Everyone knows that you need a wedding photographer if you want to be able to capture all the special moments throughout your wedding day, but unfortunately not many people prepare for their photographer before the event. You may think that it’s a photographer’s job to just instinctively take all the types of photos you ogled on Pinterest for months before your wedding, and then just send you all the pictures when the day is over, but there is so much more than goes into it. Without proper preparation you’re sure to be incredibly disappointed, which is why it’s your job to make a list of all the difference poses and props you want to include in your session before your wedding day to ensure you and your photographer are on the same page and you are satisfied with what you paid for.
Props and Decorations
If you want to include photos of the hard work you put into creating your gorgeous save-the-dates, invitations, flowers, decorations, cake, and more, you need to let your photographer know and plan to bring anything you need or won’t have with you ahead of time. You can’t just snap a few pictures of everything and hope they come out looking fresh out of a magazine; you need to set the stage, which takes preparation.
Parents
Everyone knows about the moment the groom first sees the bride and how emotional it can be, but no one ever takes time to consider the parents. For every bride, the wedding day marks the day that their parents will no longer be the most important people in their lives. Though it is no doubt a joyous event, nothing quite beats the look on mom and dad’s faces when the finally see their little girl as the beautiful independent woman that she now is, and that’s something worth capturing.
Casual Not Staged
When you think of wedding photos, the most common one besides the first kiss that crosses everyone’s mind, is the unoriginal image of the wedding party standing uniformly in a line together. This tired image is one that never fully captures the unique personalities that help make your wedding incredible. If you really want to let loose and show some joy, try a few casual shots that allow your wedding party to express themselves. You can always take a serious photo just in case, but nothing will capture the joy of your wedding better than evident fluidity and movement in your photographs.
First Interactions
First touch, exchanging of gifts and letters, and first sight between you and your beloved, are must haves for your wedding album. These otherwise private moments, will be something you will want to be able to cherish and remember long after the years have taken the newness out of your love. It will help you to always remember the quiet and simple moments that brought you two together in the first place.
Show Off
You most likely spent a pretty penny to get that perfect dress, so why not ensure you get a few shots dedicated to how beautiful you look in it. Don’t just stand there and smile like it’s so uncomfortable you’d rather be wearing yoga pants. Move around a bit, let the dress flow, and get creative with your poses so that long after the dress no longer fits, you can at least remember how stunning you felt in it by the way you look in it in every picture.
Obvious Must Have Photos
Any photographer will give you the standard pictures of your first kiss, the exchanging of the rings, everyone walking down the isle, and etc., but there are a few photos that, with a little staging and prep, can really make your wedding album fantastic and unique. The send-off kiss is a big one, and can look absolutely incredible as everyone surrounds the couple while cheering and tossing their send-off glitter, confetti, bubbles, or what have you. Another is a single shot of the rings. This simple photo, though seemingly unoriginal, will serve as the perfect way to preserve the beauty of your shiny new rings long after the wear and tear of years of marriage and kids have had a chance to affect them.
Have any other ideas about what specific pictures you want to see in your wedding album? Talk to your photographer! It’s their job to make sure you’re happy with the moments they capture, so be a part of the process and help them out. Every bride and groom is different, so it’s up to you to communicate effectively with your photographer so that they know exactly what you want and how. If you’re looking to plan a wedding, give one of our wedding event coordinators a call at 586.930.5400 to make an appointment to view Metro Detroit’s premier wedding chapel. Your dream wedding is just a phone call away.
