20 Tips for Photographing Your First Wedding
So photographer— the day of your first wedding is quickly approaching and besides getting those first wedding jitters, chances are you are scouring the internet in search of tips on how to photograph your first wedding. You’ll soon find that the info can be overwhelming and hard to sift through, so that’s why I put together a simple and practical list of 20 tips for photographing your first wedding.
As someone who has been a wedding photographer for over a decade, I know a thing or two about how to prepare for photographing the big day. A few key things to keep in mind include gathering all cell phone numbers from your couple, the main points of contact, and the wedding coordinator. In addition, you’ll want to make sure to have backups and systems in place for every single part of the entire wedding photography process. In this blog post, I’ll also give you some tips on how to network and uphold and excellent client experience.
Here is your ultimate list of 20 tips for photographing your first wedding.
1. Have a proper lawyer-drafted wedding photography contract.
One of the most important things that you can do before your first wedding and for your photography business in general is having a proper lawyer-drafted wedding photography contract, as well as a cancellation clause and a rescheduling photography agreement.
Not only do lawyer-drafted contracts defend you from liability, but they also provide a roadmap for your relationship with your client by creating rights that would otherwise not exist outside of that agreement.
That’s why I use and recommend Contractista. All of their contract templates are drafted and reviewed by attorneys with over 30 years of experience. You can find the template that pertains to your specific niche and follow their video tutorials for easy customization.
2. Gain some hands-on experience.
If you’re just starting to dabble in photography with the end goal of photographing your dream wedding, you may be thinking...what’s my first step?
Shoot as a second photographer. This means that, essentially, you would be hired as the primary photographer’s assistant by photographing subjects throughout the day that the primary photographer is unable to capture. You also help photograph from different angles to add variety to the final gallery. I always suggest photographing at least five weddings as a second photographer before you take on your own.
Wondering how to become a second shooter? I’ve created a FREE guide on exactly how to get hired as a second shooter, even if you have zero experience. I highly recommend shooting as a secondary photographer because it will help you gain valuable experience, work alongside different types of photographers, and (BONUS!) make some weekend cash.
If you’re like “Yes, I’m in!” Check out this pitch email template, designed so that you can send out to wedding photographers to pitch yourself to be their second shooter, no experience required. You can learn how to find primary photographers to pitch to in my free guide.
3. Hire your own second shooter.
Speaking of second shooters, you are going to want to hire your own for your first wedding. Learn all about why this is important in my guide on exactly how to get hired as a second shooter. The most important thing that I recommend is to connect with them before the wedding to go over everything from the wedding day timeline, to setting clear expectations, to answering any questions that they might have before the big day arrives.
Here are a few important topics to cover with your second shooter:
Let them know if they have rights to the images or not.
Create an SD & photo delivery plan.
Establish how long they are required to work.
Go over which camera gear they have.
4. Meet with the couple beforehand.
One of the best ways you can prepare for your first wedding is to meet with a couple at least twice beforehand: once for the initial consultation and once before the wedding. This can take place in person or over video chat, but I often recommend video chat for the convenience. By connecting with the couple at least twice, you’re able to establish your expectations as well as hear the couples’ expectations for their big day.
5. Learn how to network with others during the wedding day.
You can do this by collecting the social handles and emails of every vendor at the wedding. This includes the florist, the caterer, the wedding dress and/or suit designer, the videographer, any rental companies or DJs, etc.
Then, afterward, tag them in any photos you share on social media and send those vendors any photographs you took of them during the wedding day.
This enables you to network, maintain a local presence, and establish yourself as a wedding photographer in your local community.
6. Gather the appropriate cell phone numbers.
Make sure that you swap cell phone numbers with your couple. They’ll need to have direct access to you on the day of the wedding in case there are any last minute changes to the timeline or special requests.
I would also recommend getting the numbers of both the Maid of Honor and the Best Man or any other key players in the wedding.
The last person you’ll want to make sure to have the contact info for is the wedding planner or day-of coordinator. Chances are, you won’t be speaking directly to the couple on their wedding day, but rather a pre-appointed person.
