22 Ways to create a better Wedding Photography “Experience” (Detailed Version)

Take your Wedding Photos from Okay to WOW!

I’ve never met a couple who just want “good” or “average” wedding photos! Brides and Grooms are shelling out an average of about $40,000 nationally (average of TheKnot.com and Brides.com surveys), and can approach $100,000 in cities like New York. Even if you take 50% of that on a nice, but not over-the-top wedding, you still would want a professional photographer to get “great”, if not “wow” photos, right? You’d certainly want to leave with a great wedding photography experience, right? Why then spend so much money on a wedding that doesn’t get memorialized and curated with spectacular photos!?

So how do you and I make that happen?

There are many variables and moving particles, some which you have control over, some you don’t, that play into the relative success of a wedding. And by that I mean success as far as fun, food, dancing, decorations, music and entertainment, etc., but most importantly aesthetics. Optics. That is what you have left after spending the price of a luxury SUV on one night of celebration. Now, do you just want “good” photos, or for a little but more on a professional photographer who knows how to give you a wedding experience – all of it, from the time you meet, to the wedding, to album design, to getting all your albums and photos, and beyond – do you want “WOW” photos? Eh vs. Wowza?

From having been part of hundreds of weddings, I could honestly say I know a thing or two about weddings. And I want to give you several (hopefully not rambling) thoughts about how to take it from Eh, to WOWZA! Buckle your seats, here they are in no particular order:

Detailed Explanation version (with sample photos):

