I’ve photographed a lot of weddings.  Church weddings, barn weddings, small weddings, large weddings, indoor weddings, outdoor weddings, same-sex weddings.  I photographed a wedding on a minor league baseball field.  With each new wedding there are always going to be obstacles overcome, triumphs made, and lessons learned.

And so here are a few tips from me to you on how to maximize the awesomeness of your wedding photos by jiving with your photographer.

How to get the most out of your wedding photographer

First and foremost, TRUST US.  We’ve done this a lot.  We know what we’re doing.  We know what works and what doesn’t.  YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS.

We are always open to suggestions.  We are NOT open to others jumping in and taking over the shoot.  We ask that non-photographer intervention (not counting the bride and groom, of course) be limited.  Or nonexistent.

We understand that you want photos with your family.  HOWEVER, your wedding day is about YOU AND YOUR SWEETIE-PIE and we will need adequate time (ideal: 1 hour) to perform our photo magic with JUST THE BRIDE AND GROOM.  We highly recommend limiting formal family photos to immediate family only.  Photos with Uncle Joe and Aunt Sally can be done at the reception.

Be natural.  We want to capture YOU, not a caricature of you.  We’re fun and friendly and there is absolutely no reason to be nervous!

Think of our relationship like this: We don’t work FOR you.  We work WITH you.  Collaboration is ALWAYS fun.

Give us food!  And coffee!  And a cocktail at the end of the night!  And hugs!

It’s your wedding day, and you’re bound to be all smiles. But after a while, all that smiling can take its toll on your face, causing smiles to look strained. So don’t worry about smiling for every picture. Some of our most fantastic shots are the moments in which a couple just relaxes and doesn’t cheese for the camera.

PLEASE make us aware of the lighting situations at both the ceremony and reception. This allows us to bring the proper equipment, ready ourselves for tricky lighting, and it will take less time for us to get in our groove if we know ahead of time what we’ll be dealing with.

As experienced wedding photographers, we know what shots to get, important details to document, and how to make beautiful artistic images. That said, we also appreciate a reasonable list of must-have photos.

We highly recommend booking an engagement session with us! Not only is this a special time for you and your honey-bunny, but it is also vital to establishing a rapport and connection with your photographer. When your wedding day arrives, you will feel that much more comfortable standing in front of the camera after you’ve already spent a session with us and know how we work.

When considering hiring a wedding photographer, think about the fact that he or she will be interacting with you all day. When you meet with him or her, consider whether this person will be a good fit for you and your family. A great wedding photographer should not only be focused, but also friendly and able to interact well with you and your friends and family. And so we say, in a less than modest way, “We surely fit that bill!”

When you hire us, we will be the ones working with you, and shooting your wedding. We won’t be bringing in any part-time or amateur photographers, so the work you’ve seen from us, is the same quality of work you will get when you hire us.

As wedding photographers, the dress code is a fine line we have to walk. Because we are walking here and there, getting up and down for different angles, etc…we must dress comfortably. But we also aim to blend in with your wedding’s style and we try not to clash with your colors. Letting us know ahead of time what style and type of dress code your wedding has, allows us to be more prepared to dress appropriately and comfortably.  ALSO – between the two of us, we have some pretty serious tattoos.  They can be covered.  Please let us know if you prefer that we do this ahead of time.

We know this is a sticky situation, but consider asking your guests not to use flash photography during your ceremony (this can be done tactfully by having a statement included in your program, for instance). Flashes from other cameras can ruin otherwise “picture perfect” moments that we, your hired wedding photographers, tried to capture. Let them know that they are more than welcome to snap away during the reception.

Relax.  Breathe.  And enjoy your wedding day.  Know that we are here FOR YOU.