Advice for Wedding Photography

Professional Photography

In the years that follow, the wedding photography adding to memories will be what lasts of the big day. While anyone can take a picture, an experienced professional photographer will know what to expect before it happens, and with training in lighting, composition, and camera equipment, will best be able to capture the beauty and details of the wedding.

Here some suggestions to get the most out of wedding photography:

Bridal and Engagement Portraits

Bridal portraits can be displayed at the wedding reception, and kept by the bride and groom and their family for display afterwards. Portraits of the bride will be photographed at the wedding itself, but a bridal portrait session has multiple advantages.

As they are taken before the wedding, they are not photographed under any pressure from time or the concerns of others, allowing more relaxed conditions. The photo session lasts about an hour and half, much longer than is typical at a wedding, so there is a much greater variety of images to choose. Additionally, as a hidden benefit of a bridal portrait session, the shoot acts as a literal ‘dress rehearsal’, providing advanced knowledge about details of the dress fit, hair, and makeup.

Engagement portraits are great for media, mail, and internet announcements, but they are also preferred for wall display by many couples. Few will choose to have portraits of just themselves without family after the wedding, and the engagement portraits mark a very special time in the lives of all married couples. As with bridal portraits, the engagement portraits are photographed under relaxed conditions.

Timing of Photography During the Wedding

The amount of time devoted to photography at a wedding is a balancing act. A wedding isn’t about the photographs themselves, but a wedding without blocked time for photos will result in limited choice and results from the photography.

After photographing hundreds of weddings, I recommend at least 30 minutes devoted to just the bride, bridesmaids, and her family, as well as another 20-30 minutes for the groom and his side. Both of these blocks of time should take place 30 minutes before the ceremony start time to allow seating to proceed and prevent intrusion from guests. This would be for weddings where the couple do not see each other prior to the ceremony.

It’s also possible to get most to all of the portraits photographed before the ceremony. This allows a ceremony to proceed smoothly into the reception. Like above, I’d recommend at least 30 minutes for just the bride and her side, 20-30 minutes for the groom and his side, 15 minutes for a ‘first look’ (the bride and groom first see each other), and 30-45 minutes for photos of the couple, with the bridal party, and with family. The above should also be completed 30 minutes before the ceremony start time. Time can still be budgeted after the ceremony for remaining family photos.

If the couple don’t see each other before the ceremony, I recommend 30-45 minutes afterwards for photos of the couple, with the bridal party, and with family. I like to ask the couple for another 15 minutes if possible at some point during the reception for additional portraits, to take advantage of sunset lighting or particular aspects of the reception space.

I also suggest starting candid photography at least 30 minutes before any portraits to capture details.

While it’s possible to do with less time budgeted for photography, any time added to the above will provide more photos at the end. For particularly large families and ones with very young children, it’s also best to allow more time.

Preferences for the photos will be discussed well in advance of the wedding.

Other Types of Photography

I’ve worked with many videographers, and professionals in photography and videography know how to work well with each other during the wedding. If the videographer requests individual shoot time of the couple during the wedding, that should be added on top of the time for the wedding photos.

There isn’t any problem with guests taking photos, with the rare exceptions that they might interfere with the professional photographer. Examples would be a guest with a camera stepping in front of the hired professional for a shot, or one drawing the attention away of family members from the hired pro during group portraits.

Photo booths are often a part of receptions. I’ll also be aiming to photograph as many couples and groups as I can during the reception.

After the Wedding

I can provide a selection of 10 highlights the day after the wedding if requested, but I ask for three weeks after the wedding to allow for time to fully organize and edit all of the photos. I work on each image to make them look their best, and post them for downloading on a web gallery that can be shared with guests if wanted. The download feature can be deactivated according to client preferences. I also mail a USB drive with all of the images in full resolution to the wedding couple after they are completed.

The web gallery is online for one year after they are posted, and it is possible for gallery viewers to purchase prints of the images that will be shipped to them. I keep every digital image I photograph in multiple backups, and it only takes a request to receive another copy at any point.

Albums and Prints

It’s possible to make prints with any service you choose from the delivered digital files. I also provide prints from a professional photographic lab, which use the best materials in the business, and are quality checked. These can be mailed directly to you or delivered in person. Prices of prints can be found here.

There are few ways to really tell the story of a wedding as well as a completed album. I strongly recommend that every couple consider one for their wedding.

The process of making an album involves several stages. A set selection of the images that will go into the design are selected by the client or photographer, then the design stage is three to four weeks. The design, as well as album cover choices, are approved by the client, and then the printing stage is four to five weeks. The album is delivered in person to the couple, unless shipping is requested.

I use top album printers like Serendipity Albums for my work.

Questions

With any questions, please contact me by calling 214-887-9996 or emailing jim@onlocationportraiture.com. Thank you!