The Ultimate Wedding Photography Checklist provides a comprehensive guide to capturing the most important moments of your special day. It includes a guide on setting, capturing meaningful couple portraits, getting ready photos, and capturing the bride and groom in their natural poses. The checklist also includes tips on hiring the right photographer, planning your shot list, and ensuring you bring your own food and water. The wedding ceremony is a crucial part of the event, and it is essential to document all important moments, including the venue, exterior, interior, flower arrangements, and ambiance. Before signing a contract with a wedding photographer, ask them about their rules and ensure they are not too strict. The checklist also includes tips on selecting an angle to minimize the bride’s waist and avoiding posing her with her shoulders and hips squared to the camera. The checklist also includes tips on capturing pre-wedding imagery and showcasing the quality of their work in real-life situations.
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How do I compliment my photographer?
A photographer will appreciate your recognition of their effort. “You’ve improved with each new picture.” “Great work!” “You’re a pro!” “This shot shows off your skills!” Love it! Show a photographer you love their pictures with these compliments. A beautiful sunset. A happy couple. A beautiful landscape. Complimenting a photographer on their work on Instagram is a great way to support them. Some things you say about a photo are more meaningful to a photographer than others. We have lots of great ideas for comments on Instagram. Keep reading to find the perfect compliment!
Compliment the photographer on their work. Mention something you loved in their picture. Comment on how much you enjoyed working with the photographer. Or, say you’d like to work with them again.
Where should a wedding photographer stand during a ceremony?
5 spots to consider when taking pictures during the ceremony: 1. Behind the bride as she enters. The bride’s walk down the aisle with her father is the first time guests see her in her wedding dress. … In front of the groom. Opposite the bride or groom. Behind the officiant. … Behind the congregation. As the wedding photographer, you also document the ceremony. However, it’s a good question for any photographer, beginner or pro. There’s no single rule for this. A wedding ceremony lasts from 15 to 30 minutes, but this can vary by culture. One rule always applies: Don’t draw attention to yourself. You might have to find your best spots depending on the venue. In this blog, we suggest five spots for wedding ceremony photography. The bride’s walk down the aisle with her father is the first time guests see her in her wedding dress. Behind the bride lets you capture reactions! This is a key moment in the wedding ceremony. When you stand behind her, your position should allow you to capture her and the guests. You could also include a glimpse of the groom as she begins to walk down the aisle.
2. In front of the groom. You can capture the groom’s reaction when he sees the bride walking down the aisle. This is where you can take great photos of the bride from the front as she walks to the groom. This is an emotional moment, so try to capture those raw emotions.
Do photographers stay the whole wedding?
Do wedding photographers stay for the whole reception? Many wedding photographers will stay for the cake cutting, first dance, and some dancing shots. If you want them to stay until the end, speak to your photographer about this.
Extended coverage. Some couples want more coverage than the standard duration. This could include more time before, during, or after the ceremony. Extended coverage means every moment is captured, from the early morning to the late night. You can choose how long extended coverage lasts. These times are just guidelines. They can vary depending on the couple’s needs. Some couples want more coverage, while others want less. Couples should discuss their expectations and requirements with their photographer to understand the timeline and coverage.
How do you present yourself as a photographer?
Make your introduction interesting and eye-catching. Tell it as a story. Tell the story of how you got into photography and what you want to achieve. You could also tell the story of one of your clients. What happened when they booked you? How did the shoot go? What was the outcome? (If you have their quotes, use them).
The goal is to sell the experience. Photos are memories. They last forever, while memories fade. Everyone values this. That’s what you’re selling and what you’re paid for.
Tell stories. Tell a story about why you love photography and how you got started.
Show what happens behind the scenes. Show clients what a photoshoot is like.
How do you tastefully display wedding photos?
Choose a simple frame. You can hang it on a wall or display it on a shelf, side table, or dressing table. Your wedding photos are your special day’s ultimate keepsake.
Display them tastefully in your home. For more ideas, visit our Cactus Collective Weddings favorites: Paper Culture, Minted, and Basic Invite.
How to write a positive review for a photographer?
“We are pleased.” “Thank you for the great pictures and your great work!” We’re happy with the result and how you captured our special moments. Despite the circumstances, you captured some great moments! I’ve received many positive reviews from my wedding clients. The feedback below is unsolicited.
“We love them! Thanks so much. We showed them to friends tonight and everyone loved them. People say you captured the magic and color.
