Well it's that time of year; many of you are trying to nail down the final details of your wedding day. Here are some of my favourite wedding day tips to make sure you get the most beautiful photos and help you plan the perfect timeline!

 

 

Getting Ready

-Choose a well-lit area with lots of room for getting ready in the morning. Having lots of natural window light will not only be great for flattering photographs of you and your gals, it’s also really helpful for your hair and makeup stylists.

-Designate a separate “mess” room, closet, or corner where everyone can keep their things out of sight so that you don’t have clutter in the background of your images. If you're in a bedroom or hotel make the beds and tuck away any laundry.

- Have all of your details handy (shoes, jewellery, hairpieces, dress, vows, rings, etc.) for when photography/video get there in the morning so that nothing gets missed.

-Bring along a wooden hanger for dress pictures. The plastic and wire hangers just don’t do your gown justice!

-For the boys... all of the above with an emphasis on de-cluttering!

-Timeline- At minimum I recommend having your photographer there to capture getting ready photos for an hour; the mornings are full of anticipation and emotion and this presents many opportunities for candid images as well as detail shots with all of the little details you’ve put so much time and effort into planning; handwritten vows, family heirlooms, emotional moments with parents and so much laughter with friends. One hour will be just enough time to get the details, getting dressed and a few candids but if candids are your jam opt for a bit more time!

First Look

This is an intimate moment between the two of you that provides an amazing opportunity to capture very candid and emotional shots of the first time you see each other on your wedding day, without the distraction of an audience.

There are afew benefits to a first look if you choose to do so…

1) With just the two of you there it creates a great space to just let yourself get lost in the emotion of the moment.

2) It helps to get rid of some of those wedding jitters before the ceremony.

3) It will give you a little more flexibility with the timeline so you could do the photo session portion before the ceremony- eliminating the big break for your guests between ceremony and reception.

The Ceremony

- IPhoneography… Ask your officiant to make a polite announcement asking your guests to refrain from taking photos during the ceremony (or at least to do so discretely). It’s not that your photographer minds other people taking photos, it's just that the ceremony is all about candid moments and emotion; if we are trying to capture an image of the father of the bride wiping a tear from his daughter's cheek and Uncle Joe leans into the aisle with his iPad blocking the shot, we can't get that moment back.

- First Kiss… Your first kiss should last at least 3 seconds!

Knock on wood, I myself have never missed the first kiss but I know others that have and I've had some close calls! Every wedding photographer knows that the first kiss is one of the most important moments of the day and we do everything in our power to make sure we capture it but the camera can take a second to focus (especially if the lighting is dim) so if you go in for a super quick peck on the lips and nothing more it can be missed no matter how skilled the photographer or impressive the equipment. This is not a day to be shy with PDA's, savour that lip lock and don’t be afraid to go in for a second!

 

Family Portraits

- The best time for family portraits is immediately following the ceremony, it is pretty much the only time that you are guaranteed to have everyone in one place! Have your officiant make an announcement at the end of the ceremony letting everyone know that family photos will be taking place right away and where they will be.

- Make a list of the different family group shots you would like and send a copy to your photographer prior to the day; that way they can find a suitable space to use as a backdrop, ensure there is appropriate lighting and plan the groupings to make sure your family portraits run as smoothly as possible.  

- Designating a friend who knows most of your family to assist in gathering everyone is extremely helpful.

- Set aside 30-45 minutes for family photos depending on the size of your families. (Of course every family is different, once your photographer has your group list they can give you a pretty accurate timeline.)

 

Bridal Party & Couple Portraits

- Set aside at least 1.5 hrs for couple/wedding party photos… depending on the size of your wedding party and how many locations you plan on using. (Don’t forget to add on travel time between locations.)

- Bring comfy shoes! You will likely be doing a bit of walking to get to some of the best locations for photos and you don’t want you or your bridal party getting sore feet and blisters before the dance. Throw some flip flops or slip ons in your vehicle so you have them handy, your feet will thank you later!

- Have snacks & water handy… being a model is exhausting work! Sometimes in all the excitement of a wedding day we forget the essentials; food and water.  Make sure to bring some munchies and H2O for yourself and your wedding party to snack and sip on during portraits. Pictures are supposed to be fun and the last thing we want is for someone to start feeling sick because they're dehydrated or worse yet… HANGRY!

- Bring along some supplies to keep everyone looking and feeling fresh. For example; makeup for touch ups, bobby pins/hairspray to fix hair, deodorant, hand or baby wipes, usually at some point in the day someone will ask for a safety pin or sewing kit so those are great things to have handy as well.

 - Don’t forget to come prepared for the weather! If you are getting married in the winter please bring boots, jackets, gloves and even blankets. You don’t need to wear them for photos but you are more than likely going to need to take breaks to warm up. If you are having a summer wedding bring a cooler with cold drinks/water, sunscreen, deodorant and umbrellas in case it rains and even for shade.

 

Reception

 - Light it up… if your venue is dark (for instance outside or in a dimly lit hall) adding lots of candles, string lights, up lighting, etc. will not only add a romantic feel, they will also add some dimension and interest to the background of your images.

 - First Dance… some couples have a tendency to chat a lot during their first dance. While it is adorable if we can capture you making each other giggle, talking in photographs tends to look awkward. So just enjoy the music, get lost in each others eyes and let your dance moves do the talking!

Last but not least… Relax, enjoy your day, and celebrate being in love!