A luxury wedding photographer is one of the most important wedding vendors to book in the early wedding planning stages. The photos that your wedding photographer takes are what you get to remember your wedding for the rest of your life, so you want the best quality images possible.
Throughout my years as a luxury wedding photographer in Southern California, I have picked up quite a few tips that help both your wedding day and photography experience run as smoothly as possible. Adding these tips and tricks into your wedding plan will help you get hitched without a hitch, as well as fall in love all over again when you see your wedding pictures.
Plan to fall behind:
No matter how meticulously you plan out your wedding day, something will always go differently than you expect. This could be late flowers, a member of the bridal party arriving late, or a quick task could just take longer than anticipated. In my experience, hair and makeup artists are notorious for taking more time than they have been given. When the wedding is running behind schedule, that often means time for photography and special portraits gets cut.
This means you get less photos and might not get everything you want. When you make your schedule for your wedding day, plan to fall behind. When you allocate more time than you need to each part of the day, you ensure that you won’t feel rushed and can just enjoy your day, as well as leave enough time for photography.
Think about lighting:
As a professional wedding and editorial photographer, I have been trained to produce technically exquisite photographs in any circumstance. That said, having the ability to choose the time with the best shooting conditions should not be taken lightly when you are planning your wedding day.
I often recommend that my couples schedule their bridal portraits and couples’ photos during the golden hour, which is the hour before sundown. It offers a naturally warm, gorgeous, and flattering light.
Contrarily, scheduling your wedding photo shoot around noon makes getting those stunning photos much harder for your professional wedding photographer. When the sun is directly above you, it can produce unattractive shadows that the photographer has to work around. It can also wear you out from being outside during the hottest part of the day.
If you do need to schedule a midday shoot, make sure there is plenty of even shade available for your wedding photographer to work with. It will also give you a cool place to take a breather. If the weather looks especially toasty, make sure you have plenty of water available and are staying hydrated.
Think of photos when picking your venue:
An experienced wedding photographer can make a bride and groom look like super models against a blank background if needed. But is that really what you want? When you decide on a wedding venue, you should pick a location that reflects your unique story as a couple and your personalities. When the location is authentic to who you are, your wedding photos will be too.
Plan an engagement session:
Aside from getting beautiful engagement photos that can be shared on social media or used for your wedding invitations, an engagement photo session acts as a bonding experience between the betrothed and the photographer. It’s a good chance for the photographer and the couple to get to know each other, and a chance for the future bride and groom to get used to being in front of the camera. The luxury engagement photo shoot is like a practice session for the big wedding day!
Have faith in your wedding photographer:
Trust your wedding photographer and know that they have been specially trained to capture interesting, creative, and impeccable wedding photos. You chose them to shoot your wedding for a reason, so let them do their job.
Open communication is the key to a good relationship. Even prior to the engagement shoot or wedding day, collaborate with your photographer regarding the style and look that you desire. If your photographer gives you a note that you disagree with or don’t understand, such as sitting in a road or walking in a field, you are allowed to say no. But keep an open mind and the door of communication open. While you should not be forced to do anything you absolutely don’t want to do, your professional wedding photographer has years of experience and may have a brilliant idea for a photograph that would blow your mind.
For great Wedding Photography in Los Angeles , call Peter Nguyen Photography. In addition to luxury wedding and engagement photography, we also also offer professional wedding videography local to Los Angeles, or at any destination worldwide. Call us today at 714-655-2144 to schedule a wedding photography session or consultation in LA. We’d love to connect with you on social media, and are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram .
