Grand Rapids Wedding Photographer // Getting the most out of your wedding photos!

Wedding season is almost here!  Although it doesn’t seem like the time for warm, pretty weddings in Michigan….it sure is.  Our wedding season starts in three days to be exact!  Every year, this time of year, I am working on timelines for photos with brides, trying to make their dreams come true through our imagery.  Lots of our lovely brides have the same questions, so here are a few tips when planning your day!

1 – Buy a pretty hanger!  Believe it or not…..these little details DO make a difference.  You don’t have to purchase one from Etsy with your name in wire or anything super fancy, but a simple wooden hanger will look much nicer in photos than the typical plastic one that comes with your dress.

2 – Hire a wedding coordinator.  Lots of people have misconceptions of wedding planners.  They think that all they do is design your day, taking away all the things that you want to do yourself.  Having a coordinator isn’t only for super busy, super rich brides.  Coordinators help make the day run SO much smoother……specifically when it comes to photos.  They can be wrangling family members up for photos which we are taking other shots…..using our photo time efficiently and wisely. (If you don’t have a coordinator and would like one, let me know, I can definitely send some recommendations your way!)

3 – Don’t get dressed in your church’s nursery!  I know…..sometimes this is the only option, but I highly recommend scouting out a different location, either inside the church or outside the church.  Hotels are always super pretty for this!

4 – Ask your photographer early on in the planning process how much time is needed for photos.  Now, this may be a no-brainer, but it’s so important.  There’s nothing worse to photographers than having this super gorgeous wedding to photograph and not enough time to do it.

5 – On that same note, please please please leave us a little time to photograph your reception details!  You put so much hard work and time into these details and we want to make sure to photograph them all!  Many times, guests are allowed directly into the reception room before we have a chance to go in with our cameras.  If possible, try to have a cocktail hour outside of the main reception room so we can snap a few!

6 – Consider doing a first look.  We understand tradition, believe me, but tradition may not be what you think it is.  Doing a first look helps SO much with the timeline of the day and provides for some great photo opportunities.  Read more about it here.

7 – Carve out a little time during the reception to sneak away with us for some gorgeous light shots!  The sunset is so pretty, so we love capturing wedding photos during it.  It’s the best time of day for it!

8 – Trust us!  We are here to make your memories last forever.  You put in the time and effort to do your research before the wedding, so on the actual day, just relax and enjoy yourself.  Leave all the worrying up to the professionals you hired!

I know there are probably a million more tips….but we will save those for another time.  I hope this info helped!