We have compiled this little guide to share some of the wisdom we’ve picked up on our wedding adventures over the years. It aims to help you get the most out of your wedding photography, along with some other handy suggestions to make it one heck of a celebration. 

This guide is just that - guidance. We certainly don’t want you to treat it as recipe for success, or rules you must abide by. Rather we hope to draw your attention to a few important considerations: scheduling, light and the importance of being mindful of your priorities. 

With that being said, it’s your day! Don’t forget that.

Trust us

Trust is a crucial ingredient in our work. After all you have hired us because you feel a connection with our imagery. Therefore we ask that you allow us the freedom to just do what we do. Much of our work is instinctive, and spontaneous. There may be times when we have some unique ideas or take you to unsuspecting places for photos. Remember what you see and what our camera sees can be very different.

Trust and open up to us — to come as you are. Our goal is go help facilitate a space for you and your partner where you don’t have to pretend or perform. A space where you can just show up as you are. We are here for you, you are not here for us. We need to see you, as you. It may sound all a bit deep, but it really is a key part of us taking pictures about you.

light is really important

It’s all about light. Light is life for a photographer, and we are quite particular about it. Light gives much more than shape to physical things, and is crucial for creating ‘mood’. We’re always on the hunt for quality light, and will often pass up a ‘nice backdrop’ for better light. Beautiful details can look dull if poorly lit, whereas the most ordinary objects can come to life in good light.

You don’t have to think about this too much - that’s our job - but know that the quality of light is really important (more important than a ‘nice’ backdrop). Practically speaking, the time of day will have the largest impact on the type of light we can work with, which we explain in more detail in the timeline tips below.

Give yourself enough time. soak it all up.

Allow plenty of time for all the preparations, so you can enjoy them at a comfortable pace and avoid stress. We recommend getting dressed at least 45 minutes to an hour before you plan to leave for the ceremony. Doing up all those buttons can take longer than you think, and little extra time buffers are your best friends on wedding days. It also allows us 15 minutes with each of you to get some simple portraits when you’re finally dressed and looking fabulous. Lastly - don’t forget to eat something people! It’s a bloody big day - your bodies need fuel!

Clear the Clutter

Be considerate of how much clutter is in the space you are getting ready. Bright coloured drink bottles, or last nights pizza boxes can be an unnecessary distraction, or they can be details that tell part of the story. If bridal party members or family are bringing bags or suitcases, hide them away in a room or closet, so the main getting ready space is relatively clean and minimalist. In the end, this is all a matter of personal choice, but if in doubt, try to keep clutter to a minimum.

three is a party… or a crowd?

Don’t forget to think carefully about who you invite into your getting ready space. It might be just your bridal party, and your immediate family? Or perhaps you’d like to get ready alone or even with your fiancé?

It all comes down to what you value, and the type of morning you would like. Large groups of people in your getting ready space can result in extra stress and distractions, noise and clutter. Or it can create a lively atmosphere where chaos reigns. If in doubt, we recommend treating the morning of your wedding similar to a spa day. Keep it relaxed. There is plenty of fun and community later in the day. Oh, and delegate someone else to take your calls and be responsible for last minute decision making. This is your special day; we want you guys to kick back and let the good vibes roll.

S P A C E - foundation for good vibes

The space you get ready in can have a significant impact on your photos. The key things to consider when thinking about the space you get ready in are:

Size: Is there enough space?

Light: Is there enough natural light?

Aesthetic: Does the space reflect you and the vibe of your wedding? Will the space calm you? If it’s messy, will it make you feel anxious?

We recommending choosing a space that matches your style of wedding, or personal aesthetic, and one that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Getting ready at home might be meaningful and convenient, but think about whether it’s suitable in terms of space, light and aesthetic? Hotel rooms can be small and poorly lit, whereas hotel suites or apartments tend to be bigger and brighter. We also recommend considering other options such as an Airbnb which can offer more space and unique character.

Natural Light - let it in

As we’ve covered, light is critical for photography. We highly recommend getting ready in a space with an abundance of natural light and an aesthetic that matches your vibe. Artificial lights are a different colour to natural light, which is almost always unflattering in photographs. Our preference is to turn these off, if possible.

Invitations and special details

If it’s a priority for you to have images of all your details, please have them ready for us. Send us your invitations, or bring along a set for us to photograph on the day. We’ll also take a few images of little details such as flowers and jewellery, so if you’ve got any other special heirlooms, old love notes, your vows, or any other sentimental items, have them ready too!

make time to be congratulated

We recommend checking with your celebrant as to how long they anticipate the ceremony to go for, as the timing can vary greatly between weddings. Any time that is lost at this part of the day inevitably tends to cut into our portrait session time.

