Tips for beautiful wedding photos on your wedding day
Careful planning of the wedding day is the key to relaxed wedding photos. So if you want to get beautiful pictures, you need to make sure that there is enough time for family photos or portraits of the wedding couple, for example. It is particularly important to take into account any transfer times if you want to take photos away from the location. Ideally, the photo shoot should not take place in the blazing midday sun, although this is not a challenge for an experienced photographer. The hours in the late afternoon are friendlier in terms of the mood, as the shadows are longer and the light is softer. The evening mood at sunset also offers very beautiful light. When planning, therefore, pay attention to the daylight, which varies greatly depending on the time of year. Below is an example of a photographic schedule for a wedding day.
Getting Ready - The details - dress, shoes, flowers, rings
Duration: 30 minutes in the morning
Places all the important details in an area with plenty of natural light. This allows me to get started straight away without having to search for the details I need. It's also often helpful to designate one person to make sure the most important items that need to be photographed are easily accessible. While I'm photographing all the details, I also take a few shots of the bride and her friends as they get ready. This part applies to both the bride and the groom as I capture the details for both of you.
Getting Ready - Preparation of the bride
Duration: 60 min.
After the details have been photographed, it's time for the bride to slip into her dress! This is a big moment! I usually ask the mother of the bride and all the bridesmaids to be ready by the time the bride is ready to put on her dress. That way we can make sure everyone looks good in the pictures. After the bride has put on her dress, she can put on her jewelry, veil, shoes, etc., for more portraits.
Do your best to keep the room clean so that we can take beautiful and aesthetic photos! Some hotel rooms are not big enough for the wedding party and family. It's best to try and get an extra room that can be left empty so you don't have to worry about it being too cramped. Another tip from me would be to rent a house or loft. The advantage of having a complete house/loft for the preparations is that everyone has enough space. There is less clutter and more light and spaces to photograph the bridal party before the ceremony.
Preparations of the bride before the ceremony.
I usually start the Getting Ready with the groom and best man and plan 90 minutes for the photos there as well. If the groom is not with the bride in the same house, then my second photographer (if you have chosen the second photographer option) will start photographing the guys about 2 hours before the ceremony or first look because they usually need less time to get dressed.
The ceremony
Duration: 30-60 min.
It's time to get married. Most ceremonies last between 30 minutes for civil weddings and 60 minutes or longer for church weddings. Enjoy this great moment! Your ceremony will be over quickly as you are sure to be excited. At the end of the ceremony, the wedding couple will leave.
Group photos, agape, congratulations and guest photos
Duration: approx. 45 minutes depending on the number of guests
Immediately after the exit, a large group photo of all the guests is usually a good idea. Sometimes more guests are invited to the ceremony than later to the wedding reception. Taking a group photo now has the advantage that no guest is holding a glass of champagne or snack and you have all the guests in one photo as a memento.
After the ceremony, the agape usually begins and your guests will congratulate you on your marriage at the same time. Find a shady spot with a nice background for this. During the congratulations, I take a photo of each guest couple with the wedding couple. This is ideal later as a small memento to accompany the words of thanks.
Tip: At large weddings, congratulations are not given after the ceremony; in this case, the wedding couple thank each other separately at the wedding reception and go from table to table. For the duration of the congratulations, simply divide your number of guests by two, so with 90 guests it will take a good 45 minutes until everyone has congratulated you.
Portraits of the bride and groom
Duration: 60 min.
We start with your wedding photos during the aperitif. This is a good time for you to have a little time for yourselves. Only my assistant and I will be present for these photos. I will put you in the perfect light and set the scene to capture impressive memories for you. We usually start a little away from the wedding party so that we are undisturbed. During the photo session, we will approach the wedding party again so that nobody in the party misses you. Don't worry about rain or bad weather, your photos are in the best hands with me.
The family portraits
Duration: 30 min.
We will need about 30 minutes for the family photos, and it's good if you can start thinking about the family photos you want now. Ideally we will take the portraits outdoors if possible so that they are natural looking family portraits. Please make sure you have someone to help organize all the family members so that everything runs smoothly.
Make a list of family members for the portraits. We start with the bride and groom's immediate family right after the ceremony.
Wedding reception - Table setting
Duration: 15-30 min.
Wedding at Palais Liechtenstein, table setting before the guests enter.
If the wedding reception takes place at the same location as the ceremony, I use this time to photograph the reception decorations INSTANTLY. If the ceremony and reception are in different locations, I recommend having the agape outside of the reception table setting so that I can get some nice shots of your table setting before guests start placing their bags and coats in their seats. Please allow at least 15 minutes before you enter the room so that I can photograph your special table setting.
If you would like a Grand Reveal, we need 30 minutes instead of 15 minutes (a Grand Reveal is when the bride and groom enter the table setting for a few pictures in front of the guests).
Sunset - The golden hour
The golden hour (1 hour before sunset) is the BEST time of day for portraits in late spring, summer and early fall! At this time the sun is glowing and golden. A very good time to have a few extra minutes with the wedding couple for sunset/dusk shots. Maybe this is possible during dessert or at some other point in the evening. But if not, don't worry! It's just an option to consider.
First dance and party time!
Impressive first dance at a wedding reception.
This is when the newlyweds hit the dance floor and the party begins! During this part of the day, my schedule is very relaxed. I work with natural light as well as flashes and continuous light to capture your first dance and the party.
Late evening/night:
Duration: 15 minutes
Outdoor shots with the wedding couple in front of the location with champagne or sparklers to have a perfect photo finish of the wedding party.
Night shot at the Trocadero in Paris with champagne.
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