day. For example, if you’re getting married in a room with a window at one end, set the room up so the wedding takes place at the end with the window. Natural light from big windows is something your photographer will love and will result in beautiful flattering photographs. Also check out what time it goes dark on your wedding day so that you can maximise the use of daylight. Also check out my tips on getting ready photos.

 

5) Setup

As mentioned above, having things happen in the areas with good light will result in a more pleasing photograph. But there are a few other things you can do such as being aware of the dreaded green EXIT signs and asking your venue to restrict parking in certain areas in front of the venue. This kind of thing helps to create a cleaner uncluttered image showing off the best of your venue.

6) Emotion

I was having a conversation with a groom I photographed recently about his speech. It was heartfelt and honest. It was brilliant to photograph that raw emotion and reaction from his family. It’s not easy for some, but if there’s ever a time to do it, your wedding is a chance to say how you feel and wear your heart on your sleeve. Don’t be afraid to show your emotion.

7) Fun

The final and most important point in this list of practical tips is to just have fun. I’ve mentioned this in previous articles but it really is the most important thing to remember. I read a quote in Instagram recently, I can’t find it again and don’t know who said it (please let me know if you know so I can credit), but it went like this

So get caught in the moment, get swept along by the tide of emotion. Let down your hair and laugh out loud. If you can do this, you’ll be left with a set of photographs that will help you to remember the important stuff. You’ll have images that really capture the atmosphere of the day and help you to re-live it again and again.