Getting Those Romantic Pictures For Your Wedding Album
You have seen your girlfriends wedding pictures, your sisters pictures and your moms pictures. Wedding Photography has evolved over the years. Today's Bride wants Fun, Exciting, Romantic, Sexy, and much, much, much more out of their wedding photo session. Here's some tips to get the most out of your Photographer to allow him or her enough time to capture those shots:
1) Look at their portfolio online and in person when meeting with your photographer. Look at albums too, for options on how those photos are designed and displayed into the popular Storybook Albums as a finished product.
2) You will need a basic time-line when meeting with the photographer the first time. Most wedding photographers prefer for you to be flexible when meeting them if you want to capture a storybook image. They only need to know the basics of ceremony start/end time, dinner time with flexibility on serving it. The reason for this is due to everything that falls in between. From you getting ready shots, the groom getting ready shots, and family formals. If you are running late due to some unforeseen reason it will make you Rushed, Panic, and Stressed Out before your photographer has a chance to capture your beauty naturally. The Ceremony may go longer for instants which pushes the family formals back and then you will be Rushed, Panic, and Stressed Out. Your parents still want those particular shots, but the church has to setup for Mass, what to do? This will create your photographer to be rushed. They will push through, you will cut your photo list and you will be short on time for the one on one time with your new hubby that you so wanted in the first place for those romantic pics. Then if you stay longer for those pics or are running far enough behind that those are cut short, your into the reception stating late etc. The snowball effect takes place. While no wedding runs exactly on time be sure that your pictures are usually the first to go. Keep this in mind when working on your time-line. Be sure that your vendors such as Caterer, Reception Hall and DJ are flexible with the final time-line for them to start and be sure they have a game plan if you are running late. This will help so you don't feel Rushed, Panic, or Stressed Out.
You have spent money on the dress, flowers, ceremony, reception, decoration, DJ, etc but if you don't spend the money on your photographer and allow them enough time to capture what made you booked them for in the first place you'll be disappointed because you won't have those pictures to remember your day long after it has passed and you're growing old together.
3) If formals aren't your thing, most parents still want them. Get with each set of parents and get a list of groupings of who will be in the pictures. Be sure to have that handy for your photographer so they can be sure to help you figure that into your time-line. Typically it takes 2 to 3 minutes per picture if everyone is present this doesn't count the setup of each shot such as move one person from the front to the back or checking for blinks. That only includes rounding everyone up and getting the up front and ready. A photographer will take multiple shots of each group to be safe in case someone wasn't ready.
4) Map your driving time to estimate how long it will take from getting ready shots to ceremony then to romantic location and to reception site. You will need to factor this in as well.
5) Your Alone Time with each other and if you want any fun shots with your bridal party will typically need to be 1 hour and 30 minutes. 30 minutes to get to point A to B with all of your bridal party and for those great fun shots. 1 hour for your romantic time to capture all those wonderful moments between each of you that will be the most treasured naturally. This also allows that built in cushion if something has started late or ran to long. Though your pictures maybe cut here you will still have enough time to get something memorable. You can always show up early for to your reception if finished early and mingle with guest.
6) If you don't want to pay the photographer any longer than you need to. Look at having your cake cutting right after dinner, so the cake can be distributed to guest. If the older guests want to leave before the party gets into gear they can. Also follow the cake cutting with the bouquet and garter toss, first dances, dollar dances and parents dances. Then your photographer can stay for 30 minutes or so to get those fun and crazy dances that will finish your storybook. If you booked a package with your wedding photographer that consist of a time package of 8 -10 hrs this tip will help you to not have to pay overtime unless you want it or have to go up to the next package because of time unless you want those upgrades. You can focus your time with your photographer on the two of you.
7) Look at wedding photos and analyze the pose. This will help you to naturally recreate something similar for your day. You will be use to seeing and practicing the pose when trying on your dress. This will also prepare you since you're not use to being a supermodel and this is your moment. Most photographers capture the moment, so not many of them pose you. This is due to the fact that posing makes you look rigid and the positions are usually not natural to create with your body unless you have played Twister a lot as a child. Be sure if you're looking at photos for the poses that you share them with your man. Make sure you have him practice that dip so you don't end up on the ground and the picture will look like your pros.
8) Remember that your photographers are human. They are the only vendor that is with you from before the beginning to the end of your day. They will still need the bathroom break as you will. They will also need to eat. Be sure that they are the one vendor that eats the same time as the head table. The last thing you want is for your photographer to leave the wedding to run and get something to eat or be served last, so by the time you have finished eating you're waiting on them. So to fix this have them added into your guest count, be sure to let your caterer know where they are sitting (preferably close to you in line of sight so they can still capture those moments that may pop up. Most won't take pictures of you nor your guest eating.) so they are served at the same time as you and they can be ready to go when you are ready to mingle with guest. Don't forget as you mingle with your guest this will allow your wedding day photographer the time to get the gift table, cake picture, and table details to add into your wedding album.
