Welcome back everyone!

Today’s topic is all about your wedding photographer. Wedding photographers are amazing super heroes that make your wedding day a tangible memory. They sneak around like little flies on the wall and capture magic. I could go on about how having a wedding photographer is the best investment of your entire wedding budget. There’s a lot of things that couples do that make their job harder without even knowing it! I chatted with some wedding photographers to find out what things you may do that drive them a little crazy.

“I wish folks knew we weren’t magicians!”

– EVERY SINGLE PHOTOGRAPHER EVER

I know, I know. I JUST said that wedding photographers make magic. But- they aren’t magicians! As much as you’d love to “lose” 10 pounds, remove your wrinkles, or bring your husband’s hairline back- it’s just not realistic. Any heavy re-touching on an image is gonna come with a hefty fee PER PICTURE. Retouching is a TON of work! Your poor photographer is already spending hours upon hours editing the lighting and basic retouching (evening skin tone, removing a stray hair, etc).

The rule of thumb I’ve heard from most photographers is that they will remove anything that isn’t permanent. This includes pimples, stray hairs, or a smudge of lipstick. You want to embrace the beauty of the day and how you and your spouse were on this day. You both look perfect- and I promise your photographer is going to make sure they are posing you in the most flattering ways possible.

“Clean up your getting ready space!”

– Also EVERY SINGLE PHOTOGRAPHER EVER

You know those dreamy getting ready shots where everyone is sitting in their gorgeous robes with the light hitting them perfectly? We all want those. They always look so effortless getting ready for their wedding day (whether that’s actually the case or not). The key to these gorgeous photos is having a clean getting ready space. It doesn’t matter where you’re getting ready- your own home, the venue, a hotel, or an Air BnB. Just make sure there’s a designated zone for everyone’s stuff and keep the space closest to the light clean. Trust me- when you see the end pictures, you’ll be so happy you took a few moments to clean!

A Few Closing Thoughts…

Here’s a few thoughts direct from the source- some of the best wedding photographers across the country!

“Trust your photographer and plan your day with the light in mind! If you’ve invested in someone that knows their stuff, you can rest assured they have prepared and can quickly pick out where the best light is, what posing looks best, etc. There’s a world of difference in the weddings I shoot that have thought ahead about allotting time for portraits when the light is most flattering vs those that forget this detail and either have to settle for harsh light or barely any light at all! We can’t make your skin tone in photos look creamy and romantic without that even, filtered/shaded light!” – Michela Brooke Photography

“Timelines! We need time to capture all the photos you want, and we need to try to time things in order to get the best lighting. So many times we get people who think that 30 minutes is enough time to capture family photos, bridal party, and bride and groom portraits!” – The Hulls Photography

“Have a list of essential family photos ready! Not so much for your photographer (you want them with a camera in their hand, not a piece of paper!) but mostly for YOU! If your list is 30+ combinations long, we need to plan the amount of time to keep the day stress free and fun! If you don’t make the list ahead of time, you can be surprised day-of with a very long family photo session.” – Bud Johnson Photography

Wedding photographers are such amazing vendors, and I love getting to see them create beautiful images of people in love. Just keeping these few things in mind will make such a difference in how easily your photographer can capture your day. Not only that, but also in the quality of your finished wedding photos. Who doesn’t want that?

I hope this helps you while thinking about how to work with your wedding photographer! Wanna talk more about weddings? Just hit this handy dandy button here and let’s get to know each other!