Ways to create a better Wedding Photography “Experience”

Take your Wedding Photos from Okay to WOW!

By Trands4mation Photography

I’ve never met a couple who just want “good” or “average” wedding photos! Brides and Grooms are shelling out an average of about $40,000 nationally (average of TheKnot.com and Brides. com surveys), and can approach $100,000 in cities like New York. Even if you use 50% of that on a nice, but not over-the-top wedding, you still would want a professional photographer to get “great”, breathtaking, if not “wow” photos, right? You’d certainly walk away after your wedding knowing you’ve had a great wedding photography experience. Why then spend so much money on a wedding that doesn’t get curated with spectacular photos!?

So how do you make that happen?

There are many variables and moving pieces, some which you have control over, and some you don’t, that play into the relative success of a wedding. And by success I mean lots of laughter and fun, food, dancing, decorations, music and entertainment, sentimental and beautiful moments, the groom dancing with a great-grandmother, etc. Every one of those details and moments needs aesthetics and optics. That is what you have left after spending the price of a luxury SUV on one night of partying. Now, do you just want “good” photos, or for a little bit more on a professional photographer who knows how to give you a wedding experience – all of it, from the time you meet, getting to know them during an engagement photo sessions, planning for the wedding, creating an album design, all the way until you get all your albums and photos, and more – do you want “WOW” photos? Ehh vs. Wowza?

From having been photographed hundreds of weddings, I could honestly say I know a thing or two about weddings. And I want to give you several thoughts about how to take it from Eh, to WOWZA! Buckle your seats, here they are in no particular order:

1. Flo�ers – Whatever your flower budget is, move a good chunk of it to spice up the main bridal bouquet as that will appear in most photos and you really want the flowers to scream “unique and stunning”. So consider purchasing a tiered or cascading bouquet, some soft, muted, or pastel colors with lots of greens. The bouquet should be mostly bright and light, and use non-conventional (exotic) flowers. If it is possible, avoid using any or many roses as they are considered generic. Here’s a great example of a nice bouquet that gets attention (you can go over-the-top, but you don’t have to!):

2. Venue Walk Through (VWT) – Most professional photographers don’t do a “venue walk through”. What is a venue walk-through? It is an appointment your photographer makes with you at the venue. I usually like to schedule the VWT about 1 month before the wedding because by that time being so close to the wedding, most of the logistics have been nailed down and can be intelligently discussed. It’s not something that should be done months in advance (not enough is usually known about the wedding), and I rarely ever do it 1 week before the wedding because clients are running around getting final details in place and hosting family from out of town.

What do you do at a VWT? We find a spot to sit down and review all the logistics, timing, schedule, where, when, who, what, why, and how (and some “what ifs?”). If there’s ever a time to identify any snafus in the schedule or with other vendors, this is the time to find out. You don’t want to find those disconnects on your wedding day! First, if the photographer has any kind of forms or guides to help with answering those questions, be sure to complete them. You should nail down as many of the details so that there is less of a chance your photographer will miss photos that you really want to capture, and you walk away having a much better idea of how the day will flow. It helps you consider options your photographer may suggest from the experiences they have. Of course, a VWT will include… a “walk through”! It’s important to take a tour of the property inside and outside, all the while taking notes of the best spots for photography, your favorite spots, and maybe the spot you will use for First Looks. Ask your photographer to type all these notes – logistics and favorite locations – and send them to you in an organized format. Remember, if you fail to plan, you’ve planned to fail.

3. Point of Contacts – It is important that you identify and communicate with your photographer the contact info of your wedding planner (if you have one), the venue contact, and at least one family contact who can assist your photographer in corralling family members for the formal portrait portion of the day (sometimes some portraits are taken before the ceremony, but almost always between the ceremony and reception during the cocktail hour). It is also important for you to provide the contact info of the venue representative. Be sure to give your family member the list of portrait shots you and I have talked about and selected so that they can be as helpful as possible.

4. Video / Cinematographer collaboration – If you are planning to use a videographer or drone operator, be sure to encourage them to work with each other, not just you. Remind them that the photographer will have the creative lead on setting up poses and scenes, etc. Videographers should not get in the way, but do their work either side-byside or from behind. It is very important that videographers avoid going onto the dance floor during the First Dances. This interferes with the sweetness and intimate feel that moment deserves and it precludes some of your guests from their ability to see you dancing! Great videographers purchase zoom lenses so that they can capture all the dancing from a distance without interfering. Don’t let this happen to you:

5. DJ / MC heads up – Tell that DJ to grab the attention or give the photo/video leads a heads up before making important announcements (e.g. first dances, or toasts, etc.). Something like, “Hey, we are about to cut the cake in 5 minutes”. This will help avoid a situation where the photographer or videographer may be outside taking pictures and video of family members, not realizing that an important event is about to take place and possibly missing those all too important shots!

