Wedding Photographers Advice
Top wedding photographers share their secrets & advice on how to get the best photos on your wedding day. What couples should avoid and how to get the best results from your photographer. Let’s hear them out!
As a Wedding & Event Planning Agency for more than 8 years, we had the opportunity to organize countless luxury weddings. As a result of that, we have interacted with many vendors and professionals in order to organize all these weddings. Who will disagree that wedding photographers are part of the top 3 professionals that are really close to the couple? Next to the wedding planner and to the bridal gown’s designer, they see the couple under the stressful process of the wedding preparation.
Like everything in life, all great achievements are based on communication. To have magnificent wedding photographs it’s important that you and your photographer have communicated all the details. To avoid any disappointments take the time and explain to your wedding photographer what do you want and how you have imagined your big day photos. Also is important to hear wedding photographers advise on the matter and trust their experience.
However, if you’ve never had the chance to talk with a professional wedding photographer before, then these golden tips from them will shed light on what is important in a wedding photography session. Also, you will discover what drives crazy the wedding photographers on a wedding day. Enjoy their words of wisdom and keep notes if you want to ask your wedding photographer the right questions.
Photos captured by Stephanie Brauer Wedding Photography & Ushna Khan Photography Concept. See all photos from this wedding full of Tropical Vibes in the Athenian Riviera.
Anna Roussos
always have in mind that this is the couple’s wedding day and this means you must be flexible enough to fit your photography style, aesthetics and vision in their plan and expectations. Nevertheless, it makes my life so much easier and the photos so much better when photography is an important factor while planning their wedding day.
Portraits of the bride and groom individually, right after their preparations, are often the prettiest since everyone looks perfect! Most of the times though, we must make them under time pressure. The same thing happens with family and couple’s portraits either because there is not much time for them in the wedding plan or because we don’t have much time with daylight.
One more thing often overlooked is the time we need to create images that describe the venue and the decoration at the reception. Most of the couples invest a big part of their wedding budget in them but don’t realise the time required for making beautiful images that showcase the concept and style of their wedding.
Especially when the photographer is working alone, it is of crucial importance to include in the wedding plan 30-40 min of the photographer’s time to capture the decoration and styling images when the reception venue is still with no guests. Of course, our life can be much easier when the couple books a second photographer that will fill in the wedding schedule gaps and make the plan of the day smoother.
Photos by www.asfisphotography.com from this luxury destination wedding in Greece.
Thanos Asfis
Choosing the right photographer to document such a special day naturally builds up anxiety for couples as they understand that when the wedding is over photographs will be their memories of the day. The advice I would give to the couples choosing their wedding photographer would include the following:
If a couple feels uncertain where to begin I would suggest that they look for the style of wedding photographs they’re most attracted to, asking themselves what they wish to see in their wedding images, what colours or tones make their hearts skip, and how they would like their event to be captured. There’s is literally a sea of choices and inspiration from numerous wedding blogs which makes it so much easier for brides to get an idea on different styles in wedding photography.
On a practical basis, it does help a lot to Pin one’s favourite photographs and to create an inspiration board of one’s own. Using these as guides the bride will understand what exactly she’s looking for. A pivotal moment I guess is when – in the process of choosing between wedding photographers- you start envisioning yourself as having already been photographed by this specific creative. This is the moment when your first connection with a photographer begins.
Do pay notice on that personal connection you feel because that means you will be feeling comfortable and at ease with this person. Scheduling a Skype call and seeing how your first meeting flows is key. Some couples are reserved and would require some guidance, others have a strong vision and others are in search of that “click” thing. Personality goes a long way and you always know it in your heart when you’ve found the “one”. It’s like with an engagement ring, it goes way beyond simply the investment, you pick it because it speaks of who you are. It’s so….you!
Let me give one more advice to the couples getting ready for their wedding photo shoot.
After planning your wedding day for several months, meeting your photographer and discussing all the necessary details with them in advance is essential.
On your wedding day, you have to try your best to relax and enjoy every bit of what’s happening around you, absorb it, memorize it, and live it. Leave all the concerns to the professionals who are there for you: your wedding planner, your photographer, the whole team that is working to make this day happen the way you have envisioned.
Standing before the camera might feel awkward at first, so act naturally. Trust your photographer and allow them to guide you. Personally, I require no specific preparation for a photo shooting from my brides, it is my job to make them feel comfortable around me and in front of my camera. They don’t have to prepare or stress about it. The only thing I ask – is trust and time to be able to access my creativity and produce some beautiful images.
Photos by www.annaroussos.com from this luxury wedding in Elounda, Crete.
George Pahountis
In my experience, I have found, the key to a successful wedding event is that there must be positive and open communication between the couple to be and the photographer.
A major factor is having a realistic timeline to take into account, as far as designing a wedding event. The ideal time to have the wedding ceremony is two-and-a-half hours before sunset. At this time photographs of the closest family, friends and couple are complimented when taken at the best light of the day. Τhis way we also get to have enough time with the couple as I personally feel the need to have images that show their true connection.
The best experience for the photographer and lovely couple are met inevitably with this simple rule of thumb!
Photos by www.wedshooter.gr from this Ancient Greece inspired wedding in Athens.
Monika Kritikou
As a professional photographer, I believe that all professionals involved in a wedding have some golden pieces of advice for the couple. And in some cases, we all need a reminder of them! But the good thing is that experience is empowering us with a lot of skills. I am a fan of good communication prior to the wedding day and I believe that not only it can solve potentially negative situations, but it can also act proactively.
This is the reason I make sure to get to know the bride and groom to be months before their beautiful wedding day. Plus, I always get in touch with the wedding planner, to make sure I am in the information loop and discuss schedule, and other colleagues that I know I will be closely working with on that day, i.e. the film-maker. My motto is that we are all working toward the same goal: to give the happy couple one of the best experiences they can have. Communication is the key!
Photos by www.fiorellophotography.com from this Elegant French Rusting wedding in Athens Riviera.
ak3fotografia Studio
What drives us a little crazy -but at the same time makes us very creative – on the wedding day is the couple’s anxiety. However, this “madness” provides us the most spontaneous, strong and emotional clicks. Our advice would be to just act as you feel, trust your professional photographers and finally, this special day will take value over the years.
Your wedding day is just like a puzzle. Every professional involved in this day is a piece that should match perfectly with the others and conclude in the finest result. Just choose the best professionals and let them complete your puzzle!
Photos by www.ak3fotografia.com from this Luxury Destination Wedding in Greece.
Nikos Gogas
What drives my creativity at weddings are the people. Is the reason that I am working as a portrait and people’s photographer. It’s the magical unique moment during the photo session that I am losing the world around me and feel like everything happens only in the picture that I can see through my camera. My advice would be for the couple to enjoy this unique experience with all their heart.
Photos by www.nikosgogas.com from this Chic Wedding in Amalfi.
