Making the Most of Your Wedding Photography

Every bridal couple has high hopes for the success of their wedding day and the memories and photographic record that they and their family will treasure for years after. Practical success relies on good photography, careful planning, some difficult decisions, and management on the day.  In this article, David Tebbs, an associate of Majken Kruse (www.majkens.co.uk), looks at the requirements for effective wedding photography, competing pressures and some practical guidelines.

I have collated the suggestions below from experience from the many weddings I have attended as part of the bridal party, others as a guest, photography sessions I have commissioned and also my work with wedding photographers.

Photographic Cover

While selecting the right photographer is important, in this article on making the most of your wedding photography I am looking at the activities that take place after you have booked your photographer and set the broad cover. Photographers carry the main responsibility for the quality of their work, but they are not immune from barriers created by other.  In this article I am focussing on those aspects of the photography where the couple can make a major contribution to the process. 

Success on the Day

The best wedding photographs are a mix of creative planned shots and catching picture opportunities that arise. The latter can be left to the photographer, but the former need the attention of the couple both in the planning and during the photography. Both familiar compositions and the lovely and apparently casual pictures are often best delivered through careful preparation and execution. Few bridal couples are professional models and it takes time to relax and take direction from your photographer to gain the best results.

From the view of your photographic objectives this is where you face some of your potentially worst adversaries: weather, time, hairdressers, the caterers/organisers and your guests (sometimes including parents). The ideal wedding photographs take time yet naturally most couples need to set limits on the overall programme.  On the day you may need to deal with delays from earlier activities and come under pressure from others to move on.

Experience from all perspectives tells us that many aspects of the day take longer than the couple expect.  There are many reasons and many brides start running late from the morning visit with their hairdresser/make up artist.  With most weddings there are unexpected delays at some stage - after all it's an important and fun day not a regimented programme.  The danger is then that time planned for photography is a natural buffer in the programme to others and gets compressed by starting late and pressures from others wishing to move on to later events e.g., the caterer is pushing to move on to drinks or a meal on the original timetable, or parents and guests may want to start the refreshments.

Taking a Balance

Clearly neither dominating the day with photography nor missing the cover you want due to other pressures is appropriate. Equally pure reportage does not meet the wishes of many couple.  Thus there is a balance to be set between the needs of photography within a smoothly flowing social event.  Here are some suggestions from practical experience:

Discuss these issues with the photographer well before the wedding. This is probably both when selecting your photographer and again in more detail after you have booked the photographer and detail plans are progressing, but before the arrangements for the day are frozen.  After the booking, as later visit or call to the photographer, to discuss the more detailed options also helps you get to know each other better, which helps you relax more for the more formal photography on the day.  You need follow up discussions shortly before the wedding day.

If you plan photographs of the bride and separately of the groom before the service, then please start your preparations in plenty of time - allow for the hairdresser/make up to take longer than expected.  The proverbial late bride is a reflection of under estimates of how long it takes to prepare.  The cost to you can be feeling rushed and the loss of photograph opportunities that you planned.  Today many brides take the lead in arranging the day.  Regrettably minor problems (say missing button holes for the groom and ushers) arise as the bride is getting ready.  Ideally you need some one delegated to take the last minute panic calls and deal with such matters without bothering you.  You need to concentrate on getting ready, the photography and enjoying your day.

In planning the photography your will be looking for times when the photography is part of the flow of the day and for opportunities for some of the bridal party photographs to be taken without the guests around.  This may be a gap in the proceedings, or while the guests are having their first drinks.  Not all weddings have perfect photographic settings available at the ceremony or the reception. It can be sad missing a lovely spot near the church or reaching the right location as daylight fades. With a little planning, gaps between segments of the day may also be used to visit a better location for portraits of the bride and groom even if only a few yards form the guests.  A few brides consider portraits (in bridal dress) after the wedding day, using a lovely location and enjoying the photography without rush or distracting guests.

Photography sessions probably need more time than that planned for the photography itself, to allow for all those concerned to gather at the right spot and later to move on to the next stage in the programme.  Moving both family and guests always takes longer than expected, whether it is clearing a room or moving from a reception room to the photographic location.  I recall at one wedding, with challenging weather, where the bride particularly wanted to be photographed in the garden.  Over half an hour was lost, just getting those concerned to gather in the garden and then return indoors between showers.

Where a selection of more formal or carefully prepared photographs are to be taken with guests/family present, arrange for an usher or best man to help with "crowd control", to minimise wasting distractions and clashing flashes.  A location near but separated from the guests can be better.  A good photographer will be experienced in handling the problem, but do you want the photographer worrying about and dealing with intruding guests or concentrating fully on your photographs?  Remember the usher will not naturally know what to do so brief him well and get him to discuss how he can help with the photographer.  For planned group photographs, ushers, best man or a suitable relation who is likely to know the participants needs to be briefed on the plans and asked to seek those needed when the time arises.  Getting the people you want together for each group can waste a lot of time if not pre organised.  A list of planned participants is helpful but in itself it does not get them to the right place at the right time.

Talk to the caterers and select a menu that allows best flexibility on when you start to eat - in case delays occur.  Do you want you and the photographer distracted by hassle from a caterer because the day was already running half an hour late?  Similarly make sure that all concerned with helping manage the day, understand these issues and your priorities, as well as the plan. This should include parents, whether hosting or "helping", an MC, and or others delegated to progress the day for you, as well as those serving you such as the photographer, caterer etc.  I recall one occasion where the bride had specifically asked for half an hour of photography with her and the groom and close family immediately before moving into the dining room.   The MC interrupted and started those concerned to move on only a quarter of an hour into the session which had started on time.  Why? -  In his experience it took that long to get guests into a room so in effect he and the bride were working on different schedules.  As a "helping" parent at my daughter's wedding I have been guilty of pressing the programme forward on the day, unknowingly against her wishes for more time on the photography.

In Summary

We have discussed some of the issues that can arise.  Most will not occur on your wedding day but my advice is prevention is better than cure and be prepared.  Within that the common themes are that of planning, allowing for unplanned delays and getting well briefed assistance from family, ushers etc. all help you get what you are seeking from your wedding day, while enjoying yourself.  Don't assume that parents know what you want.  They may have different priorities on the day.

 My best wishes for a successful wedding with a brilliant photographic record.  Like much in life, investment of your time in advance can enhance your photographic record of the day.

David Tebbs
at
Majken Kruse ABIPP ARPS Photographer
www.majkens.co.uk

Majken Kruse