10 Best Wedding Photography Tips for the Bride and Groom

Ever wondered what you ought to be looking out for when selecting a wedding photographer? Or what you should expect to pay? How can you help your wedding photographer to obtain the absolute best photos of your special day? If that is so, then read the following 10 tips:



1.Establish a realistic budget - There’s an adage that still holds true ‘you get what you pay for!’. Whilst it’s there are some excellent professional wedding photographers obtainable for smaller fees, in most cases if you want a level of quality photography you should really pay the going rate for it. My advice is to take into account your wedding photographs as an investment, not a cost. Your wedding photos are the one thing you get to keep as an emotional ‘record’ of the biggest day of your life. And don’t forget, once your wedding is over, you can’t recreate it! Allow me to ask a question- If your home was burning and you had two minutes to save your most loved possessions, what would you take? Most people would say their family pictures. Please don’t make the mistake of working with a sub-standard wedding photographer.



2. Be sensible about timings- Within our experience weddings rarely operate exactly to time, which is entirely fine. It's usually advisable though to build a bit of ‘fat’ into your timings. If you believe you need a half-hour for your official group shots, plan in forty minutes! It'll mean you could relax more, minimizing any stress on your day.



3. Find out the kind of photographic style that’s appropriate for you-There are lots of various photographic styles around it can be very puzzling for couples. Do lots of online research, and look through lots of different photographers’ website. You'll get a definite instinct about the kind of style you like. Trust that instinct!



4.Please, not too many group shots! - Yes, I know this is controversial! Personally we don’t shoot weddings with in excess of 8 group shots. In our experience they take up considerable time, and will be tedious for family and friends, who may have to hang around. You need to be able to get all of the combinations you really need in those 7 or 8 formals.



5.Don’t be too prescriptive- Now this advice primarily applies if you'd like lots of reportage images. If you supply a photographer a list of a hundred pictures you have to have, its unlikely they will have time to shoot any reportage style shots. Like most things in adult life, its about obtaining the right balance.



6.Make sure you really like your photographer- Of course, this might feel like a clear point, however its as crucial that you like your wedding photographer as a person as much as liking their photos. You will be spending a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day, so you’ll need to feel relaxed in their company.



7. Want gorgeous getting ready shots?- A superb suggestion if you'd like great looking bridal ‘getting ready’ pictures is to make sure that you are getting ready in a clear, uncluttered place. Believe me, it makes for superior photos than a disheveled, untidy room.



8.View a whole wedding- when meeting and vetting wedding photographers make sure that they show you albums that show a full wedding from beginning to end. Look out for consistently good coverage and photos throughout the day. Everyone can grab a few nice shots over the course of a wedding. Excellent photographers will consistently capture good images throughout the day.



9.Worried about being photographed? Ask your photographer for a pre-wedding shoot, which most will provide at no cost. It is the best way to get accustomed to being in front of the camera prior to your big day. Trust me, it will make you feel much more comfortable about being photographed on your wedding day itself.



10.Finally, most importantly, relax and have fun!



Matt Foden is a wedding photographer based in London. You can check out his work at:

http://www.mattfoden.co.uk