Your wedding album is one of the most significant aspects of your wedding day. Your wedding pictures will be seen for years and years to come and even passed down from generation to generation, and that means you need to put some serious thought into many aspects of your wedding photography. However, plenty of wedding photo mistakes can ruin even a well-planned wedding photo session, so here are a few mistakes you should be sure to avoid.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
1.) Not choosing a professional. Anyone with a camera can call themselves a photographer, but the results will be miles from what you seek. A professional photographer understands lighting, depth of field, and angles, among a million other things, like which shots to get and exactly where they need to be at the right times. Hiring your little brother will result in haphazard photos of you standing around and only sometimes smiling. That once-in-a-lifetime shot of your dad crying as he gives you away? A professional will get it. An amateur will be cursing themselves for missing it.
2.) Only getting posed photos. Posed photos are necessary, as Grandma and Grandpa will certainly want a copy of the wedding party standing and smiling together, but candid shots really show the feel of the day itself. Photos of you dancing, talking to the flower girl, and just mingling, in general, will bring a smile to your face for years to come. If you can, keep your photographer there through the reception.
3.) Failing to have a photo wish list. A photo wish list not only lets the photographer know some basics that you want, but it also gives them an idea of the style you’re going for. Many photographers have a list of pictures they get for every wedding (a picture of the cake cutting, a close-up of the bride’s shoes, a picture of your first dance, etc.), but if there’s something else that’s important to you, they need to know about it. Perhaps the little brooch on your dress is particularly meaningful because it belonged to your late grandmother. Make sure the photographer knows about this ahead of time.
Last two to avoid
4.) Not speaking to your photographer in advance. It is absolutely essential to meet with the photographer before your wedding. Not only will you be able to give them a copy of your “photo wish list” (read above), but you will also be able to explain the setup of your wedding. Maybe you’ll get pictures between the ceremony and the reception, or perhaps you’d like to get them before the ceremony. Meet with the photographer ahead of time to keep them in the loop.
5.) Choosing the wrong time of day. No matter how amazing you look or how talented your photographer is, it’s difficult for anyone to look good in 90-degree heat with the sun directly overhead. Besides the obvious sweat problems, you’ll run into the problem of heavy shadows under your eyes and squinting at your wedding party. Having your pictures closer to sunset or indoors will address this problem.
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