Bridal Prep / Groom Prep / Getting Ready Prep

Deciding whether to have bridal, groom, or getting ready prep captured is unique to everyone! If you’re on the fence, here are some reasons as to why you might like it photographed.

1. You want a beautiful photo of your dress / suit / shoes / items of significance / rings.
2. You’re going to show your dad / mum / sister etc your outfit for the first time and would like a first look at your home or hotel.
3. You’re getting ready at home so you can look back at these photos as a snapshot in time of where you lived. 
4. You have lots of wedding cards and presents on display which would otherwise be packed away in a box post-wedding.
5. You have a pet who is not coming to the wedding.
6. You’re getting ready in a beautiful space that you’d like a memory of. 
7. You’ll feel more comfortable meeting me on the day in person and hanging out with the family before you leave.
8. Your child is shy which gives them an opportunity to meet the photographer beforehand.
9. You’d like some lovely shots with your bridal / groom / best people party / getting ready crowd.

Getting ready photos for some can seem like a burden sometimes! Some additional reasons to consider, apart from the reasons above are:

1. You’re hanging out with your friends and it’s a nice way to capture your friends having a drink or playing a game etc before you get married.
2. You’re getting ready with the kids and having some informal dad and son shots in the garden / playing some games / building lego (as a few examples) is a good way to pass the time. 
3. The phrase "bridal prep", "groom prep" or "getting ready prep" can carry certain expectations of types of shots, but nowadays, it can be anything that happens pre-ceremony.

If you choose to have prep, it's a good idea to put all of the items you want to be photographed in one spot, so that when I arrive, I can capture this quickly before moving on to people. This might include:

• Rings / jewellery / necklaces / bracelets / watch / tie / bowtie / shoes / bouquet / a wedding invite / perfume or cologne / something old / something blue / veil / dress / suit / pinch of confetti to elevate the images.

With getting ready shots, I will always aim to capture the finishing touches, so even if you have chosen to have your hair and make up first, you can always choose to stage a few shots nearer to the end, especially if you don't want your pyjamas captured.

Arrivals

• Will you both arrive together or separately? How will you arrive if so, and who will arrive first?
• If the groomsmen/bestmen have chosen not to have getting ready photos, it’s a good idea to save putting flowers in button holes until I get to the venue.
• If a groom / best / bridal party is early to the venue and travelling in a nice car, you can also choose to take a few staged shots of the groomsmen / bridesmaids / best people in and around their vehicle rather than capturing getting ready shots. If you're considering this, then build it into the vehicle hire timings and consider whether guests arrival times might impact these.

Ceremony

1. What kind of ceremony is it? (Religious, civil, non-legal if you've done the legal bit already)
2. What is the length and start time? 
3. How many guests? 
4. How many people will be in your respective best people parties? 
5. Will there be children, and if so, how many?
6. Will there be any flower boys / page girls? 
7. Will you have readings, and if so, how many?
8. Who will be at the front of the aisle, and in what order will everyone walk down?
9. Will there be a first kiss (and if it’s a religious wedding, will your priest / vicar announce it or will you have to remember on the spot? - More on this below)
10. Will there be an exchange of rings? 
11. Will there be a confetti exit / bubbles exit / sword exit / simple cheering-you-out exit? (Always check with the venue confetti rules)
12. Do you want a big group shot of the whole wedding party straight after confetti?

Church or Chapel services

The first kiss announcement of “you may now kiss” is not usually part of your priest / vicar / minister’s script. If you do want to have a first kiss, make sure you discuss this with them during the rehearsal (which is usually quite close to the date) so they can either announce it for you or go over the instance when this moment should happen. 

Are you considering a phone-free ceremony or phone-free day?

