Wedding

Avoid these Wedding Photo Faux Pas

Your wedding photos should be a wonderful memento of your special day and your photographer should be well equipped to capture every moment at its best. A wedding photographer, or indeed any photographer based in the UK that has the right credentials and experience can ensure that your photos are picture-perfect.

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There are however some faux pas that regularly occur when taking wedding photographs and to help you avoid them, we’ve listed them here.

Why a test shoot matters

Disregarding a Test Shoot

Many photographers offer a test shoot. This not only gives you a chance to get to know each other and feel comfortable, it also ensures your wedding photos are exactly what you want, unlike other unlucky couples. A test shoot will also let you communicate expectations and make sure that you all understand what the desired results are.

Brief the Bridal Party Beforehand

As one wedding photographer explained, taking group photographs can be a bit like herding cats. To avoid having issues with vanishing groomsmen, bridesmaids who’ve gone to check their make up or a mother of the bride whose gone AWOL trying to organise a receiving line, instruct your retinue when you will be taking group shots and how long they will be needed for, beforehand.

Communicate with the Photographer

If you want specific people or moments captured, you’ll need to let the photographer know in advance. To avoid only ending up with one photo of the wedding cake, or having far too many shots of the reception when you wanted the focus on the ceremony, you’ll need to be clear in your instructions.

Save new tricks for another day

Avoid Trying Something New

If you’ve never been a particularly agile couple and you suddenly decide to try some fancy dance moves or similar strenuous poses, save it for after your wedding.  If you choose to try to take pictures in your mode of transport just make sure you vet the pictures before getting them printed.  If your in a car make sure its light enough to see the picture or if your on a horse and carriage make sure there are no bits of the horse you don’t want to see.  What ever happens do not try to hang out of the window of your Stag Party Bus Cheltenham way which you can hire from sites like cocktail-tours.co.uk to take a picture because you could really harm yourself.  Besides inside these vehicles are comfy, fun and stylish.

Don’t keep your guests waiting too long

Taking Ages to Finish Photos

It’s customary for the bride and groom to have photos taken between the ceremony and reception, but disappearing for hours on end and leaving your guests stranded is incredibly rude. Before your big day scout out your location and decide where you want to take photographs and how you’d prefer them to be styled.

Summary

This article lists common mistakes to avoid with wedding photography. It recommends taking up a test shoot to build comfort with the photographer, communicating in advance which people and moments must be captured to avoid missing key guests, avoiding untried poses or dance moves on the day itself, and not disappearing for hours between the ceremony and reception while guests wait.

Questions this article raises

  • How long should a typical wedding photo session realistically take?
  • How far in advance should a wedding test shoot be booked?
  • What’s the best way to brief a photographer on must-have group shots?

Laura Williams

Laura is a lifestyle writer covering family life, weddings, entertainment, sport and a wide range of everyday interests. She enjoys finding useful ideas, interesting stories and accessible advice for a broad audience.

Life, places, ideas and everything worth talking about.
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