Amazing Wedding Photos, Your How-To Guide

Every engaged couple wants amazing wedding photos, right? If you or a loved one is investing in photography for your wedding, of course you want the best experience and in the end, amazing wedding photos. Today I’m going to tell you how you – bride & groom, bride & bride, or groom & groom – can get those amazing wedding photos you’re dreaming of.

The term “amazing” is obviously suggestive. Every couple has a different idea of what will make their wedding photos amazing or perfect for their own style, but the tips I’m giving you today are universal. Whether you’re into the bright & airy, the dark & moody, the ultimate candid shot, cool effects, or the editorial look, these tips will apply to you!

My first tip is a basic one & all my other tips will stem from it: make photography a priority. This might seem self-serving coming from a wedding photographer – of course you would assume every vendor wants their service or product to have priority. But think about it: you’re throwing this amazing celebration. You’re spending time, energy, money, and asking your loved ones to spend their time, energy, and money on participating. What will you have at the end of that expended time, energy, and money? Your gown, your jewelry, your dried bouquet, maybe the top of your cake to eat on your first anniversary. But what will truly preserve this day & the love you put into it? What will ignite those feelings & memories of the experience you & your guests enjoyed on your wedding day? Your photos.  In your heart & in your actions, make photography a priority on your wedding day and you will get amazing wedding photos. My second tip is to make time for photography. The more time you are willing to include in the photography package you choose, the better your images will be. Sure, a great photographer can capture some amazing shots in a shorter window of time, but think what they could do with a little more wiggle room. Wedding photographers are professionals, but we’re also creatives and artists. The more time we have to take a moment to observe and set up a shot, the less rushed we feel, the more interesting the photos will be & the more variety you’ll get. My third tip is to include a second photographer in your wedding photography package. This goes back to tip number two and making time for photography. Sure, I’ve managed to shoot beautiful weddings solo & have gotten amazing wedding photos that tell the full story of the day. But having a second photographer offers the time to capture even more. To not feel rushed and to have a second set of hands and eyes on the day. You get more variety and a more complete story of images. My fourth & final tip is to plan your wedding around magic hour. If photography is a priority for you on your wedding day & you are excited to get the most out of your investment, you obviously want amazing wedding photos. For a natural light photographer, the most amazing photos will be captured during magic hour. I’ve already written a whole blog post about this, so I won’t reinvent the wheel here, but definitely check out that post  {here} to see what makes planning your wedding around magic hour such a stellar idea.