• As phones have become more popular, it's quite common for couples to request a phone-free ceremony. You can ask your registrar / celebrant / priest / vicar to announce it pre-ceremony. You can also let guests know beforehand. If you are having a wedding where you appreciate that your guests would love to take a picture on their phones, you can ask your registrar to tell guests that there will be an opportunity for everyone to take a posed shot of the couple as soon as the ceremony has ended, right after the first kiss.
• You can also ask guests who absolutely love posed shots to come and find the photographer (me!) if they want a posed shot, rather than taking it themselves on their phones. This then gets them organising groups of guests who know each other and will make your final gallery feel more personal!
• You can also let your guests know that you will share the photos from the day with them, which will encourage them to have their pictures taken professionally.

Free mingling times - candid vs informal posed photography styles

For any type of photography but especially weddings and events, I will always capture the story. I will capture moments of significance, emotions, people interacting and laughing together. Preferential to you both, I can capture your day (during the free mingling parts such as drinks reception and dinner) in several different ways, ranging from:

1. 100% candid and documentary. I will be like a fly on the wall, documenting everything creatively and candidly. 
2. 90% candid and documentary. On occasion, if I see a group of people having a good time, I’ll jump in for a quick informal posed group shot. I’ll leave you both to enjoy your day uninterrupted for the most part! If you both want a group shot, I'll only jump in and capture it if you ask, but I'll be ready with one eye towards you just in case I see the secret signal!
3. 75-80% candid, 15-20% informal posed. I’ll keep one eye out for the both of you, and if I see you interacting with a new group of people, I’ll get a quick informal posed group shot before continuing to capture lots of beautiful candid moments in a reportage style.
4. 50:50 or 60:50 candid:informal posed. I’ll make sure I’m interacting lots with guests, posing them and making sure all the couples and families (to the best of my ability!) get some nice posey shots, as well as making sure you both get pictures with the majority of the guests as you go around! I'll also try and get groups of people during the sit down meal.
5. Majority informal posed. I’ll shadow the two of you, making sure that you’re in nearly all of the shots, making sure you both get plenty of posed shots with whoever you interact with, and candids in-between. 

During the group shots, I’ll of course be capturing all posed shots. During the ceremony I’ll be like a fly on the wall, documenting everything candidly and discretely. 

Group shots

1. Would you like one big group shot of everyone? If yes, have a think about the best time and place to take this, although this is usually taken after the confetti exit as everyone is together.
2. Would you like more fun and informal group shots, or for them to be more posed and serious? 
3. Would you perhaps like more posed and serious ones for the older family members, and some more fun ones for the bridal / groom parties? 
4. Do you mind if there are drinks in hands / confetti in hair? Do you mind if the guys don't have suit jackets done up, or should I make sure they have suit jackets looking smart and phones hidden in back pockets? 
5. Top tip! If you don't want confetti in your hair, pick larger confetti that can easily be brushed off.
6. Bearing in mind that each group will take 1-2 minutes, have a think about how many groups you’d actually want, and how much time you want to spend on group shots as a whole.

I have a recommended combinations group shots list which you can find here (bride / groom version) and here (gender neutral version) to help you plan your groups. 

I would also recommend thinking of some nice-to-have shots during reception / free mingling times. For example, bride + work friends (x4), or partner 2 + uni friends (x5). You’d be surprised how fast these come together naturally. Friends will inevitably then talk with each other after these shots, and you’ll end up with a lovely gallery of candid shots where the people talking to each other actually know each other. 

Couples shots

• Have you thought of the best moment to do this? Usually I’d recommend 20 minutes or so to get a few of these, and these can be really laid back. It’s important just for the two of you to have even just few just together, even if just a 5 minute window - the day will go by fast.
• You can split them into 5-10 minute spots throughout, or go for them all at once. Sometimes having some during the initial drinks reception and some during golden hour (if there’s a sunset) is best.
• Are any of you wearing anything important to capture details of? Perhaps the bouquet is hand picked from mum's garden, you're wearing handmade rings, your jacket has the date of the wedding embroidered, you have something blue in the seam of your dress, or you have your grandmother's necklace on.
• I will always check in before pulling you out of the celebrations for a few shots. You’re always free to say no, especially if we’ve already got a good couple from earlier! Remember, it’s your big day :)
• Couples shots in England *might* involve a bit of rain... If it looks like it may rain or you're getting married in the colder months, you can plan ahead by wearing thermals, bringing appropriate footwear, ordering wedding umbrellas for guests, and being flexible as to when we take our couples shots as and when the rain stops. It is unlikely to rain the whole day! I can bring wedding umbrellas too for the two of you if you really want to embrace the rain.