6. Ceremony and Reception Venue Selection (Outdoors) –Having hired a photographer, you probably already selected your venue. However, if you find yourself reading this post before selecting a wedding venue, then consider having both the ceremony and reception at the same location to maximize the time you have to celebrate and afford yourself the most amount of time for photography (you also make it easier for your guest by not having them drive between locations, parking twice, etc.). If you elect to have your wedding outdoors, be sure to find a venue that offers at least one (or more) areas where there is ample shade. The optimal weather for a wedding photographer is to have some (or mostly) cloudy conditions because it is the clouds that help diffuse the harsh sunlight and help softly scatter the light on the subjects’ faces. However, if the venue does not offer shady spots, you may want to reconsider your selection. Can a good photographer take photos in sunny conditions? Of course, but not recommended. Without a shady spot or two, the midday sun causes harsh shadows across the chest and gives people raccoon shadow eyes, not to mention people squint in sunny weather.

7. Ceremony and Reception Venue Selection (Indoors): If on the other had you elect to have your ceremony and/ or reception indoors, then consider finding a venue that offers large spaces, high ceilings, textured architecture, or with bright or white ceiling paint to help diffuse flash when used. String lights and chandeliers are great and give photographers a chance to create “bokeh”. Avoid small ballrooms, cramped spaces with mirrors or drop ceilings. Think about what you want to see behind you as you are doing your first dance. Here’s an example of a great backdrop:

8. Color schemes – Consider using a color wheel (available online) when trying to mix and match color schemes and palettes. Also, according to Deer Pearl Flowers, the most popular colors for 2023 are: Merlot, Silver Sage, Steel Blue, Antique Rose, Navy, Emerald, Honey Gold. For more ideas, check out David’s Bridal season color schemes. Lastly, consider bringing a spool or colored tulle or fabric that matches your palette. The fabric will be used to help decorate your ring photo details (“the flat lay”) and create thematic and coordinated photos.

9. Invitation Suite and Flower Delivery – It is very important to arrange a box which contains important, memorable, and meaningful elements from your wedding. This includes a box that contains the invitation suite (cards, envelopes, etc.), rings and ring boxes, shoes, perfume bottle, sentimental details, jewelry, vintage stamps or fabric with your theme colors, etc.). Equally important is to ask your florist to deliver the boutonnières and bouquets to the appropriate getting ready locations: boutonnières to the guys, and bouquets to the girls. With those details available, you photographer can create something like this:

10. Details and Decorations – To give your wedding and photos that “punch” that says you put thought into things, consider spending a little more time on selecting centerpieces which don’t necessarily have to be towering or hurricane vases. Consider adding calligraphy signage on easels, using special hangers for the bridal and bridesmaids dresses, exchanging cards and gifts between the bride and groom, champagne or whisky for Getting Ready toasts, personalized robes for the bridesmaids, etc. Here are some examples of decorative details that give an oomph to your wedding:

11. Getting Ready location – Consider getting ready at the venue. All else equal, doing so gives you the most time to prepare and create the maximum opportunity for photography. A scenario where you have to go from mom’s house, to the church, to the reception robs you of too much time to celebrate and take photos! But, as is the case often, it is necessary to get ready off site. If you have to do that, consider arranging for a nearby location to minimize the amount of travel time.

12. Putting the Dress on – You’d be surprised how often this traditional and meaningful step is lost in the noise and busyness of the moment. Decide who you wish to help you button up the dress beforehand, so that person knows what their role is and are present to make it happen. Traditionally, this is either the Mother of the Bride, or the Maid of Honor.

13. Bustling Up the Dress – This advice is the easiest advice: Practice, practice, practice! I can’t tell you how many times the bride or the maid of honor told me they know how to bustle up the dress, only to find out that the hooks or loops are hard to find. What should have taken 3 minutes, takes 20 minutes because of the confusion.

14. Getting Ready, First Look – Some of the most intimate, timeless, and memorable moments happen organically. The bride and bridesmaids getting ready, the first time dad sees his daughter in her wedding gown, the first time the groom lays eyes on his bride. These moments are the moments that we all celebrate. Tender. Tear-filled. Laughter. Even goofy at times. Be sure these moments are planned carefully. Where, when, or who will be there. Planning these moments doesn’t mean they aren’t organic. It just means that everyone can anticipate what should happen and help make sure your photographer gets to candidly and quietly capture the reactions behind the camera! Generally speaking, to make the most of the opportunity and to afford your photography vendor a reasonable amount of time to capture these moments, I suggest you ask them to come to your “Getting Ready” bridal suite at least 2+ hours before the ceremony. If you wish to also do First Looks you should add another hour to that plan, meaning that the photo/video vendors should come to the bridal suite 3 hours before the ceremony.

