Picture Perfect: 7 Tips for Beautiful Wedding Photography

Beautiful images are one of the most important keepsakes that come from your wedding day, meaning that choosing the right person for wedding photography is one of the most important decisions couples need to make. This is the person, or team, who will be on hand throughout the day to capture those special moments and cherished memories, so making sure that everyone is on the same page is important.  

Whether someone you know is taking your wedding photos to help you stick to your wedding budget or you’re working with a professional, here are some tips on how to ensure that the photos you look back on are exactly what you want. 

Get to know each other first 

You can’t just point and shoot on such an important day, and you definitely need to meet them before the wedding date. Your photographer needs to really know their subjects and connect with them in order to capture the essence of who they are on their special day. A good option is to do an engagement shoot or couple photos documenting your love stories.

A wedding day is the perfect opportunity to showcase who a couple are and what makes their relationship special, and you will be seeking a photographer who can celebrate that and highlight it in their images. 

Whether the wedding photographer in question knows the couple already or not, it’s important to understand what they want from their images. An engagement shoot with the couple can be a great way for everyone to get to know each other, if necessary, discuss what the couple want from their photos on the big day and understand how their personality will translate into spectacular photos. 

Experiment with different effects

Photography effects are a fantastic way to set your images apart and create amazing pictures that you’ll be proud to have hanging on your wall at home in the future to cherish forever. People want something special from their wedding photography that they can look back on for the rest of their lives, and creating unique wedding photographs with effects is a great way to do that. From silhouettes that bring an atmospheric effect to images taken in low light, to light painting that enables you to create text and creative effects within the image itself, experimenting with photography effects can help you create something different. 

Decide on the style you like

Wedding photographs come in a wide range of styles, from traditional and colourful to exclusively black and white or highly stylised. Do you want candid shots that capture those subtle moments of your day or are you looking for something more posed and refined? Understanding your personal tastes and what you’re looking for from your photos will ensure that those taking the images will be working to the same ideas as you as a couple. Each photographer has their own unique style and specialisms so it pays to find a photographer that creates in a style you prefer.

Know the venue

Venues naturally vary from rugged landscapes such as beaches, woodlands and parks to buildings such as churches, halls and barns. When you’re taking photos, the venue impacts everything from accessibility for the photographer to get the right angles to lighting. Once you’ve chosen your venue, speak with your photographer early on to determine what’s feasible for the images you want to capture and which times throughout the day will be the best for getting those all-important shots. 

Plan for all weathers

You can’t predict the weather at any stage, and your wedding day is no exception, but what you can do is factor in the unexpected so you’re not caught out on the day. For example, if you plan your wedding shoot to be primarily outdoor shots to maximise the beauty of the landscape, do you have a contingency plan for rain? Are there sheltered spots that will serve as a suitable back-up if the locations you have in mind aren’t accessible on the day for the shots you have planned? 

Newlyweds have picture taken on wedding day

Planning the shots ahead of the day is vital, as wedding photographers will know, so you can arrive feeling confident you’re capturing the couple in the right settings. But making sure you’re considering alternatives if the weather doesn’t make that shot list possible is vital so you’re not left floundering on the day.  

Bring up concerns early on

It’s important that any potential issues are raised before your wedding day, so that solutions can be sorted out early on. Being proactive and asking as many questions as possible with your photographer is the key to making sure everyone is on the same wavelength. A good photographer will be happy to hear your concerns and adapt to find solutions for you. 

Everything from the colour scheme you’ve chosen for your venue and how it will translate into the best-looking photos, to anxiety about being in front of the camera or body insecurities can be a concern for couples. Ask those questions early so that you’re not panicking on the day, giving you the opportunity to really let loose and enjoy yourself. 

Don’t just focus on photos

Lastly, you’ve chosen your perfect wedding photographer based on their skills, their style and their vision for the shot list. So, instil your full confidence in them and enjoy your special day without worrying about how the photos are turning out. You don’t want to look back on your wedding day and have fuzzy memories because you weren’t in the moment, so once you’ve made your preferences known to your photographer, put the photos out of your mind and just relax. Your wedding pictures will look all the better for it as a result. 

In fact, the best photos are often those candid moments where you’re just having fun and spending time with the love of your life, so that should remain your focus. A skilled photographer will know how to get the best photos from your day, so trust them to understand your vision and provide you with beautiful images of you as a happy couple.