This page is intended for my existing clients as information and guidance in the week before their wedding. Please phone me if you have any questions.
Bride, bridesmaids, mothers of bride & groom
The most important advice I can give you as your photographer is to be careful about fake tan! Whilst some brands of fake tan can appear natural to the human eye, they all tend to appear slightly orange when photographed. Photographers don’t yet know why this is, but the phenomenon is a problem worldwide! I have also noticed that any slight patchiness of the fake tan is more obvious on the photograph than it was face to face.
The other issue is that if the ladies are wearing fake tan and the men are not, then the difference is quite obvious on the photographs when everyone is viewed together.
Ladies Shoes
If you intend to wear shoes with stilletto heels then please check out a product called "Starlettos". They attach to your heel to stop you sinking into the grass. The clear version is better for weddings as they are less visible on photos. Starlettos will make any photography session that takes place on grass far more comfortable for you and prevent damage to your heels.
Best Man
The easiest time for me to photograph the rings is before the ceremony starts, or else they may need to be removed from the bride and groom during the reception.
Please could you have both the rings on you for when I see you at the venue before the ceremony? Then I can take a photo of them (and you) before we do the groom & groomsmen shots.
The other alternative is for you to leave them with the bride at the place where she is getting ready if she has booked me for getting ready photos. Then I can photograph the rings while I’m with her and bring them to you at the venue.
Advice for guests
It is important that you avoid stepping into the aisle during the times when the bride enters the ceremony and the couple walk down the aisle to leave. If you have a camera, then the camera needs to remain within the line of the chairs – please don’t hold it out into the aisle to try and get a photo as it may then appear in front of the couple on my photo! When the bride & groom have walked down the aisle together you will see me get up and follow them. Once I have moved then you may step into the aisle. This is to avoid guests getting between myself and the couple, and also avoids lots of guests being in the aisle right behind the bride & groom on their photos.
Photographs should not be taken during the vows at all to avoid distraction. Even if you are very discreet, some pocket cameras emit a red laser focus assist beam in low light. This beam will turn the bride red on my photographs! I will continue to photograph quietly without flash when possible.
Please also read this article, especially if you plan on bringing a camera to the wedding.
Wedding day security
Engagement ring - the safest place to put this during the ceremony is on the ring finger of your right hand. If it doesn't fit then ask a bridesmaid to wear it for you. I was told about an incident last summer where a thief entered a church and stole a bridesmaids handbag while the group photos were being done. The bridesmaids bag contained the bride's engagement ring.
Cards and Gifts - it is best to hire a lockable box, for example the "postbox" designs that are currently popular. Cardboard box types are not secure. They can be accessed or even picked up and carried out of the venue. I met a bride on Facebook who lost around £300 in cash gifts when her cardboard postbox was stolen from the venue during her wedding reception... someone triggered the hotel fire alarm and removed it while everyone was forced to wait outside the venue.
Photography Usher
Thankyou for volunteering (or being asked!) to be my dedicated usher. I may need you at any point during the day. Working together we will ensure the group photos are done quickly and efficiently. Feel free to phone or email to introduce yourself, my phone number is below.
You should be issued with a list of group portraits by the bride and groom at least one week before the wedding. I will bring a printed version on the day. The most important part of your role is to ensure that the exact combination of guests on each photograph is correct before I take the photo.
This is what the list should look like (sorry the format is an Excel spreadsheet so it does not appear properly here):
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Number in group |
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Everyone - all guests - to put down their drinks and any large handbags that will stand out on the photo. If any ladies at the front are blocking people with a large hat then they should remove their hat or move to an outer edge. I will request this if I see an obvious case. |
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Example - what it should look like: |
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bride, groom, bride's mum, bride's dad, bride's brother Dave, Aunty Mary, Uncle Tom |
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groom, best man, groom's cousins Tony, Matt & Phil |
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What it should NOT look like! |
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bride's family |
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groom's old school friends |
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couple with all cousins |
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You will notice that in the first (correct) example above you have specific named people to find AND a head count number. When the correct people are assembled you will instruct me to photograph them. While I do that, you may collect the next group of people. When you are in the group you just check them as normal and then walk into the group before telling me to take the photo.
Please do not attempt to take photographs during the group portrait sessions. You will not need a camera!
If you have family of your own with you at the wedding I'll be happy to do a quick family portrait for you during the day if you would like one.
This simple but logical system ensures the bride and groom take responsibility for who they want to be photographed. Your role is to ensure those exact groups appear, mine is to capture them in the photo!
Other photographers have mentioned to me that they have had problems with parents or relatives trying to re-write the group shot list on the day or add people into groups that are about to be photographed. Bear in mind that the list you and I are working to has been approved by the bride and groom and it is their instructions that we must follow. Nobody should be allowed to enter a group shot unless the bride and groom specifically indicate that they should.
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