Let’s get real, Pinterest has set the bar extremely high when it comes to wedding photos, but there are some secrets to how you canget the bestwedding photos! Maybe you will even see your ownfloating around Pinterest one day.
Stick with these basics to feel more confident about your wedding photos. For starters, plan that wedding! While we know there is an ever-going “to-do” list in your head, cut yourself some slack and make a basic timeline of your day.
If you and your groom don’t mind seeing each other before the ceremony, plan to knock out some formal photos before your guests arrive! These portraits take about an hour and a half, thirty minutes for bride and groom, thirty minutes for bridal part and thirty minutes for family. The half hour with your groom can be spent doing a “first look” before the hustle and bustle of the wedding begins. These photos make for a special moment. Get to your reception and start enjoying your guests that much sooner byeliminating photo time after the ceremony.
If you and your groom do not plan to see each other before the walk down the aisle you can still take photos with your bridal party before guests arrive. Make sure you leave ample day light after your ceremony to finish up photos. We recommend that your ceremony ends at least onehour before sunset to allow a safe time frame for photos not done before the ceremony.
Another secret to great the best wedding photos is creating a “must-have” list for your photographer. This is where you can snag some of those Pinterest favorites and ask your photographer if they can capture something similar. Here at Jen Brazeal Photographer we typically shoot the following:
- bride and groom
- bride and groom with bride’s immediate then extended family
- brides and groom with groom’simmediate thenextended family
- bridal party all together
- bride with bridesmaids (grouped and individual)
- groom with groomsmen (grouped and individual)
We are big on communication so if there are other aspects please let us know! And of course photography is an art so we are always shooting and in the creative zone to capture moments as they happen.
The third secret we have to share is to prepare your family for photos. Make sure you have communicated with your family that you have hired a photographer to capture the day and they don’t need to worry about having a camera with them. Send your family the website of your photographer before the wedding so they can feel comfortable knowing that the day will be documented in a professional way and they are at ease not having a camera with them. Also, encourage your family to feel comfortable in front of the camera! Having candid photos can seem unnatural but the more your family relaxes the more natural the shots and the more you will love how the photos turn out! Having everyone on the same page is key for a successful wedding day.
The final secret is… trust! Our hope is that you have hired a photographer you trust. We believe we will do a fabulous job documenting all of our weddings and we want our brides to believe that too! It is an honor we take seriously and we promise to do our best. Decide ahead of time that you are going to relinquish control over to the person you hired for that responsibility!
Let’s get real, you deserve to enjoy, what is sure to be, the best day of your life!
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or ideas and most of all thank you for your support and spreading the word about Jen Brazeal Photography. Your biggest compliment is sharing our name with future brides, grooms, and friends! We are a College Station Wedding Photography Business but available for travel and we’re honored to be considered to capture the special moments in your life rather they be wedding photography, engagements photos, bridal photos, family photography or other special occasion.
