Wedding day photos speak volumes. They feed the stories that are told for generations and today, wedding photos are telling more stories than ever. After the band packs up, and the guests head home, the photos remain.
Wedding photography has come a long way since traditional wedding portraiture. Just ask Joe Buissink, celebrity photographer extraordinaire, who entered the wedding photo biz when Annie Liebovitz e-mailed him by mistake, looking for a videographer to shoot her sister's wedding. When he took a leap of faith and mailed her a brochure with some images, she hired him on. According to Buissink, "more than who was there, I’d rather see what was happening. That’s what makes every wedding unique."
Whether you're planning an elaborate, over-the-top wedding (complete with the wedding cake of your dreams and a hot-off-the-runway bridal gown), or you're going boho-chic like our favourite Girls girl Jessa, your wedding photos will last a lifetime. We consulted wedding photography guru and author of Weddings: From Snapshots to Great Shots to provide you with 5 tips to get the most out of your wedding photography.
Check out these easy and helpful tips below:
5 Tips On Wedding Photography
1. Chemistry Counts!
Pick the right photographer! According to Clement, "When selecting your photographer, consider more than just their images. You will be spending most of your wedding day with this person... do you genuinely like her? Will you feel relaxed with this person in your presence on the big day? Think about your family and guests, also. Is this someone you can envision having a conversation with your grandmother, or with Uncle Harry, the amateur photographer in the family who loves to 'talk shop'?" Clements notes, "You want your wedding photographer to enhance your experience of the day (and that of your guests), not detract from it!"
2. Consider The Light When Timing The Ceremony
"People are drawn to the idea of a sunset ceremony, but the reality is that you will get many more beautiful, natural-light shots if you schedule the ceremony a couple hours before sunset. That way, there will still be lots of gorgeous light for the post-ceremony formals as well as cocktail hour candids and romantic portraits of the two of you."
3. Work With Your Photographer During The Planning Process
"An experienced photographer knows the importance of planning ahead for the day's photography and will communicate with you and your planner, if you have one, to gather the information she needs to coordinate the shot list, schedule, and so forth," she says. She advises to "be responsive to her requests and suggestions so that she'll have what she needs to plan appropriately."
4. Plan To See One Another Before The Ceremony
"I never force this on my clients, but the reality is that the day flows much more smoothly when the couple sees one another in advance of the ceremony," she says. Elaborating on what is commonly understood to be a wedding faux pas she notes, "I find that my couples are so much more relaxed, and we can then get many, if not all, of the 'formal' family and wedding party portraits out of the way -- so that after the ceremony, everyone can simply head to cocktail hour. I always work with clients to ensure that the moment of seeing one another is a beautiful, special one -- it just happens to take place before the ceremony!"
5. Be Sure You Understand What Happens After The Wedding
Clement believes that a strong understanding of wedding aftermath is equally as important as an understanding of pre-wedding chaos. According to her, you should "find out about the album process, options, and costs so that there are no surprises after the fact. There are countless decisions to be made -- what album type? What cover material? What images to include? It can be quite daunting, and you should make sure your photographer is willing to assist you as much as you need." She advises to, "make sure the actual design of the albums suit your taste. Your photographer should be interested in helping you create something elegant and classic that will stand the test of time -- not look dated in ten years."