I always ask my couples to send me over inspiration shots (poses, lighting, vibes) that they love the look and feel of. Perhaps you have found some cool shots on Instagram, online, or even on my wedding portfolio here. This is so that, on the day, I can capture exactly what you both vibe with as a couple in the shortest time possible. Every couple is different! 

Wedding Reception 

1. Self explanatory - room names for drinks reception vs meal, and call to dinner / sit down / grand entrance timings?
2. Are there any important details to capture that your photographer (me!) might miss? Do you have a signing book or a tattoo station? Did your parents design the wedding stationary? Did the best people stay up late the night before to make the origami swans that form a big part of the decor?
3. How long is the meal / number of courses?
4. Will there be speeches + when? (+ speech lengths)
5. If you have chosen not to go for bridal / groom prep, do you want me to take the rings and bouquet and take a detail shot during the meal, or would you prefer a quick shot of the rings on your hands during the couple shots? 
6. Cake cutting - is there a cake to cut, and do you want a quick posed shot with the cake before you cut it? Or just to capture it completely naturally? 
7. Type of photography for the reception - shall I go round the tables and pose people or keep it all casual and candid?
8. Do you want a few sunset pics if there is time between courses? 
9. Will there be a first dance? How long will you both dance for before inviting guests on to the dance floor?
10. Do you like a bit of shutter drag for your dancing shots? See here for examples of shutter drag vs no shutter drag.
11. Will you have a band / DJ, and if so, what are their set times? 
12. What time do you want photography to end? 

Timelines for Calls and Deliverables, Pre & Post Wedding

Although every photographer is different, below is a general timeline of what to expect when talking to me (your wedding photographer).

1. We will have an initial call (voice call, Whatsapp video or whatever you prefer!). This is to get to know each other, and make sure your photographer is the right fit for you and your partner. We'll talk a bit about yourselves and I'll ask some questions that allow me to work out what is most important to you photography-wise as well as hearing about the type of wedding you'll be having. Think venue type, guest numbers, vibe of the day, any unique ideas you're considering.
2. I'll send you a confirmation of booking with invoice (25% retainer to secure the date and time of booking), contract, recommended shots list to help you plan your groups, as well as some full example galleries of similar weddings. I always recommend that with with whoever you are considering, you ask to see full, real wedding galleries.
3. We'll aim to touch base between a few months to a few weeks before your wedding day, once the schedule has been finalised. Now is the time to send over some inspo shots of any poses, vibes, etc that you have seen and love the look of. We'll also optionally create a group WhatsApp for the day with one or two best people, so that we can all be in touch on the day whilst the two of you focus on marrying each other.
4. A few weeks to a few days before your wedding day, we'll have a final catch up to make sure we're all on the same page.
5. BIG DAY!
6. Post-wedding, make sure you have sent your final payment. As a general rule, 3 weeks before is ideal but I'm flexible if you're more comfortable settling after your wedding day. Photos are edited and sent once payment has been received. 0-2 weeks after your wedding, you'll receive an extended highlights gallery of 30-60 images of your day.
7. 1-5 weeks after your wedding day, you'll receive the full gallery with full printing, downloading and sharing rights for all your guests for non-commercial use.
8. Details of photo albums (and parent copies) will also be sent to you at the same time as your wedding gallery. If you are considering a photo album post-wedding, you can have a look at my photo album page (click the link) for examples and a step-by-step guide to the whole process.

And that's it! Everything you need to think about prior to your wedding day and to make a confident start with your planning. You can also take some of these questions to your wedding planner (if you have one) to make sure that they are planning the day in line with what is most important for you both, photography-wise.