15. Portraits – Everyone wants formal portraits. I haven’t ever attended a wedding without some amount of time planned for formals – for the bride and groom, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and so forth. I know how important these keepsake photos are for you and for the extended family! Since your photographer is committed to give you an amazing “wedding photography experience”, they should make it their job to manage and direct people in a gently assertive way (think of a director on the set of a movie). Time management is part of that. So, I always recommend that your portrait/shot list is kept to a bare minimum, down to the essentials, knowing that you will have more time later in the reception to capture group photos, etc. This gives you the maximum opportunity to both enjoy the cocktail hour and spend more time talking to and celebrating with your families and friends. A long portrait shot list cuts valuable time away from this strategy. My recommendation is to consider creating a portrait list of about 10-20 portraits photos.

16. Posing – You want WOW photos, right? Well then, go online and don’t be shy to look up portrait photos of brides and grooms on their wedding day. Sensual. Posed. Staged. Romantic. Editorial. Bohemian. So many styles and poses to try and recreate. But this is what you paid your photographer to do… to create Art! Practice twirling your bride or doing the “dip” shot, or kissing each other in a sensual way, or using the “almost kiss” method (this is where you close your eyes, tilt your heads, open mouth but without puckering, serious look and no smiling, and letting the lips touch – very sensual). The more you are intentional about posing and letting yourself be creative, the better the photos will come out. You’ll get so good at it that the photos will look natural, not over-posed, and will organically reflect your personality. You don’t just want to create “same old, same old”. You want unique, artsy, and creative!

17. Hair and Makeup – Another way to maximize the time you have with your photographer and minimize travel time for everyone is to have your hair and make-up professionals come to your bridal suite. Is it absolutely necessary? No, but it does help a lot and gives your photo and video team the opportunity to capture the candid moments of everyone having fun getting ready, recalling memories, being goofy, and cracking jokes with make-up being applied. A less preferred alternative is to have everyone go to a salon. That will add time and reduces photo opportunities.

18. Relaxation – The best subject for photos are relaxed subjects! I encourage all my clients to stop everything, including photography, about 30 minutes before the ceremony. Why? This gives the bride and groom a chance to catch their breath, have a drink (or two, or three), collect their thoughts on their big day, hide away from the arriving guests, and for the bride to touch up her make-up and hair one last time.

19. Cell phone and cameras – I still have to remind my clients about this! To help you get the best photos during the processional, ceremony, or recessional, ask your officiant to announce just before the ceremony that guests should silence and put away their cell phones! Do you want a bunch of arms and cameras up in the air or sticking out into the aisle for those important shots? This well intentioned guest was so eager to use her personal camera that she completely failed to consider that your photographer is standing right behind her taking one of the most important photos during a wedding – walking up and down the aisle. Yes, you do want to see guests at your wedding, but no, you don’t want to see them pretend to be professional photographers as they break out their iPhone 14. Here’s what you don’t want tosee:

20. Children – Fancy weddings don’t have children present. Simple. As. That. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids and babies and all, but for a wedding to go as distraction free and without a crying baby or the terrible twos, try and do it without children. You have lovingly been warned! At least keep the invitation list for children to a bare minimum. And of course, I totally understand and appreciate those circumstances when you need to, or want to invite the little ones. This is a matter of my recommendations on what helps my clients get the best experience, not necessarily a commentary on children. After all, children can be very cute and create stunning photos too!

21. First Dances – Have a conversation with your photographer about the best place to dance on the dance floor. This will allow them to consider the best backdrop views for amazing photos. Consider for your final dip or kiss at the end of your dance to be perpendicular with where the photographer is standing. Practice a choreographed dance, however simple. Be sure the final kiss or dip at the end of the dance is sideways facing. You don’t want to have the groom’s butt or bride’s cleavage (or more) facing the camera! That doesn’t make for WOW photos! Make sure that the videographer stays off the dance floor and away from the intimate and personal nature of these first dances. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen amateur videographers walk up to within about 3 feet of the dancing couple interrupting a very beautiful moment and blocking the view of the guests. A gentle ask will usually work! And while talking about first dances, ask the mother of the groom and father of the bride to be sure they stand upright, instead of dancing with their heads buried inside the crevice of their child’s neck. We want smiley faces that look happy, engaged in whispers or talk, and not looking at the camera.

22. Consider your photographer – Last but not least, consider your photography and videography team. Remember that the objective here is to create the best, not just good, photos. Therefore, a happy photographer makes great photos! Consider providing a regular dinner for them and their team. At this point in the day, they’ve spent a considerable amount of time running around and by dinner time they are hungry (maybe even hangry!). Consider them when planning the menu and calculating a head count (e.g., offer them the options you have for plated food) and help them avoid having to eat those dreaded “vendor meals”. Kindly ask your venue rep to secure a spot for them to eat along with silverware. However gracious you may be, most photographers need some space to catch their breath and prefer to remain discreet and not part of the seated guests. And last but not least, the professional photographers you’ve hired have been handsomely paid by you. However, none of them would say “no” to a thoughtful tip. They don’t expect it and never guilt anyone into doing it. It just makes their job that much more rewarding as they push really hard to give you the best wedding photography experience you expect and deserve!