Don’t forget to add another 10-20 minutes to the schedule to be congratulated after the ceremony. Your guests are going to be so excited to give you a hug, and we’d feel awful having to tear you away from them too soon because we’re behind schedule.

Light - keep it even

Light will impact the style of photography when it comes to the ceremony. A church ceremony may result in more moody and dramatic images, whereas an outdoor ceremony will likely be lighter and brighter. Neither is better - it’s just a different look.

If opting for an outdoor ceremony we recommend scheduling it for later in the afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky. Overhead midday sun can be harsh and cast unflattering shadows on faces, making it difficult to see expressions and emotions in images. If possible, try to position yourselves so that you are backlit (meaning the sun is positioned behind you and the celebrant), which will keep your faces in the shade, resulting in more flattering photos.

Another option is to have the sun directly in front of you (on your guests back). This keeps your faces lit evenly, and chances are you’ll be looking at your partner, so don’t worry too much about being it being too intense.

Consider how important family portraits are to you. If they’re important, it will require some planning ahead, some scheduled time and wrangling on the day. Even if they’re not hugely important, but you’ll still like a few, we still recommend spending some time to think about which groups are the priority. In any case, schedule some time and prepare a list.

We find the best time for family photos is straight after the ceremony. After you strut back down the aisle, allow about 10-20 minutes to be congratulated, then we’ll jump straight into the family photos before we lose too many people to the bar. It might be worth giving your family the heads up before the wedding day that they’ll be needed for these photos.

Allow 15 mins for immediate family (parents/siblings/grandparents).

We’ll need about 30 mins if you'd also like a full group photo, friendship groups or extended family combinations.

It would also be super helpful if you could assign a sibling or member of the bridal party who is familiar with your families to assist us to organise the various groups - remember we don’t actually know these people very well…not yet anyway.

Always prepare a list. A list helps ensure no important combinations are missed out, and keeps us on track. Please do try to keep these as simple and streamlined as possible. Usually about 8-10 groups is comfortable and manageable in the timeframe mentioned above. Standing in the same spot for photo after photo is going to get tiring, and inevitably takes precious time away from your own bridal portraits. It’s all about balance.

Bridal Portraits

The first session is where we’ll likely take the majority of your portraits and we’ll include your bridal party in part of this session if you have one. We recommend allocating at least 1 hour for this session plus any travel times. This photo session tends to take place at the same time the guests are enjoying the cocktail hour or travelling to the reception venue.

Note: if you opt for a first look, it may make sense for this first portrait session to take place before the ceremony, in which you’ll be able to join your guests for cocktails and canapés after the ceremony.

Sunset Photos

The second portrait session should take place just before and finish just after the sun sets - also known as ‘golden and blue hour’ - when the light is soft and the sky is a blaze of pink, orange, purple and blue. It's our favourite time of the day for photos and we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this magical light! During daylight savings the sun won’t set until much later in the evening, likely well into your reception. If we can schedule some time into the run sheet to steal you away from the party for just 15 minutes, we’ll make sure it’s well worth your while!

You can calculate the exact time the sun will set on your wedding date by asking google, or using the website below. Enter the location and your wedding date, and it will show the sunset time in red. We recommend scheduling these photos approximately 20 minutes before actual sunset to catch those last moments of golden light before the sun dips below the horizon. If in doubt - don’t hesitate to ask us.

http://suncalc.net/

Reception light

Don’t forget the lighting! So you’ve decorated your reception space and it looks wonderful! Awesome. But please please please don’t forget to think about how it’s going to be lit. It’s really important.

Lighting is so important for the reception, and will impact the mood of the images and even the event itself. We love reception spaces with warm, ambient light. Using candlelight or strings of festoon or fairy lights to achieve a warm, fun and romantic mood. If stringing up lights, make sure the bulbs are warm (yellow base), and remove or turn off other cool toned light (blue based) in the room.

How much light? Ideally the reception space should have enough light to comfortably make out who you’re talking to across the table.

Do we feed you?

If your photography coverage has us staying into the reception at the time that other guests will be served a meal, then yes please - a vendor meal will be much appreciated! It’s also ideal if we are served dinner at the same time as the guests. Firstly nobody wants photos with mouthfuls of food, and more importantly this means that we can quickly eat when everyone else eats, and be done in time for any speeches or dances that are scheduled immediately after dinner.

Often caterers will serve vendors at the end of the meal, which usually coincides with formalities, like speeches etc. So if you get the chance, it would be great if you could mention this to them.

If you’re having a cocktail reception, we’ll be sure to help ourselves to a bite to eat.