Another guest blogger on today’s Tuesday Ten! Stacey Marble is a local Cache Valley Photographer. She wrote today’s Tuesday Ten Blog Post on 10 Things to Remember when Photographing a Wedding. (Though most of these can apply to any session you photograph!). Thanks Stacey for sending this over to me! Enjoy!
*All photos were provided by Stacey Marble.
1. TAKE CHARGE. I remember the first couple weddings I photographed. They were friend’s weddings of course. But I am not the large and in charge type, so I found it a struggle to get those group photos going and onto the bride and groom photos so they could get out of there in a timely manner. By my third wedding, I just did it. I took control and people actually listened! It was great. We got things done, people did as I said and things went more smoothly then before. Remember you are in charge of the photos, and people know that, so they will listen, and in most cases, people are just waiting for you to tell them what to do anyway.
2. BE ON TIME! Or better yet, be early! My brother-in-law and his wife’s photographer was late to their temple wedding so they just waited inside the temple until she got there to make a grand entrance. I was terribly unimpressed. It ended up not being a huge deal, but still, it’s not nice to make people wait on their big day. Also, it was June at the Salt Lake Temple, it’s a busy time and there are plenty of people around taking photos, you can’t waste that time.
3. GET THE “MONEY SHOT.” You know what I mean. Do not leave that session until you have “the picture.” The one that they’ll choose to print huge and hang on their living room wall. I also sometimes think of it as the “mom” shot–my mother made sure that mine and my brother’s wedding photographers knew she wanted a photograph with the couple and the temple in the background so she could put them all on her wall. If you don’t get that photo, there will be some disappointment, regardless of the other shots you get.
4. BE FLEXIBLE. Obviously, I don’t mean let people take advantage of you and your precious time. But not everything always goes as planned. Make sure your schedule allows you to have some flexibility and work with your clients when they’ve run into a dilemma. Just today I got a phone call from a client saying she was worried about the weather on the day we planned to do their wedding formals and was wondering if there were any other options. It’s about the customer, and I strongly believe in having great customer service. It doesn’t matter how great your photos are if your customer service stinks. They won’t come back if they don’t feel important.
5. BE AWARE OF DETAILS. I don’t know how many times I’ve finished with a photo session, gone home, uploaded photos and cringed when I saw a simple detail that I could have fixed to make a photo ten times better. Whether it’s a tie that’s flipped around, a hair in the bride’s face, a posing error–don’t forget to check the details before taking the shot. It can make all the difference.
6. GET THE SINGLE SHOTS. Don’t forget to get a few shots of just the bride and just the groom. It can be easy to forget since the day is all about them together as a couple and in most cases they can’t even seem to let go of each other’s hands for more than a couple seconds. But it’s nice to have those shots and most people will appreciate that. (Granted, if your bride had bridals done earlier, then it’s not as big of a concern.)​
7. BE PREPARED. This is a big one that covers lots of things and could be a post in and of itself, but I’ll just run over the basics. You can’t control everything, but it’s nice to be prepared with some things that can help. Bring an umbrella or two in case it rains/snows. Bring bobby pins/hair spray just in case the bride is in need. Take chapstick/lip gloss. The bride most likely won’t have pockets in that $700 dress and who knows if the groom is thinking properly at this point, so you better have the goods. 😉 Have a water bottle ready–for you and your clients. Also–on sunny days, I’d suggest taking a small tube of sunscreen. My first bride didn’t put any on and was fried at her reception. I couldn’t believe how many people commented on it that night.
8. KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CLIENTS WANT. I know, I know, your clients should want what you photograph. You have a style, they’ve seen it, they want it, great. I’m not talking about style here, I’m talking about specific poses. Ask the bride specifically if there are any images that she has in mind that she would love to have. Have her write them down or show you and make sure you keep track of it and get a couple for her! It’s not that difficult really, and it’s the least you can do for a paying client. I actually love it when the bride speaks up and asks if we can do something that she has in mind, one less pose I have to worry about.
9. BE TIME CONSCIOUS. Have you ever been taking wedding photos at the Salt Lake Temple on a Saturday in May or June? It’s crazy, right? There are so many people there, it’s kind of like a wedding factory. It seems most people want their group shots at the steps of the temple. I can’t blame them, and I’m happy to do it since it’s a shady spot and great for big groups! But you’ve gotta remember there is going to be another two brides coming out that door in the next 20 minutes and there’s usually only two sets of steps in the shade–and that’s where every other photographer is going to go first. So be aware of those other photographers around you, you’d want the same courtesy. Plus, the family will love you when you get those group shots done in a jiffy!
10. HAVE FUN. And be happy. When you’re having fun, they’re more likely to have fun. Not everyone loves to be put in front of a camera. Try and make it an enjoyable experience rather than a dreaded one. 🙂
