Good Pictures are made before the big day!
The venue. The dress. The flowers. The outfits. The food. The band. Pinterest boards. Planning a wedding is a ton of work. But did you know that long before the big day there are a few easy things you can do, or decisions that you can make that will help make your pictures even better?
Below are a list of solutions to common problems we see as photographers that can help make the images you receive of your big day just a little bit more special.
Use Lavalier Microphones
I remember when my wife and I were planning our wedding and it felt like we were constantly making decisions that would allow us to dodge "leveling up" some other factor of our wedding that would increase costs.
Band vs. DJ
Completely different stage, lighting, power, space , and cost requirements.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Venue
Do you go to a facility that's already a shelter, with seating, lighting, and a kitchen? Or will you be building a 1-night-only restaurant of your own?
At some point in your wedding planning, you may come to the realization that it's grown too big to expect anyone speaking to be able to project their voice, and at that point you will have to turn to amplified sound and a public address system.
A lot of times, this is something your hired band, DJ, or venue can provide to you.
Make sure to ask what their setup will be for ahead of time and inquire about the possibility of using wireless lavalier microphones that clip to the speaker's clothing rather than microphones on stands with cables snaking away.
Sure--a good photographer can edit out a poorly placed microphone stand, but it's the type of retouching that's usually above and beyond a standard photography contract and a situation that may easily be avoided by just asking the question ahead of time. Wouldn't you rather spend your money on your honeymoon?
Of the two images above, which do you prefer?
#2 - Don't Read Speeches from Phones
Every few years, a different news outlet will publish a survey with the results of how people feel about public speaking. The results are probably not a surprise to anyone: Although everyone on occasion has had to speak publicly, most people consider themselves to be poor public speakers.
When your maid of honor, best man, or dad gives a speech at your wedding, there's a good chance they are not enjoying it and it is the first time they've had to do it in a while.
So what do they do? The situation I encounter most is reading their speech from their phone.
It makes sense, right? It's easy, our phones are always with us, and we can constantly edit right up to the moment we speak.
But the resulting images aren't the most engaging.
Their eyes are on the phone instead of the audience, or the bride and groom who they are speaking about. Their hands are tied up. And even though they worked out and got dressed up for the occasion, their phone did not and is still sporting that hello kitty case.
And of course, for all of the examples above where I have a picture of someone staring at their phone, I was eventually able to get a good picture when their eyes broke free. But, if you're staring at your phone for 80% of your speech, the pictures are going to match that.
You know what looks better all of the time?
Someone who memorized their speech, has their hands free, and their eyes on the audience.
I'd challenge anyone speaking at a wedding to memorize their speech without the aid of any notes--phone or paper.
Just check out how much more engaging the pictures above are!
For the new or occasional public speaker, there's a few things you can do to build confidence before your speech and better engage with the crowd.
Organizations like Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie will coach you on things like hand movements, eye contact, and memorization, and will sometimes even let you practice your speech on them.
If that's too much of a time investment, you could practice your speech on a group of friends not attending the wedding.
Most of all, have fun with it and it will show!
Of the images above, which do you prefer?
Ask your officiant to step aside for the big kiss
This past week, for the first time ever, I witnessed something at a wedding that I didn't even know was possible.
After the officiant announced "you may kiss the bride" . . . she got out of the way. Nobody asked her--she just knew. I remember seeing it happen as I was shooting thinking "Oh my god, this is great--why doesn't everyone else do this?"
In fact, it was this action that inspired this blog.
You can see it happening above in real time.
The result is a lot more usable photos for the bride and groom, and for the attendees who despite the presence of professional photographers, insist on taking their own pictures.
Your officiant may be a very important part of your life--mine was a very close friend that I've known for 30 years--but as close as they are to you, you still probably want a picture without them in the background.
As always, we can edit our way out of this situation, as I've done below, but it's always better to get right in camera.
No Phones or Cameras during the ceremony
This is a hot take that's sure to upset some people, but my vote would be to have no phones or cameras out during the ceremony, and leave it to the pros.
I get it. Professional photographs can take a while to get delivered and there are people who aren't at the ceremony right now that you want to share the great news with.
But if you're looking at your phone, you're not fully engaged with the ceremony.
And we're not just taking pictures of the bride and groom during the ceremony, we are taking pictures of you too!
Which pictures do you think the bride and groom would rather have of you?
I promise you, it's not an ego thing. I'm not saying my pictures are going to be better than yours (the best camera is the one you have). I really want everyone to look their best!
I have played with the idea of bringing an iPad to a wedding and editing 5 or so images while I eat my chicken breast and turning them over for immediate distribution.
I've also toyed with the idea of bringing a printer with me and leaving a sneaky print on the gift table on my way out the door, but that's a story for another time.
