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Proud pup mom, type A creative, lover of the outdoors, Top Chef fan girl, and wedding and portrait photographer. Welcome to the blog!
HI, I'M RACHEL!
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It’s Wedding Wednesday and this week that means I’m sharing my fourth post in my series on wedding photography planning. So far we’ve established three ways you can get amazing wedding photos: include your photographer in planning your day-of timeline, pick the photography package that’s perfect for you, and book an engagement session with your wedding photographer. Today’s post is all about how you can make the most of your wedding photography the day of so you get those amazing wedding photos you & your fiancé are dreaming of!
I send out pieces of information to my clients throughout their planning process, so they’re aware of the items I’m sharing today. If you’re working with another photographer, these things are great to keep in mind so you’re getting the most out of your wedding photography. If you’re working with me (yay!), this is just a little more background on what you’re already hearing from me. It always helps to know the WHY, right?
Here are five ways you can make the most of your wedding photography:
Give your photographer the information they need at least two weeks prior to your wedding.
I send a worksheet to my clients a little over a month before their wedding & ask that they return it, filled out, about two weeks before their wedding date. It’s a few page document including logistical items for me to keep track of and plan for so there’s no scrambling & time wasting the day of. It’s a great opportunity for me to get updates to their timeline, become aware of any planned surprises, and plan for their family portraits. It’s also a good way for my clients to really think about what’s important to them as far as what should be documented on their wedding day.
Have all details you want photographed in one place.
I love photographing details on wedding days! Details are items like bridal & bridesmaid gowns, rings, invitation suites, bouquets, tie clips, cuff links, perfume, jewelry, etc. In order to make the most of your wedding photography, it’s helpful to have all these items in one place so they can quickly be photographed and your photographer can move on to capturing the getting-ready process. Having everything in one place is a time saver & it also ensures your important details are being documented as part of your special day.
Make pretty what you can make pretty.
This one makes sense, right? In order to make the most of your wedding photography, you want everything to look its best for the professional photos. This can go for making sure your wedding colors look good in photos & are properly coordinated, getting your engagement ring cleaned so it’s nice & shiny for photos, having your wedding dress & bridesmaids dresses on wooden hangers instead of plastic or wire ones, taking price tags/plastic wrap/boxes off things, removing hair ties from wrists. A good photographer will pick up on these things, but it will save a lot of time if you can do it all in advance.
Prepare your family & wedding party.
Your wedding party & your family are going to be asked to do things like help clean up a section of your getting-ready room so there’s a good backdrop for photos, or to be in one area for group picture time, or smile for photos when it’s 100 or 30 degrees outside. Give them a little pep talk before your wedding day so these things happen quickly & seamlessly the day of. Let them know what you need from them & thank them in advance for their cooperation. The more cooperative everyone is, the more time you will have to enjoy your wedding & the better your photos will look!
Take care of your photographer(s).
Make the most of your wedding photography by including your photographers in your headcount with the caterer. I have it in my contract that I need to be provided a meal during meal time the day of the wedding and I know a lot of other photogs do this as well. That’s not because we want to take advantage of a chance to eat fancy wedding food. It’s because we’re on our feet for anywhere between 5-9 or more hours straight on a wedding day, sometimes in the heat. I, personally, care a lot about my health and I know I need to eat on a regular basis throughout the day in order to stay conscious & pleasant. You do not want to spend your day with a hangry photographer! There’s also the fact that no one wants to be photographed while eating (just picture that in your head! haha). If I get to eat during everyone else’s meal time and I don’t have to leave the venue to find my own food, I won’t miss any special moments.
Another thing you can do is make sure to include your photographer in your plans for getting to and from different locations. This helps with additional parking fees or Uber/Lyft/taxi fares and overall makes it easier for the photographer to get the shots you want in a timely manner.
HELLO@RACHELEHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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Rachel is a wedding and portrait photographer
Serving brilliant, elegant couples in Washington D.C. + Beyond
Copyright 2022 Rachel E.H. Photography | Website by Alex Collier Design
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