After 15 years of shooting weddings and learning these things the hard way through experience, I thought it might be smart to compile these tips into a handy list for engaged couples. Weddings are known for being stressful, and I truly believe they don’t have to be. (Well, maybe just a little). Hopefully my Top 10 tips below for stress-free wedding photos will provide a bit of knowledge to help get you started.
- 1. Pad the schedule
There are so many great reasons for this, even if it’s just gamifying the schedule so you feel success every time you look at the clock and you’re ahead of time! The main things that will notoriously take longer than people expect are hair & makeup time, waiting for important people who are late for the ceremony, receiving lines (which I advise against unless the tradition is important to you), and traffic delays between locations. And selfishly, if the schedule is too tight, it’s often the photo time that gets cut. (And it’s hard to keep the photos feeling relaxed and natural when you’re rushing). If you pad the schedule but things move fast, then great, you have some fun free time with your new spouse! Murphy’s Law, right?
*The lifelong memory below was provided by a loose schedule that allotted time for the couple to privately read their vows to each other before heading off to the ceremony.
- 2. Choose a Small Wedding Party
It’s hard for many people to choose favourites without worry of offending someone, so numbers in wedding parties can creep up quickly. But one of the best ways to keep stress low is to just pick 1 or 2 important people (like a best friend/sibling), or no people at all! Since the weddings I photograph are largely non-traditional, it’s refreshing to see people starting to re-think the old way of doing things. Fewer people in your wedding party doesn’t mean you’ll have less help or that you don’t love your friends. Instead it can preserve friendships and remove the headaches commonly caused by: - finding & fitting clothing and colours that flatter multiple people with different tastes
- personality clashes within the wedding party
- multiple people to organize/pose in photos, and transport on the wedding day
- too many cooks in the kitchen. too much external input about wedding decisions can be crippling.
Those important people will still be there to support you in any way you need, whether you stand them up in matching ties or not.
- 3. Minimize travel and locations
One of the main logistical nightmares that occurs on a wedding day involves transportation. If your ceremony + reception are taking place at one location, and you can do the photos there as well, you’ve already saved yourself a big headache. If not, limo buses will be your best friend. (Although still recommended for the way there if you’re traveling with a group). You can step into this style of limo much easier, instead of ducking & crawling over people. Plus, who doesn’t love a good party bus once in a while. Whether it’s a limo, Uber, or your own vehicle, try to keep the locations to a minimum because travel is a notorious time-suck. And just in case, give Google Maps locations to the driver in advance, and anyone else who may be driving too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a limo driver ask to follow me because they don’t know where they’re going. *insert eye roll here*
- 4. Have a Solid Plan for Family Photo Time
Even though we love our families, the most stressful part of the day for couples is almost always family photo time. Whether your great aunt suddenly disappears for a half hour, or a parent keeps grabbing more family members to add last minute, there’s always potential for something to stress you out. Especially because this is the part you’re trying to get done quickly so everyone can get to the party.
Prior to the wedding day I always help couples plan a list of groupings, so we can stay organized and not forget anyone. Then I have my second shooter or a helpful family member gather the next group on deck while I’m shooting. It’s important to consider that each grouping will take 1-2 minutes, so if you have 40 groupings, you’re looking at over an hour of just family photos. Much like with the schedule, the looser we can keep it, the more natural the expressions will be. Grumbling under your breath through clenched teeth doesn’t make for the best family heirloom moment.
- 5. Dress for Comfort: Flat Shoes and Layers
Whether you’re trekking through a field of tall grasses in August, or freezing your asses off downtown in January, keep your comfort top of mind while planning attire.
If it’s going to be chilly, then I highly recommend a cozy yet photogenic layer for exposed skin. If it’s +35, then maybe the suit jacket can be scrapped in favour of a nice shirt and dapper bow tie. And no matter the weather, you want everyone involved in portrait time to be wearing shoes they can walk comfortably in. Even if that means carrying the good shoes until we get to the photo spot. (Although clearly sequin Keds were created for a reason). Save those feet for dancing later!
- 6. EAT!
Being hangry does not make for fun wedding photo time (wedding party included). This is a situation where having a planner, an awesome venue coordinator, or a really on-the-ball friend really comes in handy to keep your blood sugar levels from dipping dangerously low, and causing you not to fully enjoy the day. Whenever there’s a chance to take 5 minutes and eat, please take it. A stash of protein bars (without melty chocolate), nuts, jerky, or whatever quick protein hit suits your fancy in a packed bag are highly recommended too.
- 7. DRINK!
Okay, so water is obviously essential, but often forgotten. Keeping a small cooler of water nearby at all times (including photo time) is super helpful, especially for summer weddings. Dehydration sneaks up fast because we’re busy and the hours are flying by. Don’t risk it ruining your night, even if it takes appointing a person to remind you as if you’re a toddler.
And if you’re a couple who enjoys a cocktail or two, also having a bottle of bubbly & some glasses on hand during portrait time makes for a quick nerve relaxer and some fantastic photo opportunities.
- 8. Keep Sunset Time in Mind while Planning
Whether you’ve planned your ceremony for right before sunset, or you’d love some golden hour photos on the beach after dinner, it’s important to keep that in mind and reverse engineer the day. If you have an idea of what you want your photos to look like lighting-wise, or you have inspiration photos at your venue, then let your photographer know what you’re picturing. They can help set expectations and determine if this is achievable given your time of year and timeline. Doing portraits at noon in July is going to look very different (and feel more uncomfortable) than evening golden light. And if it’s an overcast day, you’re going to lose light much earlier than on a sunny day, so you’ll want to give yourselves plenty or room in the schedule. (See tip #1)
One of the main issues I see with timelines and lighting is during the ceremony. Knowing where the light is going to fall at your ceremony time is crucial on a sunny day. Will one person be in shadow while one person is staring straight into the sun? Will the light be coming through trees and creating dappled leaf patterns all over your faces? Your photographer will be happy to help work out the best timing and angles with you, since the resulting photos will be that much better too.
- 9. Ditch the Pinterest Poses
It may be tempting to save every photo you love on Pinterest, but if you hire an experienced photographer they generally prefer to not copy another photographer’s work. If you’ve got a Pinterest board of inspiration images, those can be helpful to share so your photographer can get a feel for what you like. (Especially if it includes some of your photographer’s own images!) But no one is going to enjoy spending the day checking specific poses off a list, it just completely derails the flow. Instead, let’s focus on showing who you are as a unique couple.
- 10. Hire Professional Vendors
Last but absolutely not least…if you surround yourself with people who are experienced professionals, your day is going to run much more smoothly. A kick-ass coordinator is invaluable for keeping your sanity, a strong hair & makeup team can calm the nerves and get you to the ceremony on time…essentially anyone you’re working WITH on the day should be someone confident, qualified, and who you actually like being around.
And an experienced photographer won’t just be there to take photos; they’ll be helping you stay on schedule, keeping you relaxed and having fun, getting great images without turning it into a 3 hour photoshoot, and will know their equipment well enough to handle any lighting situation quickly and effectively. Plus, they’ll be insured, should any unforeseen issues arise.
(The fabulous Faye Smith below).
I hope this gave you some ideas to keep in mind while planning for the big day and maintaining your sanity. And if you’re looking for a wedding photographer in BC, I’d love to hear from you! Follow this link to my contact page