Close
Hello and thanks for taking the time to see exactly how I would approach your wedding as your wedding photographer. It’s something I’ve loved doing for the best part of ten years, and as you’ll see my main aim is for you to enjoy yourself whilst I capture the unique story of your day. So here’s a little timeline of what to expect….
The Booking Stage
The contract and deposit of £750 have both been received and I’m booked in. Hooray! That’s one less thing on your mind, and the next time we’ll speak will be around six weeks before your wedding day, but you can always keep up to date with my photography via my newsletter, or feel free to send me an email at any point if you have any questions.
Six Weeks Before The Wedding
An email will pop into your inbox with a friendly Hello, and a request to get a date in the diary for our pre-wedding Skype/FaceTime call. I’ll also be including my questionnaire that I’ll ask you to fill in and return before our chat so we can go through all the ins and outs of the day. An invoice for the final balance will also be attached, but there’s no rush! It doesn’t need to be paid until two weeks before the wedding day.
The Day of the Wedding
The Big Day! I’lI be arriving between 1.5 and 2 hours before the ceremony, which allows me to say hello to everyone and settle in, and importantly get you and everyone else used to being photographed.
One thing’s for certain though - I’ll never tell you to do something again. This is about you enjoying your day, and feeling as if you can be completely natural, not acting natural. Whilst you’re having your make-up done I’ll be looking to photograph all the little moments that are happening that you can’t see or that you might forget about, like people arriving, laughing at one another’s jokes, or opening that present from your other-half. These are all storytelling moments that build the narrative of the day - it’s not just about you having your make-up done! I also love mirrors, and you’ll see me constantly peering into a mirror to get some kind of reflection shot. I’m not just checking myself out!!
Ceremony
Once you’re in your dress, I’m off! I’ll pop in my car, catch a lift with the Bridesmaids, or just walk down the stairs to where the ceremony is happening to get some pictures of your other-half greeting people, mixing with his ushers, or getting some last words of advice from his Best Man. At this point I’ll ask who the family members are so that I can keep a close eye on them during the ceremony, before getting ready for your big arrival.
During the ceremony I don’t tend to move much - I want the focus to be completely on you. The only time I’ll move is when somebody comes up for one of the readings - this way I get to mix up the angles and get a different perspective. It’s not just about you though - I’ll be keeping a close eye on your wedding party to make sure their reactions are captured as well, so you know how they felt during all the key moments during the ceremony.
You’re married!! And whilst you’re on this giddy-high, I’ll be looking to capture just how much that means to you and everyone else around you.
The Reception
The People - this is the part I love. Looking for stories and moments that makes your wedding unique. At this point I’m also always asking myself where your parents, your siblings, or other family members are so that I can get a cracking picture of them that I know you’ll all love.
The Details - you may have spent ages putting the details together, or were happy to have your planner organise them - either way I always take 5 minutes away from the action to ensure these are captured.
The Group Photos - Love them or hate them, your mum and dad will probably be on your back about getting some done, but not to fear - you had already provided the ones you wanted in the questionnaire which means we can plough through without a problem. I usually recommend to no more than six so you’re not standing there for ages, and so you can head back to the party and enjoy yourselves!
The Meal - I don’t take pictures when people are eating - they don’t make for the best pictures! So I’ll be heading off for my break at this point. However I always come back in between courses, as there’s always something happening that I think you’ll appreciate seeing.
The Speeches - I love to get different vantage points, and to capture a good amount of reaction shots. Plus I’ll always keep an eye on you when the next speech is being announced to see if you there’s a lovely natural moment between the two of you.
The Couple Shoot - a great time to do this is usually after the speeches or in-between courses. By this point, you’re a lot more relaxed, you’ve had a chance to see everyone, and if anything you’ll want to head outside and get a bit of fresh air! Hopefully they’ll be a lovely sunset we can work with, but if not, no matter - just enjoy the moment and if you have a spare smoke grenade in your pocket we’ll work with that as well!
The First Dance - You may not have noticed this up till now, but I don’t use flash. I love to keep the natural ambient light throughout for a couple of big reasons. Firstly, so it’s not distracting - I always want the focus to be entirely on you. Secondly so that it gives the images a rawness and a reminder of what the atmosphere and lighting was really like, rather than what I introduced to help stylise the pictures.
The Dancing - if you’ve gone for the All Day coverage, I’ll still be there to capture all those incriminating pictures! But it’s not just about that - they’ll still be opportunities to get some really relaxed pictures of your family and friends letting their hair down. Or up…
Post Wedding
Within 4 weeks of the wedding an email will drop in your inbox with your own
personalised URL, which will have a highlights slideshow, and a link to the full gallery. The photos will be free to download for you and your guests, and I’ll even throw in a 25% print discount for the first two weeks. After all that, I’ll sit at home and wait nervously to hear back from you, and then hopefully an email will drop which goes something like this:
Thanks so much for taking the time to go through my approach, and I hope to hear more from you soon.
Kristian