How do I promote myself as a wedding photographer?
What is personal marketing? Personal marketing is a way to promote yourself. As a wedding photographer, you show clients what you can do. You create content to show clients your skills and expertise. You put yourself out there to increase trust. Why use personal marketing as a wedding photographer? The market is crowded. Couples have many options when choosing a wedding photographer. There are thousands of local photographers and millions more from around the world. Your best marketing asset is YOU. Building a brand is the best way to stand out. Clients want to connect with you on a personal level. They want to feel like they’re getting a unique experience with their photographer.
Does the bride or groom pay for the photographer?
Who usually pays for the wedding? The bride’s family usually paid for most wedding costs, including the wedding planner, invitations, dress, ceremony, reception, flowers, photography, and music. “It’s harder to think about this now, and I am a feminist, but historically it has to do with the ancient practice of a bride’s family giving a dowry to the groom,” Post says.
The brides parents also hosted the engagement party, while some bridesmaids paid for the bridal shower. (Or anyone, really, besides the couple.) The groom’s family paid for the rehearsal dinner, honeymoon, wedding day transportation, and officiant. The groom paid for the bride’s engagement ring, wedding ring, and gifts for the groomsmen. The groom’s family often pays for the reception alcohol. But remember this from Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette Guide: “Traditions make weddings special, so a spending plan should help these traditions, not be a burden.”
The groom’s wedding ring; bridesmaids’ lunch or party; accommodations for the bridal party (if a bridesmaid is coming from out of town); wedding party gifts.
Should you display wedding photos?
How many wedding photos should you display? It depends on the couple and their family. Some want just one photo of the ceremony, while others want more. Couples can choose and print as many or as few photos as they want. Where can you print wedding pictures? There are many ways to print wedding pictures, but not all of them will be as good as the finished product. If you want the best for your wedding photos, look to Julian Ribinik Photography. We work with top printing labs that the general public doesn’t always have access to.
How do you introduce yourself as a wedding photographer?
Start by introducing yourself and tell people why you love being a wedding photographer. Maybe talk about how you got into photography! ; Show what you do differently! Tell clients what you do better than other photographers. Need inspiration? Read some of your past client reviews. What do clients value most about you as a photographer? Still struggling to write your bio for your website? Use our Wedding Photography About Me Bio Generator! Answer 5 questions and you’ll have a bio that speaks to your ideal clients! Try our About Me Bio Generator in the Focal Website Creator. Try the Focal Website Creator for free and see the great About Me Bio it generates using AI. Plus, you’ll get copy for your packages. Generate a website with a custom About Me Bio in minutes.
How to position wedding photos?
You’ll look at me every once in a while. Go ahead.
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Follow a REAL wedding photographer at a REAL wedding day in this near 3 hours of wedding photography behind the scenes …
I know doing these long full length articles is time consuming and an awful lot of extra work, but thank you soooo much for doing them for us! I don’t currently have the money to pay for wedding photography education, so I find myself perusal YouTube articles for as much help as I can get! I don’t mind letting it run and play through all the ads to help make sure you get paid in exchange for you doing this for us. Thank you soooo much for these full length articles. They’re unbelievably helpful on multiple levels for me and for others as well, I’m sure.
The fact that I could sit through this whole article says a whole lot. You are professional, captivating and informative. I just shoot out of hobby, one day I will gain the confidence to shoot professionally. I know this took a long time to put together; I must say it came out well. Thank you for this beautiful content!
I’ve always wondered about a Day in the Life of a Wedding Photographer. This article was 2.5 hours long and when it ended, I wanted more! It is very generous and kind of you to record this from start to finish for all to learn from. My favorite part of the article is you at 2:05:39 dancing and taking photos. That moment will be talked about later when everyone says, “The wedding was so fun, even the Photographer was dancing!” You are truly an amazing person and very talented. Thank you for a great article! I wish you continued success!
Really appreciate the effort you are putting in these articles, John. I’ve been doing wedding photography myself, mostly as a second shooter, but recently I did a couple of smaller weddings on my own and it went really good. I like to see other photographers perspective and your insights are really good. Keep up the good work!
I’m shooting my very first wedding on Friday – indoor, ballroom, no windows, at night. Aside from the technical difficulty of it all, I’m anxious about the process. I have never been so nervous in my life. perusal this has completely changed my mindset. I am calm, more confident, and ready for the day. Thank you SO much for making this article and inspiring beginning photographers like me to not be afraid.
