The wedding photographer’s timeline: plan your shoots a year in advance

jmeyer | Photography Tips | Weddings | 26/07/2012 02:00am

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The wedding day

Making final checks
Make sure you have printed lists of addresses for all venues, as well as what times you need to be where and what formal group portraits need shooting. Allow plenty of time in case of traffic jams and other complications.

For a civil ceremony, where there hasn’t been a prior rehearsal, speak with the registrar to find out if you can take photos during the ceremony or, as many prefer, you should set up shots immediately afterwards.

5 shots to get on the day

1 Formal portraits
Look for a shady, secluded area for formal portraits, especially on sunny days when the light is unflattering. Be chatty and natural and make people feel at ease in order to get the best results.

2 Candid shots
Always be on the look out for interaction between people, so you can capture everything from the sharing of a great joke to an emotional tear in a quiet moment. Never switch off your camera!

3 Cutting the cake
Everybody with a camera wants to shoot the cutting of the cake so, in case it turns into a bit of a bun fight, it’s wise to take a posed cake-cutting shot in a quiet moment before the dinner.

4 Shots at sundown
The wonderfully soft lighting of twilight makes for beautiful portraits and most of the formal duties are out of the way, so it’s a great time for relaxed portraiture. Children can be especially forthcoming.

5 Creative disco lights
For dance shots, use the flash while twisting the camera around during a long exposure of about a second. The flash keeps the foreground subjects sharp while disco lights turn into amazing light trails.

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