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5 Tips for a Successful Wedding Photo Shoot

Welcome to the next installment in Our DIY Wedding series!  To start at the beginning, click here.

Okay, we’re finally here: it’s July 18th, 2009 – – our wedding day!

Mark and I went unconventional and decided to take our wedding portraits before the wedding.  Because our reception would immediately follow the ceremony in the very same space, we didn’t want to miss out on an hour of our reception in order to take photos.  So, an hour-and-a-half before our wedding ceremony, I hiked up my wedding dress and marched down the boardwalk to the pier to see my soon-to-be-husband.  And snap some photos!

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

We planned to have a special meeting, just the two of us, before our family and wedding party arrived for their scheduled photo times.  And I’m so glad we did.  Our photographer captured some really precious shots of those first few moments.  I had kept all the details about my dress a secret from Mark until then (I love a good surprise), and the smile in his eyes told me he very much approved.

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

It’s funny, working on this series, I’ve found that a lot of the wedding planning process has been fuzzy in my memory – – perhaps in part because it was such a hectic time of life.  I’ve struggled to recall the details of these events from four years ago, and I’ve sent many an email my parents or sister to ask them to fill in the blanks on what I can’t remember.

But the day itself, that I remember in vivid detail.  Starting with our pre-wedding photo shoot.

Remembrances

I remember feeling like a celebrity as I walked by the morning joggers and bikers on the boardwalk.  Every–single–person smiled at me, and many of them shouted out, “Congratulations!”  And of course, there were the token mutterings out of the sides of mouths saying, “It’s not too late!  You can still run!”

I remember that there was a woman snoozing in her beach chair under the pier that we had to politely ask to move.  She looked me up and down, thought about it for a second, humphed, then picked up her things in slow motion and ambled her way to a new spot 20 feet away.

I also remember what worked really well in our photo shoot…and what we would have done differently if given a do-over.  And I’d love to share those remembrances with you today, dear reader.

And even if a wedding photo shoot is in your past or you don’t foresee one in your near future, I trust that these same tips will apply to photo shoots of all kinds!  So, won’t you pour yourself a hot mug of chai and stay for a while?

5 Tips for a Successful Wedding Photo Shoot

5 Tips for a Successful Wedding Photo Shoot: A Bride's Perspective via thinkingcloset.com

1.  Book a photographer you love.

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

We knew from the start that we wanted to invest in a quality photographer and we were willing to scrimp and save on other aspects (even to our own detriment), in order to make it happen.

Emily Johnston was our first choice for a wedding photographer.  We loved her journalistic style and the muted tones in her wedding photographs.  I had been following stalking her blog since before our engagement.  Plus, Emily had graduated from our same college, so we shared many mutual friends.  The only caveat was that Emily was based out of Chicago at the time; and I remember biting off all my fingernails when asking her, “Do you travel to photograph weddings?”  And as you can already guess, her reply was a happy one.  And I just might have squealed out loud to hear it.

So, even though we paid more for our wedding photography than we might have if we had gone local (we had to cover the cost of travel and accommodations for Emily), it was worth the investment for us.  We loved her work, we knew she was a gem of a gal, and the proof is in the puddin’ – – every time we look at our wedding photos in our albums or in the frames on our walls, we say, “They were worth every penny!”

Takeaway: When the memories of your wedding day start to fade, your photos will not!  So, don’t scrimp.  Hold out for a wedding photographer you love…even if it means shifting around a few other things in your budget to make it happen.

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

 

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

2.  Be aware of light!

Since we were on the Jersey shore for our wedding weekend, the beach seemed like the perfect setting for our photos.  (We even wore appropriate footwear.)

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

However, along with the beauty of a beach setting comes some pretty harsh light.  We knew that could pose a few problems for our photo shoot.  So, we got a tip from a bride who had taken photos on that same beach a few weeks earlier, and she just raved about the photos they had taken under the pier.  It was sheltered from the bright sun (no squinting!), yet you still had the ocean behind you and the sand beneath your toes.  Plus, the rustic pier pilings boasted such character.

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

As promised, I reveal to you my absolute favorite photo of all photos:

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

Yeah, that’s our huge wedding party looking hugely awesome.  And note that there’s bright sun in front of us and bright sun behind us, but none directly on us.  It was the perfect scenario!