Love when I get notifications for new posts from this website 😀 You inspired me to make the jump from Sony to Fuji and to really put myself into finding my first wedding and I have officially booked my first gig! Keep up the great content and thanks for all the amazing information you’ve been posting here.
I really enjoyed your article! It was really insightful seeing how another photographer captures a wedding day, down to different lenses and lighting choices than I would personally go with. It makes me think about how I can be more open to trying different shooting scenarios. Thanks so much for sharing!
This is a wonderful article. I’ve learned so much from it. I’m shooting a wedding the day after tomorrow so this and your other articles have been so helpful. Thanks so much! I do. have a question about lighting. Are you using off camera flash in some of the shots? I feel like I’m seeing the light go up a bit. You get your indoor shots nice and bright so was wondering if that was from the flash, from your wide apertures, post processing, or a combination.
Bro, this is hands down one of the top wedding photography articles I’ve ever seen. As a photog (nowadays commercial but used to shoot weddings) this is by far one of the most informative, not some ego building article. Also you’re great example that it’s not about the gear but the way you use it – and you’ve done awesome shots with pretty mediocre gear which tells even more about your skill. Not to mention overall great exposure and skintones which as we know might be tricky for some. It’s really should be played to everyone that moan about gear or else. Again – great job!
John, thank you SO, SO MUCH for this incredibly helpful documentary. I’m thinking about getting into wedding photography (have never shot professionally so far) and this is just an absolute goldmine. Other tutorials of yours are extremely good as well, but there is no replacement for seeing you in action. It really shows how your way of interacting with the bride, groom, family and friends is a huge part of your work. There’s a lot to take away from that as well. Again, thanks a million times! =)
I don’t know how much time you spent on this but THANK YOU…and it was so worth it. Honestly, as much as I came here for you and your direction/expertise I just couldn’t get over how stunning that salmon suit color came out with your presets. It’s so appealing to me I had to go back and rewatch a few parts because I heard absolutely none of the directions you were giving and was laser focused on that color. 😆 Thank you again for your continued fantastic education and entertainment.
John, I subscribed to your website over two years ago when you had a couple hundred, maybe just about a thousand subscribers. I enjoyed some of your early tutorials a lot.I took a two year plus break from photography to focus on other things, and this meant I didn’t see much of your website since then. I recently decided I wanted to get back into wedding photography seriously, so I searched up some wedding photography articles, and here I see that you’re over 100k on YouTube! That’s so amazing man. Well deserved. This article was great, and lines up perfectly with my experience at a few of the weddings I’ve shot. This was a great refresher for someone returning to the industry, or great for someone brand new to photography! Keep it up.
Hi John! I really really appreciate your time and effort in creating these articles among the many great articles that help many photographers begin their wedding photography journey. I am starting mine this week, and given that I have experience in street photography and some portrait shoots, you’ve granted me so much valuable information that helps me be more confident and not be afraid to make and learn from mistakes. Thank you!
I love the amount of thought, effort and information you put into this article. I literally sat and watched the whole article from beginning to end. I currently shoot real estate photography and have been approached several times to do weddings and have been hesitant to accept. Your article has given me SO much information and confidence to consider accepting the gig. We all have to start somewhere, right?
Thanks so much for that article!! It is mega for a beginner! Been doing photography for the last 10years, mainly action sports and landscapes, but I’m finally moving to weddings and doing my first tomorrow as a main photographer. Kinda stressed out, but perusal your full wedding gave me so much confidence! Thanks again and I really love your content, keep it coming! Cheers 🙂
I have my first wedding next month and I CANNOT tell you how much these BTS articles have helped! I feel like I will have a better plan for the day because of them. I saw in one article you recommended stopping down for group portraits….what recommendations would you have in terms of the closer/getting ready shots and ceremony? THANK YOU!!
Here’s why your wedding day articles stand out above the rest. There are tons of “behind the scenes” or “day in the life of a wedding photographer” “full wedding day”, and those articles are like 15 minutes long. You’re cutting out a TON of stuff that most of us are looking for. I feel like people like me are perusal these articles because we want to see the in between stuff, we know how a wedding ceremony goes, what are you doing in the down time or the transitions? you are the man. thank you, john.