Flowers – Whatever flower budget is, move a good chunk of it to spice up the main bridal bouquet as that will appear in most photos and you really want the flowers to scream “unique and stunning”. So, consider purchasing a tiered or cascading bouquet, some colors but mostly bright and light, use non-conventional flowers, avoid roses as these are too basic. Here’s a great example of a nice bouquet that gets attention (you can go over-the-top, but you don’t have to!):
Venue Walk Through (VWT) – Most professional photographers don’t do a “venue walk through”. What is a venue walk-through? It is an appointment your photographer makes with the bride and groom (of course you may bring a parent or a maid of honor, etc.) at the venue(s). I usually like to schedule the VWT about 1 month before the wedding because most of the information and details are now known to the clients. It’s not something that should be done months in advance, and I rarely ever do it 1 week before the wedding because clients are running around getting final details in place and hosting family from out of town. What do we do at a VWT? We find a spot to sit down and review all the logistics, timing, schedule, where, when, who, what, why, and how (and some “what ifs?”). We nail down as many of the details so that there is less of a chance I miss photos that you really want me to capture, and you walk away having a much better idea of how the day will flow. It helps you consider options I may suggest from the experiences I have seen. Of course, a VWT will include… a “walk through”! We will tour the property inside and outside, all the while I am taking notes of the best spots for photography, your favorite spots, and maybe the spot we will use for First Looks. I will then type all these notes – logistics and favorite locations – and send them to you in an organized format.
Wedding Photography Planning Guide – This is a printed glossy guide I have prepared for my clients that asks you questions about your wedding, bridal party, shot list ideas, vendors, and so forth. I also include in the guide important reminders for you to scan through before the big day. This guide is available in print and PDF format for your convenience. Here’s a link to my Wedding Photography Planning Guide:
Point of Contacts – It is important that you identify and communicate with me the contact info of your wedding planner (if you have one), and at least one family contact who can assist me in corralling family members for the formal portrait portion of the day (sometimes some portraits are taken before the ceremony, but almost always between the ceremony and reception during the cocktail hour). It is also important for you to provide me with the contact info of the venue representative. Be sure to give your family member the list of portrait shots you and I have talked about and selected so that they can be as helpful as possible.
Video / Cinematographer collaboration – If you are planning to use a videographer or drone operator, please be sure to let me know about them, their contact info, and gently remind them that the photographer will have the creative lead on setting up poses and scenes, etc. Videographers should not get in the way, but do their work either side-by-side or from behind. It is very important that videographers avoid going onto the dance floor during the First Dances. This intereferes with the sweetness of the moment and intimate feel it deserves and it precludes some of your guests from their ability to see you dancing! Great videographers purchase zoom lenses so that they can capture all the dancing from a distance without interfering. Don’t let this happen to you:
Timeline – Be sure you, your wedding planner, and/or your DJ/MC sends me the “run of day” timeline or schedule. This will help me help you make sure that all the logistics are in sync and that nothing is misses. I will be sure to look for inconsistencies and point those out to you and your wedding team. As they say, “if you fail to plan, you’ve planned to fail”.
DJ / MC heads up – please be sure to tell that DJ to grab my attention or give me a heads up (e.g., “Hey Joey, we are about to cut the cake in 5 minutes”) before making important announcements (e.g. first dances, or toasts, etc.). This will help me avoid a situation where I may be outside taking pictures of family members, not realizing that an important event is about to take place and possibly missing those all too important shots!
Ceremony and Reception Venue Selection (Outdoors) – Having hired me already, you probably already selected your venue(s). However, if you find yourself reading this post before selecting a wedding venue, then consider having both the cermony and reception at the same location to maximize the time you have to celebrate and afford yourself the most amount of time for photography (you also make it easier for your guest by not having them drive between locations, parking twice, etc.). Additionally consider this: If you wish to have your wedding outdoors, be sure to find a venue that offers at least one (or more) areas where there is ample shade. The optimal weather for a wedding photographer is to have some (or mostly) cloudy conditions because it is the clouds that help diffuse the light and help softly scatter the light on the subjects faces. However, if the venue does not offer shady spots, you may want to reconsider your selection. Can I take photos in sunny conditions? Of course! Are they my favorite? Probably not! Without a shady spot or two, the midday sun causes harsh shadows across the chest and gives people raccoon shadow eyes, not to mention people squint in sunny weather. Here are some examples of good and bad lighting conditions:
Ceremony and Reception Venue Selection (Indoors): If on the other had you elect to have either or your ceremony and reception indoors, then consider finding a venue that offers large spaces, high ceilings, textured architecture, or with bright or white ceiling paint to help diffuse my camera flash when used. String lights and chandeliers are great and give me a chance to create “bokeh”. Avoid small ballrooms, cramped pr spaces with mirrors or drop ceilings. Think about what you want to see behind the bride and groom when they are doing their first dance. Here’s an example of an great backdrop:
Color schemes – Consider using this color wheel when trying to mix and match color schemes and palettes. Also, according to Deer Pearl Flowers, the most popular colors for 2019-2020 are: Merlot, Silver Sage, Steel Blue, Antique Rose, Navy, Emerald, Honey Gold. For more ideas, check out David’s Bridal season color schemes here. Lastly, please be sure to communicate with me what your color themes are and consider brining a spool or color tule or fabric that matches your palette. I try and use the fabric to help decorate your ring photo details and create thematic and coordinated photos.
Invitation Suite and Flower Delivery – As I emphasize with all my bridal clients, it is very important to arrange a box which contains important, memorable, and meaningful elements from your wedding. This includes a box that contain the invitation suite (cards, envelopes, etc.), rings and ring boxes, shotes, perfume bottle, sentimental details, jewelry, etc.). Equally important is to ask your florist to deliver the boutonnières and bouquets to the appropriate getting ready locations: boutonnières to the guys, and bouquets to the girls. With those details available, I can create something like this:
Details and Decorations – To give your wedding and photos that “punch” that says you put thought into things, consider spending a little more time on selecting centerpieces which don’t necessarily have to be towering or hurricane vases. Consider adding calligraphy signage on easels, using special hangers for the bridal and bridesmaids dresses, exchanging cards and gifts between the bride and groom, champagne or whisky for Getting Ready toasts, personalized robes for the bridesmaids, etc. Here are two cool websites that you can review for bridesmaids and groomsmen’s gift ideas: Also, here are some examples of decorative details that give an oomph to your wedding:
