10 Top Tips for a Memorable Wedding.

As a wedding photographer in London and Italy for the past 15 years, I have had the incredible opportunity to find myself photographing many different weddings. On your wedding day, my aim is to document your special moments in a flawless manner and be as unobtrusive as possible, leaving the both of you to enjoy your wedding. The last thing you will have to think about is how to maximise your photo opportunities as I will be doing that for you! At our consultation, we will have plenty of time to go through your favorite shot list and your preferred photo style. I will be also sharing tips and examples that will help you understand what to expect from me. However, there are some important moments that are worth to keep in mind and that will help massively with capturing magic moments for your memory box! To keep it simple, I have put together this super useful article which summarises the 10 hottest tips that will give your wedding photos that beautiful timeless feel. I am so excited to share it with you!

Bridal Preparation

1. Choose a bright and spacious room where to have your hair make up and get dressed. A natural light source like a big window is always the best solution for a well lit photograph.

2. Keep your room tidy. You will want to appoint one of your bridesmaids to help with this task. Bags, random objects and shoes that are not needed can be moved to another room or be hidden away (wardrobes, bathroom or underneath the bed, they are all perfect places). If the room is too untidy the photos will show and it will distract the viewer.

3. Instruct your bridesmaids to gather together all wedding items that you would like photographed such as the dress, shoes, jewellery, engagement ring, weddings bands, flowers, stationery, these are the first things I will photograph these while you are getting your hair and make up done. You might need to check that the florist brings the flowers in advance so that the bouquets are available for the photos. Please remove the tissue paper and cardboard from your dress. If the original hanger for the dress is in plastic you may want to replace that with a nicer one.

4. Hair and Make Up: discuss your best hair style and make up with your chosen specialists. From a photography perspective it will be a great help if the foundation of your make up is of a non-oily or shiny type. That will help to produce beautiful photos of your skin without leaving unflattering shine blemishes on the cheeks and nose. Although I will be able to edit away the blemishes I post production, sometimes it is more complex to reconstruct parts of missing skin and get back to an original flattering look. For the hair, please keep in mind not to choose a style where your hair may go over your face or cover the eyes as this will result in having the best moment photographed with you not looking good in them.

5. Brides with fair complexion: a golden tan usually add special glow on everyone face. Please allow your skin to take in the sun tan slowly and don’t forget to apply your protection cream! You can plan this beforehand by starting the natural/artificial sun exposure 2 weeks before your wedding and adding up every one-2 days. Digital cameras are not good at capturing red/orange skin tones and are not artificial tan creams friendly either! Don’t forget: if you are planning to wear a gown that allow parts of your body like your neck and shoulders to be seen then make sure that you do not wear any bra straps, sunglasses, necklaces.

6. While you are getting dressed in your bridal gown you will most probably need some help. In most wedding traditions your mum and the bridesmaids should assist you in this emotional moment. Please ask them to get dressed before you so they can be included in the photographs of the bridal preparation.

7. Walking down the aisle. This is going to be one of the most emotional moments for the both of you. Is the first time you will see each other in your wedding outfits, and everyone’s eyes will be glued on the Bride. If your bridesmaids and flower girls are in front of the Bride during the walk to the altar please tell them to walk slowly and leave enough space between each other, this will give me the opportunity to capture this magical moment without causing an overlap of bodies in the pictures.The second very important point of this really emotional moment is that all your guests will be likely to take a shot of you walking down the aisle with their ipad and iphones…I personally don’t have anything wrong with that, just be aware the your photograph will show that…so to avoid this to happen you can request the minister or the priest to make an announcement to allow only the photographer to take photos of this moment, inviting the guest to enjoy the moment of bridal entrance without looking for the perfect shot.

9. After the ceremony has ended you will finally relax and be able to gather with your loved ones. This is also the perfect opportunity for your guests to gather together, while giving you the time to unwind from the emotional stages of the preparation and ceremony. In this time I will have the chance to take candid photos of you with your guests, prepare for the group photos and take couple photos of you together as newlyweds. You may have planned for some entertainment to take place before the wedding breakfast. Make sure you allow enough time between the reception and the wedding breakfast so that everything can be recorded in flawless way. I usually suggest between 1-2hrs.

10. Couple’s photos. While the reception is taking place I would like to take the both of you away for some intimate couple portraits. I usually visit the venue beforehand to find inspirational places where to photograph you, or I will have come early on the day for a location scout. By preparing myself I can help you maximize the time we have together and ensure you go back to your party without leaving your guests alone for long! This time will be also your first chance to spend some tender moments together on the day, my aim is to capture the beauty of these moments with little intervention. I promise that you will love it and will be amazed by the photos afterwards!

I hope that you will find these tips useful! Why not make your own must have photo list and share with me? I will be happy to assist you in any way I can before and during your wedding, so that we don’t miss out on any of these magic moments!