8 year product photographer here for furniture / rooms to go, ashley furniture, target etc. & business owner for portraits. lost my full time job during covid and had $17,000 / all my gear stolen. iv fully rebuilt my collection i just need 1 more camera body for weddings. here shortly im going to be jumping back into my business & focusing on weddings. Im 31 and have only shot 2 weddings my whole life and i was 18 when i did those. ITS the little details like hanger/clip for the dress that im taking notes on! THANKYOU! your articles are perfect. you talk slow. you lay out information well. you timestamp your articles. & overall you have a great presentation. i shared your website with my articlegrapher friend. if your ever in GA you would be a awesome person to shoot with, all-in-all. great content wish you the best! -Sterling Hyde
Thank you for a very informative and educational wedding photography article. As the events happened, I find myself smiling and captivated with the emotions as well. So really nice that a very professional photographer like you share something for free so that more aspiring wedding photographers will have a chance to get a view of how it was done. Hats off! 🙏
I am highly impressed with your technic and your verbalization of all you do and why! Best article’s out there to help others in doing Wedding photography. I got asked to do a wedding and is way out of my eliminate and after perusal a few of your articles, I so got this!!! Thanks again for well made articles of your incredible skills and clarity of the technics !
I know it’s been said but I really & truly appreciate this. I’m really enjoying & learning your wedding series (along with all the others) and the fact that this information is free. Man I can’t thank you enough. Blessings upon you & your family. Now back to article. I had to stop it mid way through because I wanted you to know how much this is appreciated. 😊
Probably one the most valuable resources on the topic on the entire internet! No one knows the road like a traveler. You are well “traveled” and have been extraordinarily candid, open and informative with the sharing of this information! I am many, many weddings into my photography journey and still learned so much! I love your work as I am more of a documentary style shooter as well. May God bless you commensurate with what you poured out so willingly! We need more John Branches! Simply, THANK YOU! I am now a subscriber and follower…!
I’m shooting my first wedding this upcoming Tuesday, & your articles are definitely wholesome & helpful throughout my learning journey. Keep on producing these absolute great contents John! Know that each of your effort in sharing these knowledge are extremely meaningful for beginners like me. I truly appreciate every little thing.
Thank you! Greetings from Venezuela, Muchas gracias, por tomarte el tiempo de producir todo este article, que es de mucha ayuda a fotografos que estan recien comenzando, este article llego de casualidad, y ahora soy fan y suscriptor de tu trabajo. espero que puedas traducir este mensaje. gracias nuevamente, continua haciendo articles cmo este!
John, this was the most exceptional article ever!!! Dude you killed it. But man, you saved the best for last when grandma got a little salty with people telling her to move out the way. Bro…that was priceless!🤣. Great job and thanks so much for sharing these intimate details of your process. If you are ever doing a wedding in the ATL and need a second shooter, holla at your boy. 👍🏾
I am a wedding planner and I let this article play while I was working on a client file. I had to come on and say: THANK YOU for putting this out here for photographers. Photographers, John has given you some SOUND and INVALUABLE advice here. Staying on task means you stay on schedule! You can see that the clients were comfortable with John and trusted his guidance. The photos tell the story for years to come! 10 out of 10!
As a fellow YouTuber I know firsthand the amount of work it takes to produce articles, and even though I don’t shoot weddings, I thoroughly enjoyed perusal this all the way through! Great work John! This is hands down one of the best wedding BTS vids I’ve ever watched. All this article needed was a mic (or camera) drop at the end. 😉
Wauw I’m so happy I came across your website! This article is awesome. Thank you for letting us get such an amazing behind the scenes foottage. Your ways of explaining what you are doing is spot on and very clear!. I can go on about how much this article inspired me but I’m just gonna say: You gained a new subscriber and thank you for your time and effort. Keep them comming! God bless you!
New subscriber here, I’m glad I found your website, awesome work. This article in particular is so informationally comprehensive on shooting events like this. Your commentary and insight is inspiring to say the least. There is so much value on many levels in this article. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this with us.
I just want to thank you for doing this for us. I’m a landscape photographer who just did their first wedding yesterday and it was because of your help that I was able to go in confidently. perusal your articles showed me how much truly good into a wedding shot and what to be prepared for. So, thank you again!
I just finished perusal this article and absolutely loved it! Great tips, lots of useful information, great shot ideas! Such an awesome effort! I have a couple of weddings booked for this year, and I will continue perusal your articles to get more comfortable and gain more knowledge. I shoot Canon, so would you recommend particular lenses? Thanks so much! Oh, and I loved how you got right into the dance stuff! Super cool!
