5 Wedding Photography Mistakes You Definitely Need to Avoid
When it comes to your wedding day, the only thing you’ll have left after the dress has been dry-cleaned and stored and the hire suits returned, will be your wedding photographs.
We’ve already talked about how to choose the perfect wedding photographer to give you the best chance of perfectly preserving those valuable memories, but there’s something else we need to cover. And that’s wedding photo mistakes, and how to avoid them. If you are set on getting the best wedding photos you could ever wish for, read on for some of my top insider tips to help ensure your wedding photography runs like a dream on your big day.
Mistake #1: Not allowing enough time for wedding photos
One of the biggest wedding photography errors has to be failing to allow sufficient time for your photographs.
You may find that some venues set a fairly strict schedule for your wedding ceremony and the wedding breakfast that follows. Sometimes this will mean that you will find yourselves rushed between leaving the ceremony, and having to get seated for the meal and speeches.
The problem with this is that, apart from the fact you’ll want to enjoy some time with your guests and indulge in a glass or two of champagne to relax after the big build up, if you are pushed for time at this stage, there won’t be enough opportunity to capture the wonderful natural photos that tell such an important part of your wedding day story.
This is especially so if your wedding venue is particularly picturesque or set in scenic surroundings, because you’ll want time whilst you still have daylight to make the most of the photo opportunities that led you to book the venue in the first place.
So, if you want to have the best wedding pictures, try to allow a good two hours between the end of the ceremony and the wedding breakfast. You will appreciate the time with your guests, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your wedding photography, and at the end of it, your wedding album won’t have any obvious gaps.
Mistake #2: Not capturing the entire day
Lots of couples say that one of their biggest wedding photography mistakes was not hiring the photographer for the entire day.
Whilst it can be tempting to save money by inviting your wedding photographer to only shoot the ceremony, you may regret it later when you wish you’d had all your getting ready moments captured before you said your vows, and that you missed the chance to capture the fun of the first dance and evening party.
Getting ready photos can be lots of fun. The banter between you and your bridesmaids, the emotional moments with your closest loved ones.
And in the evening, once all the nerves are out of the way and everyone’s relaxed, this is the perfect time to capture those special scenes where everyone is enjoying themselves.
You put a huge amount of effort into planning your wedding day, so do think carefully before deciding on whether to only capture part of it for your wedding album. It may be that you maximise your budget for wedding photography, and compromise somewhere else. But those memories committed to print will be worth it.
Mistake #3: Not meeting the photographer beforehand
It really is so important to meet up with your wedding photographer, preferably at the venue. Not doing so is one of the biggest wedding photography errors you can make.
It’s good to meet up in person, because that way you’ll feel natural around them. Then, on the day, there won’t be any awkwardness.
Chatting through wedding photography ideas in the setting of your big day is so beneficial. The photographer will have some of his or her own ideas for backdrops at various stages of the day, and will want to run them by you.
This is your chance to share ideas and make sure you’re all on the same page, so that you can make sure you get the best wedding pictures possible.
Mistake #4: Not arranging parking for your wedding photographer
There’s nothing worse than scrambling around at the last minute trying to find somewhere to park. Especially when there’s a wedding to get to!
Your wedding photographer will need somewhere convenient to park, preferably as close to the venue as possible, as they’ll have lots of equipment to carry. It will need to be somewhere they can stay for as long as they need to, all day if you’ve hired them from getting ready right through to the evening reception and fireworks.
As wedding photography mistakes go, this is one that could cause all sorts of problems. You don’t want your wedding photographer to end up with a parking ticket, or worse still, being clamped. Neither do you want them leaving every so often to move their vehicle.
So be sure to make arrangements for parking for your wedding photographer in advance.
Mistake #5: Men – not emptying your pockets
Do you really want your wedding photos of your groom or guests with bulging pockets? Shots with keys, phones and wallets imprinted on their trousers? No, of course you don’t! So don’t make one of the worst wedding photo mistakes… make sure you issue strict instructions to the male members of your wedding party to empty their pockets before the day begins.
Looking to create the best wedding photos on your big day?
Now you know the wedding photo mistakes you need to avoid on your big day, are you ready to choose your wedding photographer?
If you are looking to create a natural style wedding photo album as a cherished memory of your special day, please take a look at what I can offer. My aim is to capture the true essence of your most important day, and to provide a photographic memory of how every moment unfolded in real time, so that you can keep on recalling them for many years to come.
My portfolio shows my expertise in documentary wedding photography at numerous venues throughout the North East, and you are welcome to get in touch to find out how I can tailor a wedding photography package to suit your individual needs and wishes.
Related Posts: Documentary Wedding Photography.
