Getting The Best Wedding Photographs

Everyone has seen beautiful wedding photos online and in magazines and everyone deserves to have a wonderful set of wedding photos as a record of their special day. Here I have compiled a short list of the factors that influence the kind of photos you can expect to receive form your professional wedding photographer and what you should consider in order to get what you want.

Your Wedding Venue

Not everyone can afford, or would perhaps want, a grand stately home in the countryside or a top London hotel to get married in, but that shouldn’t mean you don’t get beautiful photographs at your chosen venue. If you have chosen your local village hall or a marquee in your garden you can of course still have stunning photos, you might just have to think a little more about the lighting and decoration which isn’t already in place for you.

Interior Lighting and Decor

Obviously the appearance of the exterior and interior of your wedding venue is something you consider when booking your venue but have you thought about the lighting?

Some venues have wonderful lighting, it may be natural light coming in through huge bay windows with elaborate chandeliers hanging from high ceilings for when the sun goes down, or interesting modern interior lights of different colours. Others however may have little in the way of interesting wall and ceiling lights and simply have fluorescent tubes which is far less attractive in photographs.

When looking at wedding photos, particularly at venue interiors, take note of the lighting as this will impact on the sort of photos you can expect and if you have blank canvas such as a barn or marquee to decorate, think lights! i.e. fairy lights, chandeliers etc, the more the better!

The Time of Year & Weather.

Here in Great Britain you cannot guarantee what the weather is going to be like at any time of year, I have photographed wet, cold and windy weddings in August and warm and sunny weddings in November, in terms of weather it’s a lottery.

The best advice I can offer is to be prepared and not just hope it’s going to be dry and sunny for your picnic out in the orchards after the ceremony. Have a backup and make sure you’d be happy to have lots of your wedding photos taken where that place might be. Again if it needs decorating use plenty of lights as it makes such a difference.

The Time of Your Ceremony & Wedding Breakfast

Another big consideration to take into account is the amount of natural light available at different times of the year and when the sun sets. If you are looking for some beautiful portraits of the two of you as the goes down, having your wedding in June and hiring a photographer only up to the first dance at 8.30 isn’t going to work. Be aware of timings for your ceremony and wedding breakfast as well as you may be eating at the best time to get some sunset portraits.

Themes and Entertainment

It’s not for everyone but sometimes a theme can add a little something different to your day, whether it’s 1940s Hollywood Glamour or 1920s Great Gatsby, it can often help you with all sorts of decisions regarding your wedding, from invites to table decorations as well as creating wonderful images of you and your guests on the day.

Entertainment is another aspect of a wedding day that can lead to some wonderful photos, a magician gets all sorts of reactions from guests while a dance class can get everyone up and on their feet early on without feeling self conscious, all leading to some great photos.

To summerise, it’s important to think about how your photos will be influenced by where and when you have chosen your wedding to be.