Advice/ Things I've learnt from shooting weddings...

So you've been asked to photograph a wedding, it may be a friends or a clients, either way its a huge and scary job. It's the happiest day of their life, so you have be sure to capture every moment, and then there is of course the 'posed' photos of the friends, family, in-laws ect.

Now I'm not a famous wedding photographer (unfortunately) but I done a few weddings over my years of freelancing and I want to share some of the things I've learnt over along the way...

• Triple check you have all the right equipment (and that it works). Before I even set out of the house, I take a photo, to check that everything is working right. The things I always make sure I have with me are:

1. Camera (Of course) and batteries, I always bring 2, fully charged. 
2. Flash gun. Super important for weddings, as the venues are often quite dim lit. 
3. Memory cards. 
4. Lens cloth 
5. business cards

• Write a list of poses/ the people you need to get formal shots off. Some of the ones that are usually important: (You can download checklists of 'formal weddings shots' or make your own!)

1. The bride and her mother 
2. The bride and bridesmaids
3. The groom and best man 
4. The couple with both sets of parents. 
5. The bride alone

• Be thick skinned. On weddings days, especially in the morning, people can be quite stressed and you may be ordered around a bit. Keep in mind that usually the bridesmaids and the mother of bride have alot of things to think about so don't take it to heart if they do boss you around a little bit. Just be confident of your job and focus on getting the best photos. 
• Look out for natural smiles. Scan the crowds, looking for natural smiles, focus in and capture that real moment. 
  
• Check before the big day ask how long they want to you to stay. It can be awkward asking whether you are free to go or not, so make sure before hand that they know how many hours you are willing/have been paid to stay. Ask before hand if they want you to stay for the first dance, cutting of the cake or just want snaps of the ceremony. 
• Always get a deposit!
• Check that everyone is okay for your to publish the photos. 
• Bring a snack bar. You could be working up to 12 hours, without any time to stop, so its important to bring a snack that you can eat quickly but will keep you going, maybe a cereal bar or a packet of peanuts. Hopefully the bride and groom will let you eat when they are having their meal. 
• Check with the vicar if and when you can use flash. 
• Capture the little details. These are usually the things that the bride is too busy to really take notice of, so its a good idea to capture these so the couple always has a reminder of every aspect of their wedding day. 
  
• Dress your best. Look professional but be aware of the wearing heels all day :/ I usually go for some comfortable small heels or nice sandals. 

Hope this is useful to anyone shooting a wedding soon. I do love weddings but as a photographer it is one of the most stressful jobs and there is alot of pressure on the photographer to capture everything, so if in doubt, just keep clicking! 

Becky. x