Takeaway: Whether you’re taking photos indoors or outdoors, ask yourself, “Is there enough light to capture quality photos?  Or is there too much light?”  And if you’re working outdoors, be sure to visit the site during the time of your scheduled shoot to check out the angle of the sun, what foot-traffic is like, and nearby shelters in case of rain.  If you do your homework ahead of time, you’ll minimize the problems on the day of your shoot!

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

3.  Use your environment.

Maybe it’s the actor in me, but I view every nearby object as a prop.  So, I actually had a lot of fun during our wedding photo shoot just playing with what we found in our environment!

For instance, as I walked by the quarter-fed binoculars on the pier, I thought it might be fun to look through them, as though I was looking for my hubby-to-be.  Cheesy, I know, yet it ended up being a great picture!

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

And after our wedding, Emily took us out under the boardwalk at our wedding site to capture just a few more photos…and what did we hap upon but a surfboard, just asking us to ride it!

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

Takeaway: Slow down long enough to take in the environment around you…and if you have an idea for a fun photo, don’t wait for your photographer to suggest it.  Just do it!  You may end up with a real framer in the mix.  Plus, what fun are photo shoots without a little spontaneity?

4.  Allot more time than you think you will need.

This is one tip I wish we had implemented.  In fact, I hang my head in shame to admit that our wedding ceremony started over half an hour late because of our pre-wedding photo shoot.

The moral of the story is that things always take longer than you think they will.  And not only did the photography take longer than we had allotted, but the wedding location was two towns north of our photo shoot location.  So, we had traffic to deal with!  Some groomsmen even took a wrong turn along the way and needed my Dad to relay directions to them over the phone as our prelude playlist rounded its third cycle.

That was my only true panic moment of the whole wedding day…watching the clock tick away as we waited for our wedding party to arrive.  And thankfully, my SIL Jodi stopped me from wearing a hole in the carpet with my pacing when she said,

“Lauren, you’ve done a great job planning this wedding, and now it’s out of your hands.  So, take a deep breath and relax.”  And I did.  And the groomsmen showed up a few minutes later.  And all was well.  (Thanks again for that, Jodi.)

When people talk about our wedding day, they don’t complain about the late start.  In fact, I’m apparently the only person who seems to remember it!

Takeaway:  Things always take longer than you think they will.  Better to have some margin time before and after your wedding photo shoot, so you’re not rushed out of taking some fantastic photos…and so that you don’t miss your own wedding!

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

5.  When things get crazy, retreat to your bubble.

Okay, I know that sounds really hippie of me, but hear me out.

So, this last tip was given to us before our wedding day by one of Mark’s friends, Evan, and it was a tip given to her and husband before they got married….

When things around you start to get crazy (like when the flowers don’t show up on time or when a bridesmaid’s heel breaks or when there is mass chaos trying to gather your family for a photo), imagine there’s a bubble around you and your partner.  Don’t let the chaos all around you infiltrate that bubble.  There are plenty of other people around who can deal with those problems.  But what’s important is that the two of you remember what this day is about.  That you come back to that.  That you allow that to ground you.

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

Mark and I retreated to our bubble several different times throughout the day, including during our pre-wedding photo shoot.  In fact, I think you can catch a glimpse of a bubble moment in the photo below that I grabbed from Facebook:

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

I remember things were a bit chaotic trying to get our families together for a family portrait and rather than us getting sucked into the mayhem, we retreated to the bubble.  And it ended up being a really special moment for us.

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

Takeaway: Expect that things will go wrong and chaos will ensue, especially during the wedding photo shoot, but if the two of you have an imaginary bubble you can retreat to together, you’ll turn crazy moments into special ones.

How to Have a Successful Wedding Shoot: 5 Tips for the Bride & Groom via thinkingcloset.com

That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!

Up Next!

Next up in Our DIY Wedding series is Our DIY Wedding Ceremony  where I tell the story of how toe fungus infiltrated our wedding ceremony.  (True story.)  Check it out HERE.

It’s Friday!

Did you catch that I gave you five tips today on the day when I usually share “The Friday Five”?  Yeah, that was no coincidence!  And ya know who else has five fantastic items to share with you today?  Thalita!

(And by the by, we totally had our first Google Hangout together yesterday, and it was amazing.  I love how blogging has put me in contact with some of the most amazing people who I now call friends.  And yes, Thalita really is as sweet and genuine in conversation as she is on her blog.  As if you had any doubt.)

