Wedding Tip: #9

Consider doing all your posed, wedding party and family photography before the ceremony - Part 2


Stress!  Nerves!  Whatever you want to call it, your wedding day will probably have its share of butterflies.  A lot of the unease comes from a mental countdown to the big moment.  The closer you get, the more nervous you may become.


All of that pre-wedding nervousness goes away when you plan to see each other ahead of the ceremony and get all the photographs done early.  I've been thanked numerous times by brides that realized how smooth and relaxed everything was by doing the photographs first.

Wedding Tip: #8

Consider doing all your posed, wedding party and family photography before the ceremony.

This will be multi-part simply because there are so many reasons to do your photography ahead of time.  Most think this is simply for the photographer, but it's mostly for the bride.  Sure, the photographer gets the benefit as well, but you'll see in the following list of reasons why we're just looking out for you.

First, I want to start by saying that doing all your photography before the wedding ceremony will in no way jeopardize your special first moments together.  In fact, my first reason to do the photographs ahead of time is that you can set up a first meeting that will be superior to the traditional one.  Let's take a look at the differences.

The traditional first meeting happens when you come down the aisle.  What's the problem here?  You're sharing your first meeting with 250-300 people.  You get to the end of the aisle and it's in the middle of your ceremony so you can't say anything to each other.  He can't comment on your dress or tell you how beautiful you look.

The first meeting that is set up before the ceremony can be much more emotional.  You can even set it up to be like the ceremony itself.  Put all involved in your ceremony in their places and walk down the aisle like it's the real thing.  Another option is to have this moment between just the bride and groom.  The bride comes in to a room where the groom has his back turned, she calls his name, and turns to see her for the first time.  Many great photographs have been taken during this moment because you are much more free to express yourselves alone than in front of 500-600 eyes.

To be continued...

Wedding Tip: #7

After yesterday's bridal show, I decided a good tip for today would be even more photography related than normal.

Choose a photographer with wedding experience!

I know there are many talented photographers out there, but only a portion of them have true wedding experience.  This is important because this is a one-time event for you.  In a portrait session, you can redo any photographs that aren't satisfactory and even reschedule for another date if there is a camera malfunction.  In a wedding, it has to be right the first time and they have to be prepared for absolutely anything.  They have to perform even among the most stressful of situations.  A wedding is a whole different level of photography.

So, what constitutes wedding experience?  Everyone has to have a first time, right?  Well, I recommend that they have at least been involved with weddings for awhile, whether they were an assistant or a second shooter.  Then, they at least know how things work and the flow of the day.  They've also, hopefully, seen some hectic moments that they will have to learn to handle themselves.

Wedding Tip: #6

A tip for shopping for your dress: remember to try sitting in your dress.

Whether it sounds obvious or even ridiculous, I've witnessed many times where brides are not very comfortable in their dress when they're sitting, and you'll be sitting a lot more than you might think.  It's a long day and you'll want to rest whenever you can and then there's the reception which will include some sitting.

How does it go overlooked?  Well, the dress shops want to give you the princess experience so they put you up on these pedestals to make sure the dress falls really well and lets you see the full effect of the dress. It's style over function.  However, function can be a big part of a happy memory of your day.

How you feel when sitting in your dress will make a difference in your photographs as well.  First, you know well that many types of clothes look much different when you sit than when you stand.  Second, those high fashion poses are only possible if you can move and sit freely in your dress.  Finally, you don't want any "unfortunate accidents" to occur if a dress happens to react unexpectedly during your big day.

So, remember to take the full test drive when dress shopping.

A.W.Chris At Bridal Show On Sunday...

In a week, Sunday, February, 14, we will be at the bridal show in Independence, Mo.  It is sponsored by The Perfect Wedding Guide.  We would love to see some of you there and have the chance to visit with you about your plans for the grand event that is your wedding.

For more information, click here.

Wedding Tip: #5

Let's talk candles.  If you're including them in some way you'll want to keep a few items in mind.

Since they are part of your day, your photographer will want to incorporate them in any photographs done before the ceremony.  Since they were used for the photographs, it's always a good idea to have replacements so you can swap them out before the ceremony.

Some candles are a form of one-time-light.  They are supposed to light really well the first time and then not as well going forward.  This can be bad so be aware.

Lastly, if you are thinking about candles outside, make sure they are covered.  Sure, there's safety to consider, but it's also about keeping them lighted.  It's hard enough getting them to light and keeping an open candle lighted is next to impossible.