The documentation of your wedding
Wedding photography need not be just about the reception and the ceremony. In fact, the documentation of your wedding can start as early as your engagement! Speak to your wedding photographer to see if you can negotiate a package to include some of the other important moments in the run-up to your wedding, and even on your honeymoon.
A recent trend in sneaky proposals includes a hidden photographer waiting to snap the reactions of the bride-to-be as her partner pops the question. These candid shots are capable to capture such a unique, emotional moment that you would never be able to replicate if you posed in front of the camera! Another less covert option for the newly engaged is to book an engagement shoot. These photo portraits can serve three purposes:
1) It is a lovely way to celebrate your engagement and hopefully, you will come away with some fantastic shots of you as a loved-up couple!
2) It is a chance to ‘road-test’ your wedding photographer before the event to see how well you work together, whenever you are happy with the results and want to go ahead with booking them for your big day.
3) Engagement photos work perfectly as ‘save the date’ cards or even as an image on your wedding invitations. You could also use these pictures to decorate your reception venue.
Thinking about inviting your photographer?
Some couples also invite their photographer along to their hen and stag parties (or at least to the beginning of the night, while things are still civilized!) In order to capture the fun and fancy dress before the wedding. This works great if you are going on a themed hen or stag do, or if you are taking part in a special activity such as karaoke or paintballing.
When the day of your wedding finally arrives, you will want your wedding photographer to be with you from the moment you begin your preparations so that the lens can document all the little details that make your days so special. Many wedding photographers work in teams so that one photographer can be with the groom and one with the bride before the wedding. Although tradition dictates that the bride and groom should not see each other before the ceremony, some couples get around this ‘rule’ by staging secret photos together in which they are still unable to see each other. You could pose either side of a window, door or wall, or sometimes steal a kiss while blindfolded! Have fun with your wedding photography and work together with your photographer to come up with some creative ideas.
Experienced Photographers are always Better
Your photographer will hopefully be experienced enough to know exactly what moments and details to photograph through your ceremony and reception and may utilise a variety of styles, from traditional to candid. Another recent trend is the wedding photobooth – a staged area complete with props, accessories and a back where guests can pose for a hilarious set of pictures that capture the fun and happiness of your day.
And the pictures do not have to stop just because your wedding is over! Some brides like to book a ‘trash the dress’ or ‘cherish the dress’ photo shoot after their wedding, in order to get a few more special pictures of their gorgeous gown. After all, you only get to wear it once! Trash the dress photoshoots are when a bride poses in a range of locations that you’ve never normally see in traditional wedding photography – for example, she might be jumping into a swimming pool or the sea or lying on the ground or in the sand. It does not matter if the dress gets ‘trashed’, in fact, that’s half the fun of these kinds of shoots! Cherish the dress means the opposite – the bride gets to pose once more in her dress, but every care is taken to keep it clean and perfect.
Some wedding photographers are even able to visit you on your honeymoon so that you can extend your wedding album to include some exotic and blissful photos of you enjoying your new life as a married couple. If you are getting married abroad, then extending your wedding photography package to include an extra photo shoot after the wedding is a wonderful way to make the most of your special location.
No matter what kind of wedding photography you choose, it’s a great idea to think outside the traditional boundaries and really make your wedding album something extra special.
Getting Married?
Here at Nathan M Photography, we shoot weddings in Sheffield, Yorkshire and other nearby areas including Derbyshire. If you are getting married and looking for a local wedding photographer, enter your details below to download our wedding photography packages.
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