Go say, hi!  And check out her Friday Five, entitled, Whoa!

The Friday Five with The Thinking Closet & The Learner Observer

Have an inspired weekend, friends!

{Sometimes, I like to link up at these partays!}

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20 Comments

    1. Sure thing! I’d be curious if you’d have any tips to add to this…. I’d love to hear the wedding photographer’s perspective!

  1. First of all… WOE! Your pictures are amazing. Like every single one! I can totally see why that photo of you and your wedding party is your fave – it should be in a book or a magazine or something. It’s incredible!
    Second of all, I wish someone told me about the bubble. Though we thankfully had enough time to be alone, there were always people watching which felt weird. Our BIG bubble moment came during our first dance. I didn’t care that other people were there – it was totally OUR moment.
    Amazing tips, my friend! These are sure to make some soon-to-be brides even more prepared for their own big day!

  2. O-M-gosh, Lauren!! Have you seen our wedding pics… under a pier!! And my shoes… tan rainbows!! I tell ya, we do it best!! So fun experiencing your wedding through this series! And I just love that you too were able to sneak in a little ‘bubble’ time. That’s what it’s all about!! 🙂

  3. Lauren, great tips and WOW! you look beautiful in all your pictures 🙂 you and your husband make a lovely couple
    I love how romantic these pictures are, they are beautiful and your dress is gorgeous too 🙂

  4. Lauren… you know I loved your beach wedding! Plus.. I grew up at the Jersey Shore 🙂 You are so right about having the best photographer you can get. Love your whole series and the good information your sharing will help lots of stressed out future brides maybe become not so stressed out 🙂

  5. Great tips, Lauren! I wish we’d worked in time for some spontaneous “fun” photos… we didn’t want to miss more of our reception that necessary, so we only did church photos with the whole wedding party. Now I’m wishing we’d done some fun whole-group photos somewhere… these always end up being my favorites from my friends’ weddings!

  6. Great tips, Lauren! The photo shoot can be a chaotic time (especially when you’re trying to wrangle huge groups – like your epic wedding party – wowza!) And I love that the girls all had matching parasols.

    We did something similar, but because we got married in March – I know… on the West Coast – what!?!?- I bought matching umbrellas. Because it rained. Of course it did. And the props look so fabulous in our pictures. I was so glad that I had got them just in case!

  7. Lauren, You are so beautiful! What lovely pictures! I love the lighting under the pier. I love the parasol behind the two of you with the light coming through it. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your tips. I’ll have to keep them in mind for us (pinning it!). I think having a pre-ceremony photo shoot is a great idea for us. We are having the ceremony and reception at the same site too.

    Have a great weekend! Hugs!!!
    ~ Bethany

  8. OK, so why am I tearing up and wiping my eyes a bit. I guess for the same reason I did so on that memorable day. I was/am happy! I do remember the crazy ride from the pier to the wedding site with music stands etc. to bring up the stairs just before walking you down the aisle toward the ocean. Somehow it all worked beautifully, thank the Lord!
    Your dad

  9. I never heard of pre wedding pics before but what a fabulous idea. Actually I had my boy photographed at a studio in his christening outfit rather than on the big day!
    To be honest, I have never seen such relaxed, happy and beautiful wedding shots as yours.
    Your tips are great. I also used one of your ideas on my blog (and in my life) making a guest station, I think you termed it. fabulous idea! A themed guest station is so welcoming! 🙂

  10. I’m so glad I got to be a part of that special say! There are pictures here I had never seen. These pictures are so unique and so beautiful.

  11. I enjoyed this so much! My son and DIL got married on the water and I was a wus and sniffled the whole time. Your pictures are wonderful and as usual always make me smile hugely? !!

  12. You are the sweetest couple! Your photographer was great. All wonderful shots in every way possible. It looks like you and Mark had the best day of your lives. Excellent advice, too. Thank you for sharing, Lauren!

  13. What a helpful list of tips/takeaways!
    I enjoyed reading about your celebrity status on the way to the photo shoot. I don’t recall hearing about all of those comments you heard or about the woman under the pier who was a bit of a grouch. It all worked all so well and the results so worth it, as you said.
    Love the bubble photo, too–you both were so happy in your own world, as it should be!! I was in the room with folks waiting for the ceremony to start, and it seemed to me everyone was enjoying the venue, the day, and each other. “Get me to the church on time is definitely over-rated!” 🙂

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