Man your stuff is awesome. Kinda nuts when a 55 year old man gets choked up seeing the photos and the process. Am I coming unhiged ? lol. Have been in photography for over 30 years and have made a decent income in different genre’s. I know I can take great photos but the organization and the stress of weddings just keeps me from diving in. You definitely inspire one to reconsider. Great work and thanks for your content
Your etiquette is excellent. Your advice is so practical. I am a hobbyist photographer that got pulled into wedding photography by friends that loss their contracted photographer who took I’ll from Covid. From that I was booked for 3 other weddings. Your articles have been a crash course to get good results. Super appreciate your work and sharing
All the information in this article, works across so many other areas, as I mostly do articlegraphy, my main rule, is that if I’m ever lost, find the bride, they will have all the attention. When the photographer is also getting all their photos, I’ll work around them or assist with helping get that shot, because I know I want it too.
Getting back into the game late as hell but your instructions are Boss, I did two weddings for friends and family and using an Olympus 8 megapixels i did my best with no experience but they where happy they had the memories remember it was the time of the first iPhones so yea I shined. But your equipment and skill is next level
lol start with street photography? OMG you hit the nail on the head. I’ve been telling people to do street photography and concert photography. But, they just want to jump right into wedding photography. Street/concert photography helps so much with finding interesting shots, shapes, lighting conditions, and how to capture shots on the go without having to think too much. Once you master those, wedding photography will get a lot easier, and better. Once you get better with your wedding photography, your street/concert photography will look even better, too. A vicious circle growth. Cheers John and great content!
I’ve been perusal these days of articles in preparation for my day in two weeks, so I can daydream about it more vividly. 🥰 I love understanding the methods behind the photography though, it’s such an important day and for a photographer it’s your job, and you’re so good at it, but for a bride and groom it’s all so new and undiscovered. ❤️
I don’t comment often (anywhere) but thanks for this ! I’ve been a working photographer for almost a decade. Will soon be photographing my first weeding ever so was feeling some pressure, having no idea how to interact on such a special day with my clients, what moments & shots to expect. Your article helped a lot !
I’m not even halfway through the article and I already feel like this is the best photography related article I have ever seen on YouTube. Incredibly in-depth…this covers all the bases in real time. An absolute masterclass in wedding photography. You sir are the truth. My guy had flowers inside the jacket … you got to COORDINATE!! This thing time warped me back to 19 years ago when I got married. GOD bless this awesome family and their union.
I had no idea how much hard work and detailed planning by the main photographer has to go into a wedding to make it a success. You clearly go the extra mile to ensure that the weddings you photograph are happy, successful and memorable ones. Although I am only an enthusiastic amateur photographer, I found your article both fascinating and very interesting. Well done John. Alun
The reason i bought two xt3 is perusal your articles. I am a portrait and wedding photographer in paris and i must admit that your articles have inspired me. I love the way you approach weddings and the artistic side that comes out of it. Both on the frame and on the retouching of the photos. Well done.
John these articles are honestly invaluable, one question I have is regarding your backlit prep photos, especially the section shooting the bride and mother in front of the window. Given that you aren’t using flash what’s your process for the exposure of each image? There is so much range and detail in both the outside of the window and the foreground! Do you expose solely for the window and beyond the window and then lift the foreground subject in post? Any advise would be greatly appreciated!
Gracias desde España. Es un gusto verte trabajar. Genial ver como llevas el control en todo momento y tu forma de dirigir, esto hace sentir muy cómodos a todos y no hay estrés en la pareja. Mi pregunta para ti es; siempre usas sólo luz natural en interiores o combinas con flash en situaciones de luz no tan excelentes como las de este article? Felicidades por tus trabajos, John
Man, you are such an inspiration! Love the way you handle the day, in Romania the weddings are a little bit more complicated, but I will try to apply some of your stuff next year. I’m also a Fuji photographer, started with 2 X-T2 in 2017, coming up now to X-T3 and X-T4, but I’m having a hard time with focus. I just seem to miss it a lot of times 🙁 Do you have any advice on this? Thanks a lot for all your work!
This is a very cool and helpful vid, been shooting weddings for a long time and picked up some great things to communicate with the bride prior to shooting, etc. Also I like the harness and came back to check out the source for your harness and camera bag… looking for something comfortable to sport 2 cameras. Can never learn enough even with experience, cool seeing you in action thanks for this article!