5 Things Your Wedding Photographer Wishes They Could Tell You
Wedding Photographers are storytellers. We’re artists and it’s our goal (and desire) to tell a beautiful story about your wedding day! We work hard at our craft; from learning technical skills and making sure we’re fluid with all lighting scenarios, to investing in our continued education and equipment to stay up to date.
By nature, we also tend to be people pleasers. We embrace different hats that comes with the job. A skilled wedding photographer will help you develop your wedding day timeline for your photography needs. We take into account how many people are involved with portraits, the lighting conditions, and weather variables. A skilled professional will help make things happen when time is tight, we bend over backwards to keep people happy, we smile through the challenges and overcome any obstacle to get you those shots! We cheer you on when your mother is driving you crazy, and we’re that third wheel for a long and emotional day!
There are also some things we wish we could share with our couples. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, because that’s not the intent! But moreso because we’ve done this before. A lot. And we’ve seen a thing or two. So if we can save a couple some heartache or disappointment, we try.
So here is a fun list of things we wish we could share with many of our couples but don’t always have the opportunity to do so, or we don’t know until we see it on the day of!
1. Expect the Unexpected
It goes without saying, but it’s totally true. Things will happen (hello, coronavirus anyone?!), challenges will arise, and there is always some brainstorming needed to fix a minor obstacle! How you feel about your wedding day long after the fact will coincide with how flexible you are.
You have a vision for your wedding day! And for the most part, it will happen as you imagined it. But having some grace to be flexible when the need presents itself will help make it easier to adapt…especially when that particular flower you needed to have is not available, or the color of your bridesmaids dresses you envisioned is no longer an option.
2. Lighting Matters
Actually, lighting matters a lot. If you’re hiring your photographer because you love their light and airy photos, but you’re planning an evening ceremony, then the lighting will look a lot different.
Having a wedding in December is going to look a lot different than a wedding in June (here in New York at least). The early sunset means that the amount of hours where we have natural lighting will be considerably shorter than it would be for a wedding in June. Please keep that in mind as you’re planning your wedding day! We try our best to get as many formals and portraits done while the sun is present, but being flexible (ahem up above) is helpful because it may not work out exactly as you hoped.
3. Your Shot List
No, not the drinks you’re planning to hype for your wedding! The shot list is that ‘list’ that you have in your head for all the pictures you want!
Trust me, if you’ve hired an experienced wedding photographer, there’s a good chance they will already include a list that breaks down the images you can expect! And don’t be afraid to communicate ideas for images or specific shots that are a priority for you – we want to know that!
But a gentle word of caution; if you’ve hired a reputable and experienced wedding photographer, sending a four or five page shot list detailing what you want is not necessary. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. You may be minimizing the creativity of your wedding photographer and making it hard for him or her to think outside the box when they feel the pressure of having to deliver your list of shots.
4. Time Flies
Ever feel like the days fly by leading up to your wedding?!! Well your wedding day is no different and it will go by even quicker! Be sure to work with your wedding photographer to develop that timeline so that you can ENJOY your wedding day! Or consider hiring a wedding planner who can help run the show! Why??!! Nothing gives us more pleasure than to see you have fun at your own wedding!
Let us sweat the small things on your behalf and make that magic for you! We want you to have fun, enjoy the efforts of all that planning, and devliver you a collection you will always love!
5. Finally, HAVE FUN!
Yesssss! The big day is here and it’s time to enjoy it! Let us do our jobs, let your other vendors do their jobs, and enjoy the fruits of all the hours spent putting this special day together!
Remember, no matter what happens, your day will happen. You can allow the small details weigh and worry you OR choose to enjoy it and live it up! I highly suggest you do the latter!
Xoxo, Summer
Other Info:
Venues Seen:
Click here to learn more about me and Summer Barnhart.
+ Comments