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8 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR BRIDES

You’re planning your dream wedding, putting extensive thought and effort into every minor detail. After all, it’s going to be a day to remember for the rest of your life. But years from the wedding, all that remains are the moments, emotions, and memories captured by your photo and video team. These 8 wedding photography tips for brides will open your eyes.

Aside from hiring a quality photographer, there are numerous steps you can take as a bride to guarantee incredible photos. From incorporating a first look to picking that long flowy veil in the bridal shop, we’ve narrowed down the top 8 wedding photography tips you should follow as a bride.

1. Create A Mood Board

In order to deliver personalized photography and videography, it is important for your photographers and videographers to understand your personalities, preferences, and relationship. To help your creative team get to know you, it is best to create a mood board. This mood board is created on a website or app like Pinterest, where you can save images that you like and even images you don’t like. This is a way for you to visually communicate the style of photos you love for your engagement and/or wedding day photos.

Mood Board wedding photography tips for brides

2. Hire Photography and Videography From The Same Company

Choosing a photographer and videographer from the same studio is often the better choice for many reasons including:

  • The Shared Incentives and Accountability
  • Better Communication, Workflow & Positioning
  • The Common Shared Vision and Style
  • Fewer Contracts & Admin for a combined Photography and Videography Package
  • Wedding Photography and Videography Package Discounts

To learn more about why you should hire from the same company, click here.

3. Schedule Enough Time For Each Section Of The Day

It is crucial that you create a timeline for your wedding day, something your wedding planner can assist you with organizing. There should be an estimated start and end time for hair, makeup, reception setup, etc. Within that timeline should include all your photo sessions such as the first look, bridal party photos, and couple’s session. Not sure how much photo time you’ll need for each section of the day?

Check an example of this wedding timeline

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4. Minimize Your locations

In order to maximize photo time on your wedding day, we recommend minimizing the number of photoshoot locations. You don’t want to spend more time traveling from point A to point B than actually taking pictures. A great photographer should be able to make almost any location work. Even if you don’t love the background options of your venue, trust in the creative abilities of your photographer.

wedding photography tips for brides5. Hire Quality Vendors

Quality vendors can influence the flow of your day. This is why we emphasize the importance of selecting the right vendors. You wouldn’t want a makeup artist showing up 2 hours late or a photographer with no wedding experience, would you? We suggest quality vendors in order to avoid the stress that may carry over into your wedding photos.

Hiring a wedding planner is a great way to make your planning process easier and allow you to enjoy your wedding day without any unnecessary distractions. Your wedding planner is there to handle any mishaps while you and your partner go unbothered.

With so many vendor options it may be difficult to determine the right companies for your big day. Before hiring each vendor, do your research, check your venue’s preferred vendor list and most importantly, follow your instincts. Be sure to check out our Favorite Wedding Vendors here.

wedding photography tips for bridesJewel Weds Jonathan - Thejcreative Studio

6. Plan Enough Time for Hair & Make-up

Delays with hair and makeup can set the whole day behind. Plan to finish the process well ahead of schedule, too often do we see brides rushing because of unexpected delays. Many great hair and makeup artists will create a schedule to follow during wedding preparations.

Your creative team will typically ask for one hour in order to document final touch-ups, detail shots, and candid moments with your closest friends and family.

Take a look at our Ideal Wedding Timeline to find out exactly how much photo time you should have set aside throughout the day.

7. Schedule The Couples Session During The Best Lighting

If you booked your venue because of the spectacular view of the ocean or the gorgeous vines in the winery, it’s essential to schedule your couple’s session 30-45 minutes before sunset. The romantic hues during Golden Hour make it our favorite time of day to capture the new Mr. and Mrs.

Best Kenyan Destination Wedding Photographer_windsor_golf_club_nairobi

8. Include A Sneak Away Session

The beauty of twinkling stars and dark skies makes for a great photo backdrop. The Sneak Away session lasts no more than 20-30 minutes and is typically scheduled during your reception and after dinner. Another suggestion would be to get these shots at the very end of the night once all the guests have departed. The night sky adds a touch of romance and gives your photographer the opportunity to create dramatic images with the help of lighting.

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