Things to think about in the run up to the wedding - a photographer's perspective

Photographing preparations

Having two of us means that we can be in two places at once, which means that Sylwia can capture bridal preparations while Simon can be photographing what the boys are up to.

A little bit of forethought can make a huge difference to the look and variety of the pictures. It helps us to get beautiful pictures (especially the bride's preparations!) if the space where the preparations are taking place is reasonably clear. It's worth bearing this in mind while working out which room you will be getting ready in, and what you will have in there (in terms of suitcases etc., especially if you are not getting ready at home. Nice clear backgrounds work well, so walls that don't have too much furniture or other clutter work best, while having plenty of natural light in the room can transform the look of the pictures. Closed curtains and lighbulbs (especially energy saving ones) make life difficult. Having open suitcases, scattered clothes perhaps of several people, creates a messy background and limits the angles that we can take pictures from. If several people are getting ready in the same room, that can be great in terms of plenty of activity and interaction going on to photograph, but ideally mess could be kept under control.

It's all in the details

If you would like us to photograph your stationary and invitations, please bring them along to the preparations, and Sylwia can make some arrangements with them. It helps to have one or two flowers [or ribbons etc.] handy to make arrangements with. Sometimes brides and grooms lay out for us some of the beautiful details to capture - not only stationary, but for the girls perhaps something blue,/ silver coin, veil, shoes, bouquets, stationery, and for the boys perhaps ties, buttonholes, and any other details that may be important - perhaps a hip flask or a sgian-dubh.

Photo Shoots

We have a whole page on this subject.

Group photos

You will be receiving a questionnaire about this in the run up to the wedding. Before fixing these, we really urge you to read our guide to group photos. This subject has a whole page to itself, please see our suggestions here.

Timing and location of group photos:

Eyelashes and make-up

False eyelashes: yes only to individual ones – wedding days can be emotional so be careful and do not overdo your makeup if in doubt ask a professional to help with it (we recommend our fav makeup artists and hair creatives all the time and we have a huge book of contacts! Have a go at the trial too, to make sure that your are both on the same ground), sometimes less is more. Ditto to the fake tan…

Confetti

If you are going to have confetti, then please let us know! You should check with the venue that they allow confetti, and if so whether it has to be of any particular type - some venues forbid paper confetti but allow petals for example.

For a spectacular picture, it is worth coordinating confetti so that everyone throws it simultaneously. We can help with this, though it might need a bit of coordination with whoever is distributing the confetti (quite often the bridesmaids). You should also think about the logistics of your exit versus distribution of confetti. Are you exiting the ceremony venue before the guests? If you want to make a dramatic exit and be showered with confetti, then you might want to find a spot to hide while guests exit first. How will guests get their confetti? It might be left in baskets at the exit, be distributed by hand, or might be left on chairs in the venue for example.

One tip to getting a great cloud of confetti (and a less pained expression on the bride and groom's faces is to try and get guests to throw it up into the air above you, not AT you.