Make sure to have all these cell phone numbers on deck so that when the day comes, you’ll know who to contact in order to make the day as smooth and organized as possible.
Learn more: The Jessica Whitaker Photography Workshop
7. Make sure you have enough SD cards.
You are going to want to have enough SD cards for both you and your second shooter to be able to shoot on two cards at once. This is super important because if one ends up being corrupt or fails, you’ll have a backup.
Spending extra money to make sure you have plenty of SD cards for the wedding is 100% worth it. I use the SanDisk 512GB Extreme Pro. When it comes to SD cards, you are going to want to pay attention to the shot speed and UHS Speed Class (although this is most important for those shooting video, it will affect how long your photos buffer before appearing on the screen).
8. Rent a second camera body.
Even if you don’t touch it the entire wedding day, rent a second camera body. This is to make sure you have a backup in the event that your own camera body fails. Before the wedding day, ensure that the second camera body is all set up and ready to go.
9. Have a backup system already in place.
Speaking of backups, make sure that you have a backup system already in place. This could look like having two hard drives as well as making sure that you do not delete the photos off of those cards until the wedding is delivered.
Every photographer is bound to have a slightly different backup strategy. One popular method is called the 3-2-1 rule. Basically, you have three copies of your images. Two copies are stored on two different media or hard drives and the last copy is stored in a different location like Cloud Storage.
Regardless of which backup system you choose, the key is to have it in place before photographing your first wedding. That way, there is less of a chance that anything could happen to the images and you can rest assured that the whole process will be as seamless as possible.
10. Purchase a speed light flash.
Speed light flashes are essential for weddings because they are small, lightweight, and can easily be assembled and disassembled. Plus, relying on your built-in flash is not going to give you as much power as something like a speed light flash when it comes to taking photos after dark. Another great perk is that because the flash is coming from an external source, so it won’t take away from your camera’s battery as much.
I love using this simple $30 speed light flash on Amazon. It’s the perfect accessory for taking photos during the reception. Even if you don’t end up using it, you’ll need one on hand just as a precaution.
11. Come prepared with all of the essentials.
When prepping your supplies for a long day of photographing your first wedding, don’t forget to pack the following:
Water bottles
A step stool
Granola bars
Protein bars
Advil
Bandaid
Energy drink mix or electrolyte mix
A sandwich or snack for the drive home
Make sure you have enough for you and your second shooter.
12. Have a wedding day timeline.
The wedding day timeline should consist of what/who you are taking photos of and when. Sometimes, the wedding planner or day-of coordinator will help come up with the wedding day timeline and sometimes the expectation will fall on you. Check in with your couple to see whose task it will be and make sure to go over this timeline with the couple before the wedding day.
If the task falls to you, I recommend the Unscripted App (use code Jessica for $20 off the lifetime or yearly subscription). Build out your wedding timeline and even receive reminder notification as the day progresses. Within the app, you can also send client emails, manage invoices, and sift through hundreds of poses and props ideas. Don’t forget to use code Jessica for $20 off the lifetime or yearly subscription!
13. Location scout beforehand.
Either on the day of the wedding or earlier, make sure to take some time to assess the area you’ll be shooting and talk with the couple to see if they have any specific locations in mind for taking photos.
You’ll want to come up with a backup plan in case of rain or inclement weather. That way, no matter what happens while photographing your first wedding, you can feel as prepared as possible.
14. Prepare a checklist for group photos.
Ask your couple for a checklist of group photos. For instance, is there a special friend visiting from out of town that the couple wants a photo with? There also may be a specific location requested for these group photos.
The list your couple gives you could look something like this:
Couple with parents and siblings of marrier #1
Couple with parents and siblings of marrier #2
Couple with all parents
Couple with immediate family from both sides
Etc., etc.
Another thing to ask is if there are any other specific photos that the couple would like captured throughout the day. For instance, is there going to be a bridesmaid champagne cheers in matching pjs or a surprise mother-daughter dance during the reception?
