- II'm sure you already know that choosing the right wedding photographer is just as important as choosing the right groom. Just kidding! Make sure the photographer is fun as well as sensitive. Getting the right photographer is important – they also have to be a people person – but there are lots of things that you can do to ensure that your wedding photos are as good as they can be.
- It's very important to meet with your photographer before the wedding. Think about it, your photographer is very comfortable on his end of the camera, but you will also be comfortable if you have had a good chat about your big day and gotten to know each other a bit.
- Allow time for yourself when family and guests would like your attention, time to relax and feel good. It is your day! A good wedding planner is a good idea - otherwise be sure a handful of guests know the day's events, as it will stop people from asking you what is happening next!
- Remember, your wedding day is all about you. Quite often complicated backgrounds in your photos distract the viewer's attention away from the bride and will detract from your photographs, so keep backgrounds as simple as possible. Interesting angles are what keep the images of a professional photographer from looking like the images taken by ‘uncle Bob’. Everyone knows what a wedding looks like from a normal perspective, but you may see your photographer lying on the ground or climbing trees. Don't be surprised by this. That's the difference between an amateur and a professional - it's all about perspective.
- Wedding photography is about beautiful moments, and a wedding is a day full of beautiful moments. You will want those moments captured in images, so you can go back to them and re-live the day whenever you like. As the memories fade, your wedding photographs become that much more precious. You will want a good balance of images - from the smallest details to the group shots, from the candid to the more formal, and from laughing guests to the emotional father of the bride. It's all part of the day!
- Hire a professional photographer! We all have a friend who can take a few good shots but not cover the whole day, as even the best of friends lose interest after a while and want to join in the festivities.
- Backup equipment. One thing that you should always ask about, and insist upon, is that your photographer has sufficient backup gear, should something stop working. Cameras do fail unexpectedly, flashguns do short out when you least expect them to; it will happen to every photographer sooner or later. One of the first weddings I booked was thanks to a photographer who only had one camera that broke down the week of the wedding. Any professional photographer will have an absolute minimum of two pro-level camera bodies, and preferably three or more. I don't mean one good camera and a cheap point-and-shoot as a backup. I mean good, sturdy, professional cameras designed to go the distance.
