Ask for Help - Wedding Photography

Don’t be afraid to ask your photographer for ideas about your wedding in the early days of planning. If you’ve hired a capable photographer, they’ll understand light and its effect on the final imagery.

A perfect example is preparations, one of my favourite times in the day when the bride and her best friends are getting ready for the day ahead. Make up artists will often place brides next to bright lights, as it helps illuminate their faces for the makeup. Indoor lights have a very strong effect on photographs - they tint the skin yellow. Not optimal! Simply moving and using window light, while turning the lights in the room off, can result in a gorgeous, flattering light, which photographers die for!

On the day too, don’t be afraid to ask the photographer “Would you like me to put my dress on in a certain room/place?” Some are not the kind to ask - as they are documenting your day - but will jump at the chance. If you're planning a special dance, let the photographer know in advance so they can set up their lighting and/or positioning with plenty of time.

The other big consideration is bride and groom portraits and available light. If you’re having a winter wedding, for some reason or another, people tend to have 3pm ceremonies. That means by the time the ceremony and congratulations are over, it’s 4pm and the light is essentially gone. If you’ve hired a photographer who is more accustomed to ambient (natural) light, they might not be as proficient with a flash, which will show in your photos.

Ask them if they are happy to do so, or whether it would be a good idea to have the ceremony earlier in the day. 1pm ceremonies in winter offer much more flexibility in portraits and formals.

Remember, photography is all about the light. The quality/availability of light will have a massive impact on your final story.