Portraits Quite simply this is your couple’s shoot, which will usually take place directly following your ceremony while your guests are enjoying the drinks reception. How long you choose to spend away from your guests capturing these images is entirely up to you. Your photographer should have a good feel for your venue and will have all the best backdrops pre-selected. If you’re getting married in a city centre location such as Bristol for example, we highly recommend getting out at about with your photographer who will love to capture the two of you in some iconic spots. TRASH THE DRESS This is an oh-so fun shoot that should take place after the big day, where you literally trash your dress. You can pick the location such as the beach or a forest where creative images of you running through the water or trees, or having paint thrown at you, will inevitably leave your dress in a state it can’t be saved from but will result in the most incredible images. Tip top: many couples choose to use smoke bombs for some showstopping wedding day images, but we recommend exercising caution as they can inadvertently lead to dress damage. Take another, cheaper, dress to change into for these shots or chat to your photographer about how to minimise risk. Viespire for Unsplash SECOND SHOOTER Your photographer may or may not be able to offer a second shooter. So, do you really need one? It’s all down to the coverage you require. For example, a second shooter means your preparations, and your partner’s, can be captured simultaneously. You’ll also be able to see your ceremony as it unfolds from all angles, with one photographer typically at the back and one at the front, or one on you and one on your partner. It all depends on where the celebrant or registrar is happy for them to be. POST-PRODUCTION If you’re wondering why on Earth, it can take weeks or even months to get a look at your photographs after your big day, the reason will be post-production. Sure, digital is immediate, there’s no film development required, but your photographer will want to make the most of the flexibility that brings. This is an in-depth process that takes time and involves selecting the best images to present to you; adjusting colour balance, exposure, contrast and more to bring a cohesive look to the images that matches the photographer’s style; and retouching, such as removing something random from the background. PACKAGES When you’ve narrowed down the style of photographer you want to book, you’ll be getting down to the nitty gritty of looking at the packages they offer. Look out for elements including hours of coverage, consultations, timeline, number of images, albums and prints, whether they offer a pre-wedding shoot, how they deliver the images and more. There’ll often be various tiers available from the basic to upgrades such as inclusion of a second shooter or drone footage. Anita Austvika for Unsplash Testimonials Once you’ve narrowed down your preferred list of photographers, we’d advise you to pore over their website or social media testimonials and galleries. Trust is so important, so you need to see how other couples felt about their experience, as well as viewing a full wedding gallery rather than one or two highlights. SHOT LIST If there are any shots of your wedding day you simply can’t live without, be sure to draw up a shot list for your photographer. This might include important group shots such as you and your bridesmaids. But we do recommend you keep the groups to a minimum to avoid taking too much time out of your day. PHOTOGRAPHY 45
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=