One week ago, while shooting Andrei & Anca’s wedding, I had some sort of revelation: try and talk with a photographer about your wedding as soon as you decide you’re having one. Of course, one might argue that the main reason I’m saying this is because it’s good for the business. Well, that’s not entirely true.
Let me explain. The way things went at the restaurant wouldn’t let me not compare it with another wedding I shot earlier this month. Although everything went smooth at the latter too, I had this distinct feeling that the guys serving the dishes were somewhat out of sync with what was happening on the dance floor. And if you are a perfectionist as I am, you can’t help not to notice.
But how talking to a photographer first will help you get the perfect wedding you might dream about? Well, for one thing, as photographers we are more likely to attend more weddings in one year than you will do in a decade. And, usually, we keep a mental list(pun intended) of what’s hot and what’s not, starting with the churches we went and ending with the ballrooms where the party happens. And since we are more than happy to help, we do not keep all this info only for us.
From this list, everything spirals out. As crazy as it seems, there are churches where the use of flashes is completely forbidden. Or poorly lit. I’ve even met cases where it was forbidden to turn your back to the altar while taking shots of the bride and groom. I wish my camera could shoot at a 90° angle, but sadly it doesn’t. You could be unfortunate enough to pick a church where the AC is not working mid-summer. Or one that it’s too small for everyone to fit in.
When it comes to the ballrooms, things are somewhat similar. Again, some of them are awfully illuminated. Or they have a small dance floor. It is very hard to picture the place filled with all your guests, since at the moment you’re viewing it, the whole thing is empty. And to be sure all important moments are captured perfectly, the staff there must follow a well-known schedule.
Finally, I wouldn’t mind to be asked if I met at some point an impressive make-up artist. Or a hair stylist. Everything that comes to your mind, feel free to ask the photographer too. If we work together, the details of creating a wedding worth to tell stories about will fall into place. And this will definitely reflect in your pictures. Cause besides your love, the rings and your memories… few things last a lifetime. The shots of your wedding should be one of them.