The list your couple gives you could look something like this:
Groomsmen cheer with whisky glasses; Bridesmaids cheer with champagne glasses
First look with father of the marrier
First look with bridesmaids of the marrier
Dancing out of the venue after the kiss
Candid interaction with parents or guardian
Etc., Etc.
By giving the responsibility of the checklist to your client, you are offloading one of the many tasks needed for when preparing to photograph your first wedding. You can ask for this checklist in the form of an online questionnaire.
15. Create your own shot list.
In order to capture all of the detailed shots throughout the ceremony and reception, I highly recommend creating a shot list so you can easily organize everything that you are responsible for photographing at your first wedding.
After gaining experience as a second shooter, you’ll find that weddings tend to have a natural flow to them. But even if you never use the shot list on the wedding day itself, I still highly recommend that you have one to keep for yourself and send to your couple.
16. Have a pointer person who knows the members of the bridal party and the family.
Ask your clients who that person is going to be and then gather their contact information before the wedding day. That person’s job will be to go and corral the family members for group photos. Let’s face it— if your couple wants a photo with Uncle Bob or Aunt Rebecca, you are not going to know who that is but the idea is that the pointer person will be able to go and find them for photos.
17. Give your couple a sneak peek the day after the wedding.
Your couple is going to be so ecstatic that they have a few key images to share on social media the day after their wedding. I like gathering as many essential moments as I can and editing them either the night of or the day after so that I am able to deliver a small portion of them to my couple as soon as possible.
The key shots I love to deliver are:
Getting ready
The first look or first touch
The ceremony
The first kiss at the altar
A few couples portraits
A few of the reception
The big family photo
Ultimately, how many you deliver is up to you and your turnaround time but I would recommend at least 3-5. You will shine in the eyes of your clients by overdelivering and seeing your couples reaction is priceless after a long but rewarding day photographing your first wedding.
18. Edit the sneak peaks during dinner and present them in a slideshow.
If you want to go the extra mile, see if you can edit a selection of key moments while everyone is enjoying dinner. Then, present those photos in a slideshow, either on your laptop or an iPad. Have your second shooter capture the reaction of your couple as you present these photos and use it as promotional material on social media.
I would recommend watermarking these photos so that the wedding guests can easily see who the photographer is. Then, they can look you up on social media and either refer you or consider hiring you for their own wedding.
The fact that both the guests and the couple are able to see your work immediately will ensure an amazing client experience that extends not just to your wedding clients but to potential future clients as well.
A note: Don't use a watermark for anything but the slideshow. Never present the sample photos with watermarks because 1) it's not 2002 2) and it's just not necessary to watermark your wedding photos.
19. Bring business cards.
Even if you don't use business cards in any other area of your business, bring them to the wedding. You are going to give your second shooter the task of handing them out throughout the night if the opportunity arises. It’s essential that you communicate with your second shooter that they are not to give their own business cards out, but only the cards that belong to the primary shooter. This is a great way to network with guests and wedding vendors.
Learn more: The Jessica Whitaker Photography Workshop
20. Introduce yourself to all of the wedding vendors.
Make it a point to introduce yourself and your second shooter to all of the vendors at the wedding. You’ll want to first connect with the wedding coordinator and then the videographer, as you’ll be working with them throughout the entire day. You’re the dream team! Exchange information, pump each other up, and support each other throughout the day.
This would also be a great opportunity to exchange business cards. It’s all about networking and building a solid relationship with the local businesses and vendors in your area. Making an effort during the wedding day will ultimately lead to more photography gigs for you in the future.
21. BONUS: Encourage your couple to book a second-day wedding photoshoot.
Because of the often limited time that the wedding day brings— for the bride, groom, and their photographer— many couples are opting for a separate photo session that comes before or follows after their wedding. This allows for a full, unrushed portrait session in their wedding attire that is often at a location other than their initial venue.
in the comments down below, Let me know where you’re at in your photography journey.
Are you simply curious about becoming a wedding photographer, are you getting ready to photograph your first wedding or are you simply brushing up on your knowledge of shooting weddings? I would love to hear from you!
Resources:
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