Wedding tips for the best photos and a relaxed day
Over the last 9 years, I’ve picked up some tips along the way on how to create the most stress free and perfectly planned wedding experience. Having been a bride myself in 2021, this also helped me see the other side of the lens and what to expect and prepare for - before and on the day.
Morning Prep
One of the best things you can do to get those dreamy bridal portraits on the morning of your wedding is to choose to get ready in the largest and lightest room that’s available. If you are staying in the room the night before your wedding, it’s a good idea to ask a friend or family member to help tidy the space before your photographer arrives. Lots of suitcases, bags and overnight stay items can often look messy in your wedding photos, so where you can, ask your bridesmaids/groomsmen to leave their bags in their own rooms until it’s time to get dressed.
If you can, asking your hair and make up artist to set up with you facing the window means you will have beautiful light in your hair and make up photos. It’s always worth being able to capture this as the finishing touches are going on - lipstick, or curling final strands of hair.
Always prepare the items you need for your wedding the night before. I recommend keeping everything in a little box - wedding shoes, perfume, jewellery, wedding invitation, letters, etc. My clients love to have photographs of these details of the wedding morning in their album, and is often one of the first things I will photograph. Remember to steam anything the night before, taking off any labels from shoes, dresses, etc. Finding a pair of scissors (which not every one carries)! Then most importantly, sleep! You will definitely wake up at 5am whether you need to or not.
Leave plenty of time.
One of my top requests is to ask your hair & make up team to finish at least 60 minutes before you are due to leave for your ceremony. This might seem like a lot of time, but this hour flies by as there is a lot to do in this hour! Perhaps you would like a bridesmaids photo altogether, some photos of you getting into your dress, solo bridal portraits, first look with your parents, and not to forget time to breathe and take it all in. You can liaise with your hair and make up team to make this work. It’s absolutely worth it.
Your photographer and videographer will need to leave 20 - 30 minutes before you so that we can set up at the ceremony location, and speak to the vicar, registrar, celebrant, etc. If you’re having a civil ceremony, you will also have to speak to your registrar before the ceremony starts. No one else can be present during this conversation so your bridal party will likely be asked to leave the room. I recommend working backwards with timings from the time your photographer needs to leave for the ceremony.
Wedding Vows
I always recommend writing your own personal wedding vows as they make a ceremony a lot more personal (with the added bonus of giving your wedding film the most romantic narration to your love story).
Tip: Writing them pen to paper is a lot nicer than reading vows/speeches from a phone (which might date in decades to come!).
Drinks Reception
The optimal time for a drinks reception is 2 hours after your ceremony ends - baring in mind that there is usually a lot of moving people from place to place. From the ceremony to the confetti space. Then onto the drinks reception, then on to your wedding breakfast. Leave around half an hour for logistics - and 45 minutes for you to mingle with your guests! Which leaves a final 45 minutes for couples portraits and group shots without feeling rushed or under pressure.
Getting the best out of your dance floor photos.
Guests are there for you. They want to dance with you, but they don’t want to steal your limelight. Which means that if you’re on the dance floor, they will be too. You need to leave enough time for the real dancers to take to the stage. Every wedding party has couples which love to dance together, parents who want to dance with their kids, and guests who will pull out their most impressive moves for anyone who is watching. You’ll probably know who they are - so splitting off to dance with other guests is a great way to get everyone involved.
Most DJay’s know what they are doing, but start with the classics that everyone of all ages knows. The more people who recognise a track, the more people will get behind it and get dancing.
Props help. A pair of novelty glasses, glow sticks, or even a custom mask of your beloved dog Monty can go a long way to reducing inhibitions and getting even the quietest wedding guests dancing. There are different options for every style and occasion - find something that feels like you and gets people having fun until the drinks kick in.
Speeches
Having speeches between courses might sound like a great idea, but there are several really important reasons to keep your speeches altogether:
It is a nightmare for catering. Ask a chef - any chef. Getting the right timings for a large number of guests that all need to be served at the same time is not easy. And there is no greater enemy for a well timed wedding breakfast than the best man winging-it with an off the cuff speech that lasted 10 minutes longer than it was supposed to. Or the father in law taking a few (a lot) of extra long pauses to compose himself and wipe the tears away - particularly if those speeches sit in-between courses. Once the catering train leaves the station, it really shouldn’t be stopped - which is a lot easier with speeches at the beginning, or end of the meal.
It looks better. When you do your speeches before your meal, the tables are clear and therefore look a lot nicer in your wedding album/films than gravy/wine stained tablecloths and half empty glasses. Glasses are fully charged at the start of the wedding breakfast ready to say ‘cheers’, leaving them until the end of the meal may risk those bubbles running dry!
It helps everyone get along. Finally, the time when you and your guests are enjoying your wedding breakfast is when we (suppliers) can take a break. This time is used to back up your photos/videos from the first half of the day, and it’s also when we need to eat! Everyone works better when they are well rested, but when speeches are between courses, it often means missing our meal to set up the tripods and microphones three times instead of once, all whilst trying to avoid getting in the way of your guests, and waiters with hot food. Speeches first means we are out of everyone’s way, keeps the wedding breakfast running smoothly, and we’d really appreciate the break.
Sound like we’re a good fit? I’d love to hear more about your day.