ISIS PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE
Wedding Day Tips Issue
4
MUST Have tips eye contact, umbrellas & Sunglasses
6
TIPS FOR THE BRIDE MAKE-UP NO-nos
8
FAMILY PHOTOS who gets the shot list?
10 Etiquette 12 The Timeline
planning to maximise your timE
14 Paperwork filling out your
questionnaire
Tips FOR GETTING GREAT WEDDING PHOTOS
Embrace the weather If you think it is going to be really sunny, why not ask bridesmaids/ groomsmen to bring sunglasses, or if you think it may rain, how about umbrellas? We shot a wedding where all of the bridesmaids wore different rubber boots. These little touches can make interesting wedding photos. Do you wear sunglasses a lot? If so, try to get used to not wearing them before your wedding, otherwise you will find it hard not to squint in your outdoor wedding photos.
During the ceremony Remember to look at each other instead of the minister/officiate during the vows. It’s more meaningful for you and makes for better photos. Also, if possible, memorize your vows or repeat them after your officiant so you are looking at each other and not a piece of paper!
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The most important advice we can give you is to relax. The more relaxed you are, the more natural and beautiful your photos will look. Our style is very photojournalistic, so if you feel stressed, you will probably look stressed in your photographs. Here are some de-stressing tips: What relaxes you?
Be the early bird.
A spa day? A few hours on the golf course? Pick something that soothes you and make some time for yourself before your wedding.
Get everything done as early as you can. eems like a no-brainer but its easy for tasks to be put off and you don’t want to be worried about details on your wedding day.
Practise.
Delegate.
Investing in a pre-wedding workshop will give you confidence that your photographer will show your best side - one less thing to worry about.
Your bridesmaids and groomsmen are there for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help... nicely of course.
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Helpful hints for the bride
Enjoy your day! Remember that the most important thing is that you get married. Everything else is a bonus. Matte make-up works best, try to stay away from glitter as this can cause harsh reflections in your photographs. We recommend you plan on getting dressed at least 1½ hour before the ceremony. That way you won’t be rushed and there will be some time for photos of you in your dress. If you are getting ready in a hotel room, it is a good idea to bring an emergency kit including (but not limited to) sewing kit, scissors, a corkscrew, and club soda just in case! If you would like photos of the bridesmaids helping you get your dress on, it’s a good idea to plan for them to get ready before you so they are dressed in the photographs. The same goes for other people who might be in these pictures like the mother of the bride. Bring music! Music is great for calming nerves, creating energy and having a good time. Choose music that reflects your personality.
Time-saving tip Get the dress out! Even better, hang it in a nice window or in a tidy room. This means when your photographer arrives, the dress is ready to be photographed, plus you can do a last minute check for loose threads etc.
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Family photos We recommend photographing family groups after the couple photos. Please discuss your shot list with someone (it could be the maid of honour or the best man - someone loud and organized and who knows the families) and designate him or her to help organizing the groups. This speeds up the process since we don’t know who your guests are. It’s a good idea to write up a group shot list well before the wedding day to make sure no one gets forgotten. We will try to take candids of your guests if we have the time and opportunity, however, this is not possible for every wedding and our priority is getting photographs of the bride and groom.
Family photos Bride + bride’s parents Bride + bride’s immediate family Groom + groom’s parents Groom + groom’s immediate family Bride & groom + bride’s parents Bride & groom + groom’s parents Bride & groom + bride’s & groom’s parents Bride & groom + bride & groom’s immediate family
Timing family photos Family photos usually take about 3 minutes each (assuming everything runs smoothly) so the above 8 suggested family shots would take about 24 minutes. When possible we will take the photos of the bride with the brides family and the groom with the groom’s family before the ceremony, but this is not always possible. It is a good idea to let the family members in your photo list know when and where the photos will take place before the wedding. The Isis Photography Magazine Wedding Tips Edition 9
Guest photography etiquette We know that your guests want to take photos at your wedding, we would too! However, we request that your guests do not take pictures during the “formals�, in other words, when we are setting up or directing the photograph.. Not only is it distracting for the photographer, but it is distracting for the people in the photo.
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Timeline planning your day
The key to getting the most enjoyment out of your wedding day is to have a timeline worked out in advance.
Sample timeline We will send you a questionnaire with all of the information we need to know including the timeline. The timeline is completely up to you and depends on when your ceremony is and whether you want your couple photos before or after the ceremony, but to give you an idea, we have provided an example of a timeline for 8-hour coverage.
getting ready photos usually take about two hours
0:00 - photographers start - shooting dress, rings, hair & make-up
0:45 - getting dressed, candid photos
1:15 - photos of bridesmaids, groomsmen etc
2:00 - ceremony
asked-for photos usually take about an hour and a half
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3:00 - photos with bride and groom
4:30 - photos of bridal party & family photos
5:15 - cocktails (potential candids, detail shots)
5:45 - introductions
6:00 - dinner & speeches
7:30 - cake cutting & first dance
8:00 - photographers finish The Isis Photography Magazine Wedding Tips Edition 13
FILLING OUT THE
Questionnaire We developed our questionnaire after years of experience photographing weddings so that we have the information we need, such as places and times for events during the day. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask but here are some explanations you might not be aware of.
Photographer start time
Photo assistant
The start time is usually when we start shooting the bride getting ready. Please remember to factor in travel time while planning when the grooms getting ready pictures will start. We officially start when the first photographer starts.
Most of the time we don’t bring an assistant but sometimes we have an intern or we are training an associate. We will let you know if we are bringing an assistant.
Scheduling for delays Sometimes the schedule does not run exactly as planned and if it overruns we need to know if you want us to stay or not. This saves us from having to ask awkward questions while you are enjoying your dinner. For example, if we are hired to photograph your wedding until your first dance is meant to end at 9pm but your first dance doesn’t happen until 9:30pm, do you want us to stay until after your first dance or leave at 9pm?
Group coordinator This is the person who you give your shot list of family groups to, ideally some one who knows a lot of family members. Bossiness is a plus!. (see page 6)
Dinner If you require photography during your reception it is customary to feed your vendors (DJs, musicians & photographers). We don’t mind if we are seated at a vendors table or with guests but we prefer to be within earshot and fairly easy access of where the speeches are, especially if people are speaking throughout dinner. If we are not being fed, that is okay too, just let us know so we can make food arrangements but we will require a place to eat (table and chairs).
Videographer We like to know if there is a videographer so we can communicate with them about positioning during the ceremony, shooting during bridal portraits, etc.
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Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Best of luck with all of your preparations and congratulations on your engagement.
Richard and Christa
Important Phone Numbers
Isis Office: 705.444.2400 Richard Cell: 705.888.0311 Christa Cell: 705.888.1862
www.isisphotography.ca info@isisphotography.ca