Getting Ready location – Consider getting ready at the venue. All else equal, doing so give you the most time to prepare and maximum opportunity for photography. A scenario where you have to go from mom’s house, to the church, to the reception robs you of too much time to celebrate and take photos! But, as is the case often, it is necessary to get ready off site. If you have to do that, consider arranging for a nearby location to minimize the amount of travel time.
Putting the Dress on – You’d be surprised how often this traditional and meaningful step is lost in the noise and busyness of the moment. Decide who you wish to help you button up the dress beforehand, so that person knows what their role is and are present to make it happen. Traditionally, this is either the Mother of the Bride, or the Maid of Honor.
Bustling Up the Dress – This advice is the easiest advice: Practice, practice, practice! I can’t tell you how many times the bride or the maid of honor told me they know how to bustle up the dress, only to find out that there is more confusion doing that than trying to figure out what each emoji on your smartphone keyboard means.
Getting Ready, First Look, First Reveal – Some of the most intimate, timeless, and memorable moments happen organically. The bride and bridesmaids getting ready, the first time dad sees his daughter in her wedding gown, the first time the groom lays eyes on his bride. These moments are the moments that we all celebrate. Tender. Tear-filled. Laughter. Even goofy at times. Be sure these moments are planned carefully. Where, when, who will be there. Planning these moments doesn’t mean they aren’t organic. It just means that we anticipate their arrival and make sure I get to candidly and quietly capture the reactions behind my camera! Generally speaking, to make the most of the opportunity and to afford me a reasonable amount of time to capture these moments, I suggest coming to your “Getting Ready” bridal suite at least 2 hours before the ceremony. If you wish for me to also do First Looks and First Reveals, we should add another hour to that plan, meaning I should come to the bridal suite 3 hours before the ceremony.
Portraits – Everyone wants formal portraits. I haven’t ever attended a wedding without some amount of time planned for formals – for the bride and groom, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and so forth. I know how importnat these keepsake photos are for you and for the extended family! Since it is my commitment to you to give you an amazing “wedding photography experience”, I make it my job to manage and direct people in a gently assertive way (think of a director on the set of a movie). Time management is part of that. So, I always recommend that your portrait/shot list is kept to a bare minimum, down to the essentials, knowing that we will have more time later in the reception to capture group photos, etc. This gives you the maximum opportunity to both enjoy the cocktail hour and spend more time talking to your guests and celebrating. A long portrait shot list take longer time and cutting into this strategy. Consider a list of about 10 group portraits photos.
Posing – You want WOW photos, right? Well then, don’t be shy to look up portraits photos of brides and grooms on their wedding day. Sensual. Posed. Staged. Romantic. Editorial poses. Bohemian moods. So many styles and poses to try and recreate. But this is what you paid me for… to create Art! Practice twirling your bride or doing the “dip” shot, or kissing each other using the “almost kiss” method (this is where you close your eyes, tilt your heads, open mouth, serious look and no smiling, and letting the lips touch – very sensual). The more you are intentional about posing and letting yourself be creative, the better the photos will come out. We don’t just want to create “same old, same old”. We want unique, artsy, and creative! Lastly here is consider practicing a choreographed dance, however simple. Be sure the final kiss or dip at the end of the dance is sideways facing, not have the groom’s butt or bride’s cleavage facing the camera! Doesn’t make for WOW photos!
Hair and Make up – Another way to maximize the time you have with me and minimize travel time for everyone is to have your hair and make-up professionals come to your bridal suite. Is it absolutely necessary? No, but it does help a lot and gives me the opportunity to capture the candid shots of everyone having fun getting ready, recalling memories, and cracking jokes with make-up being applied. Your less preferred alternative is to have everyone go to a salon and that add time and reduces photo opportunties.
Relaxation – The best subject for photos are relaxed subjects! I encourage all my clients to stop everything, including photography, about 30 minutes before the ceremony. Why? This gives the bride and groom a chance to catch their breath, have a drink (or two, or three), collect their thoughts, hide away from the arriving guests, and for the bride to touch up her make-up and hair one last time.
Cell phone and cameras – I still have to remind my clients about this! To help you get the best photos or your processional and recessional, please ask your officiant to announce just before the ceremony that guests should put away their cell phones! Do you want a bunch of arms and cameras up in the air or sticking out into the aisle for those important shots? This well intentioned guest was so eager to use her personal camera that she completely failed to consider that I am standing right behind her taking one of the most iconic photos during a wedding – walking down the aisle. Yes, you do want to see guests at your wedding, but no, you don’t want to see them pretend to be professional photographers as they break out their consumer-grade camera they purchased from Best Buy.
Children – The fancier the wedding the less the children present. Simple. As. That. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids and babies and all, but for a wedding to go as distraction free and without the crying baby or the terrible twos, try and do it without children. You have lovingly been warned! 😉 At least keep the children invite list to a bare minimum. And of course, I totally understand and appreciate those circumstances when you need to, or want to invite the little ones. This is a matter of my recommendations on what helps my clients get the best experience, not necessarily a commentary on children 😉
First Dances – Have a conversation with me about the best place to dance on the dance floor. This will allow the me to consider the best backdrop views for amazing photos. Consider for your final dip or kiss at the end of your dance to be perpendicular with where I’m standing… it preferred I don’t find myself taking picture of the groom rear end or the bride’s cleavage! 🙂 Also, please make sure that the videographer(s) have telephoto lenses that keep them off the dance floor and away from the intimate and personal nature of these first dances. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen amateur videographers walk up to within about 3 feet of the dancing couple interupting the beautiful moment and blocking the view of the guests. A gentle request will usually work! And while talking about first dances, ask the mother of the groom and father of the bride to be sure they stand upright, instead of dancing with their heads buried inside the crevice of their child’s neck. We want smiley faces that look happy but not looking at the camera.
Consider your photographer – Last but not least, consider your photography team. Remember that the objectice here is to create the best, not just good, photos. Therefore, a happy photographer (team) make great photos, I promise you that!. Please consider providing a regular dinner for me and my sencond photographer. At this point in the day, we’ve spent a considerable amount of time running around and by dinner time, yes, we are hungry (maybe even hangry ;). So with all due respect, please consider us when planning the menu (offer us the option for plated food) and help us avoid having to eat those dreaded “vendor meals” which are usually one notch above Kentucky Fried Chicken. Asking your venue team to do so, along with a spot to eat and silverware, would be super appreciated! And last but not least, we are professional photographers and have been handsomely paid by you. However, we would never say “no” to a thoughtful tip. We don’t expect it and never guilt anyone to do it. It just make our job that much more rewarding as we push really hard to give you the best wedding photography experience!