You’ve booked your wedding photographer, woohoo! What’s next?

Booking your wedding photographer is a big deal! (If you've just booked, congrats! Woohoo!) Your photographer will be creating the memories that will let you relive your wedding day years after the cake, decorations and music are gone. Often this can be the very first time you’ve booked a professional photographer, so you may not be sure what to expect. I can’t speak for every one or every photographer, but here are some things that might help you prepare for and feel relaxed about the special photos on your big day.

Follow Your Photographer on Social Media

By booking your photographer, you will have already gone through the process of looking through their work, falling in love with their style, and developing trust in them and their skills. Following your photographer on Facebook or Instagram (for example) allows you to keep up to date with their most recent work, learn more about them and stay super excited that this is the photographer who will be creating your memories. It can also give you ideas of the type of shots you might especially want captured on your wedding day. (You can follow my photography on Facebook here and Instagram here.)

Ask Those Questions!

Do you have a tonne of questions you want to ask? Don’t be scared to ask your photographer any of the questions you might have, even if you’re worried they “might sound stupid”. Your photographer may also have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page with some of their most common questions and answers. (You can find my FAQ page here). I also have a list of blogs I’ve written with a few tips and tricks to try and help my couples, which you can find on my website here.

Do an Engagement Session

If an engagement session isn't included with your package, I highly recommend looking into investing in one. These sessions are not only great for some more casual memories of the two of you, but more importantly they help you to get used to being photographed. Booking the session with your wedding photographer also allows you to get to know them and their style better. All around, it's definitely worth the investment to get some pro photo practice, get comfortable and get some fun and casual portraits. (If you've booked a wedding package with me and an engagement session isn't included, you can book one in at a big discount!) Read all about the benefits of an engagement session in one of my blog posts here. xx

Think About Light When Creating Your Schedule

Regardless of a photographers style, they will be using light to create your memories. Every photographer will have a particular kind (or kinds) of light that makes their heart sing and gets them creatively inspired. You can read about my favourite types of light for wedding photography here. If light is important to you in your wedding photos, make sure you talk to your photographer about it and maybe even ask them to help you plan your schedule around beautiful light.

As part of every one of my wedding packages I offer help with creating your schedule, and a visit to your venue to talk about light. Planning around the light with the insights from your photographer can not only create gorgeous images, but also a schedule that flows smoothly and keeps everyone happy. You can read my tips for scheduling your wedding day on my website here.

Make a List…? Kind of.

Now… lists are a precarious subject! Some photographers are traditional and love working from lists of photos. Others, like me, love to work organically on the day to capture the moments and memories that stand out, without being “hindered” by a list. So, why would I suggest making a list? They can be useful!

When you write your list don’t write down every single photo that you think you might want, flowers on table, shoes on their own, shoes with dress, close up smiling happy, wide shot smiling happy. etc etc. Professional & experienced wedding photographers generally know what is important to capture. They don’t need lists like this to capture a variety of beautiful shots, and may find it hinders their ability to capture natural and organic moments and memories.

When you write your list, consider more writing what is specifically important to you. For example, if you want some unique and artistic photos tell your photographer that you’d like to experiment and play with a few photos. Or maybe your grandma is sick, and you’d really love a photo of just the two of you. Writing a list of family groupings you would like can also help things run smoothly on the day, especially if your family is a little complicated. Keeping your list simple can really help both of you!

Invite Your Photographer to Your Wedding Rehearsal

I love going to wedding rehearsals as part of my location scout (when I am available). Running through things with the celebrant can give your photographer a better idea of how your ceremony will go and anything that may be a little unique or different. It also gives you a chance to look through your location and/or venues together and pick some favourite spots together. If you’ve booked a full time wedding photographer, chances are they won’t be available to go to your rehearsal on a weekend. If you can, try to book your rehearsal for a weekday close to your wedding at approximately the same time as your ceremony. Hopefully everyone can then make it! xx

I hope you’ve found this guide useful! If you’ve booked me and have some questions, or are interested in making a booking, please feel free to get in touch!

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