10 tips to get magazine worthy wedding photos
Choosing your wedding photographer is pretty big deal right? "You're trusting this person to capture this huge milestone in your life through beautiful imagery you want to cherish forever," explains Charleston wedding photographer and Fine Art Curation member, Taylor Jordan. "Your wedding photos will tell the beautiful, unique story of your day and you will, without a doubt, share them with your friends and family for years to come."
So how do you choose a great wedding photographer and ensure you get the very best snaps of your big day? Read on for Taylor's 10 top tips for magazine worthy wedding photos.
1. Determine your personal style
Do a little research to see what types of wedding images stand out to you. Pinterest and Instagram are great places to start your photo hunt. Look at the colors, poses and general feel of the images.
There are countless photography styles, however a lot of photographers typically incorporate more than one in their wedding repertoire. For example, I consider myself a fine art-hybrid photographer. I shoot with analogue film cameras, digital cameras and a drone to get a complete wedding gallery.
I also use an 80/20 approach to shooting, meaning I will pose my couples roughly 20% of the time, and let them do their thing for the remainder of the day. I enjoy capturing candid moments in a photojournalistic way, however I will pose and guide when necessary.
2. Choose your photographer wisely
Your photographer is one of the most important vendors on your wedding day. Photo prints are one of the only tangible parts you will be able to keep forever. Chat or meet with potential photographers to make sure your personalities vibe. If a super loud, goofy photographer isn’t your thing and you want someone more calm, find that! One personality type isn’t better than the other, it simply comes down to what you prefer.
Consider how you want your photographer to interact with you and your guests. Do you want someone by your side all day, guiding you through the process or are you more inclined to find someone who is less intrusive and more of a fly on the wall, with a journalistic approach? You can get a good feel for this by looking at full galleries or simply asking your prospective photographers.
3. Have an engagement session with your chosen photographer.
Most wedding photographers already include an engagement session in their packages, and it shouldn't go to waste! It’s a great opportunity to meet with your photographer before the big day and get more comfortable behind the camera. You'll be much more laidback having already met and it will be more like having another friend with you during your big day. You'll get to see what works and what doesn’t and can even practice posing together beforehand.
4. Plan your wedding day timeline around the light.
Lighting is a key component to creating any successful photo. It determines not only brightness and darkness, but also the tone, mood, and ambiance. Alongside your photographer, a wedding planner or day of coordinator will be able to create a timeline that best suits your day. Your trusted vendors have done this several times before and will know approximately how long each part of the day will take. They can also assist you in choosing photo locations around the venue that will work well with the light during specific times.
A very important factor is the time the sun sets. You may have heard the term 'golden hour,' which is every photographer’s favorite time of day. It’s the hour before sunset and gives you that gorgeous soft glow. You will want to allocate plenty of time for your wedding party photos and couples portraits before the sun goes down. There are free apps and websites you can utilize to figure out the exact time of the sunset for your wedding date.
5. Have a hair and make-up trial
In my opinion, more is more when it comes to make-up as it shows up less vivid on the camera. A good rule of thumb is to attempt to look how you normally do, then add a little more. Some brides like to do a portrait shoot the day of their hair and makeup trial so they can truly see how it shows up on camera and make changes accordingly.
I also recommend preparing a wedding day emergency kit equipped with make-up for touch-ups, eyelash glue, eyedrops (LUMIFY works wonders), band aids, safety pins, first aid supplies, etc. The night before, drink lots of water to plump up your skin and get a good night’s rest.
6. Keep a list of the details you would like photographed
You have probably spent a lot of time and money perfecting the little details of your wedding day and and you will want to remember them. Your photos are all about the visual story of your day and a great gallery will be one that flows together with a consistent aesthetic.
Prepare items you would like photographed so they are on hand when your photographer needs to shoot them. These might include all your paper goods including the invitation suite, save the dates, envelopes, menus, and programs, plus the dress, bouquets and boutonnieres, shoes, hair accessories, jewelry, ring boxes, specialty hangers. Extra flowers, gifts, family heirlooms and perfume also make excellent detail photos.
7. Do a first look.
To maximize your photo time, a first look is an amazing opportunity and a chance for the two of you to spend quality time together. It's private, romantic and often one of the most memorable events during a wedding. It also gives the photographer ample time to capture an emotional, beautiful moment on camera without your wedding guests. If you do not want to do a first look, that’s okay too! Just make sure to schedule enough time for portraits of the two of you. You can also sneak away for a sunset session.
8. Choose an unplugged ceremony
There's nothing worse than 50 cell phones being held up in your ceremony photos. Your officiant can make an announcement in the beginning of the ceremony and let your guests know it is a technology-free wedding. Your photographer will be able to catch the best photos without a maze of cell phones.
If you do want your friends and family to take photos, I suggest setting out some disposable cameras or mini-Polaroids during the reception. Wedding hashtags are also super fun but encourage them for after the ceremony.
9. Make a wedding photography list of family shots
It is crucial to let your family and wedding party know that they will need to be at X spot at X time. Keep this list to around 10 different groupings. It’s also a fantastic idea to have a family member or close friend assist in this process since they most likely know everyone's names and faces. You should also let your photographer know if there are any special family circumstances to be considered, such as absent guests or divorced parents. The more they know, the better!
10. Exit with a bang!
Plan to end your night with a grand exit for some fun and memorable moments. It’s exciting for you and your guests and creates phenomenal photos. Some examples are using sparklers, bubbles, flower petals, confetti, fireworks, a vintage getaway car or smoke bombs.
And finally, have fun, let loose and take it all in! Your genuine emotions will shine through to create the perfect wedding photographs.
Photography: Taylor Jordan Photography
