welcome to my journal

When planning your wedding day, there’s lots to do and many decisions to make. The spreadsheets are out, you’ve got to think of all the finer details and the list can feel huge. In this blog I want to talk a little bit about the importance of your wedding photography.

So much time, emotion and money goes into creating your perfect day and it would only be right that all of that love and happiness continues beyond the day itself. It can feel a little daunting having your photographs taken, but just remember that on the day you will look and feel amazing, and you’re also doing this for your future self.

On the day wedding photographs…

Having photographed close to 100 weddings now, I can say for certain that your photographs are one of the most important parts of your entire wedding experience. They are the memories that you will look back on time and time again, you’ll gift them, have them printed on your walls and they will become family heirlooms for future generations.

Choosing which family photos to have…

I always recommend around 10 group photos, anything over that can start to feel a little too much and depending on how long your wedding reception is, you don’t want to spend too long standing for photographs. A two hour wedding reception and around 10 group photos is definitely the sweet spot. If you have extra photos you would like, then perhaps they can be incorporated into your evening reception, or your morning. We can talk more about this when we meet up before the wedding.

Immediate family is a must – children, parents, siblings, grandparents, bridesmaids and groomsmen tend to the the main focus – then some couples like to have smaller groups within this, for example Bride and Maid of Honour, Groom and Best Man. Before your wedding day I will send over a questionnaire to get all of your requested photos and the names of those within them to be organised ahead of the day. It can be beneficial to also allocate someone that is quite vocal and knows most of the party to be on hand if needed to round people up – this will ensure the experience is as smooth as possible.

Couple Portraits…

Now to the fun part, your couple photos! There will be loads of photos of you and your fiance candidly throughout the day – the ceremony, your first kiss, walking through your confetti aisle, laughter, drinks with your guests, speech reactions, cake cutting, first dance etc. However, it’s important to take some time out just the two of you, to create some beautiful photos. I usually do this in two parts – firstly at the end of your drinks reception before your wedding breakfast, this gives you maximum time with your guests and those always loved natural shots – we will take a walk around venue grounds and I will guide you in what to do. It will feel very natural and i’ll give you subtly prompts. We will then go back outside for golden hour photos after your wedding breakfast – on both occasions I will come and get you, so you can focus on enjoying yourselves throughout the day and not have to think about timings.

Fancy doing something different?

There’s been a rising trend over the years in creating unique couple photos using things like sparklers, champagne towers, champagne sprays, smoke bombs etc… This can be great to add a little something extra to the feel of the photos and we can talk through any of your ideas that you may have.