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Home > Articles & Advice > Proposal for a Wedding Album > Top Tips for Perfect Wedding Photos

Top Tips for Perfect Wedding Photos

by Molly Newman

During the fun and frenzy of a wedding day, it's all too easy to leave the quality of your photos to chance. Before you grab your camera and start snapping, take a few minutes (and a few deep breaths) and consider trying out some of these top tips: Start with a stakeout.
Arrive at the ceremony or reception site early and walk through the area. Note any promising spots for photos: is there a gazebo draped with vines, a candlelit corner, a quiet nook behind the cake table? Survey the scene through your camera's viewfinder, watching for any distracting elements in the background. Try to find a place secluded enough that you can pose your subjects without interruption, but close enough to the main area that you can keep an eye on the excitement.

Avoid technical difficulties.
Shoot and develop at least one roll of film a few days before the wedding. You don't want to find out just as the bride says "I do" that your lens is cracked or your flash won't fire! If your camera has a date stamp feature, make sure it is turned off before you begin to shoot. You won't need it to remember the date, and it can create an unfortunate blemish on otherwise elegant prints.

Stay stealthy.
Posed portraits are fun to arrange and shoot, but the real story of the day is told in people's faces and actions when they don't know you're watching them. Rather than always announcing your presence and lining people up for the camera, try to capture the instant unobtrusively. Catch the tear on the cheek of the bride's grandmother, the shocked look on the face of the groom's younger brother as he catches the garter, the tender embrace of the bride and her maid of honor.

Keep close to the kids.
Any younger children -- not just the flower girls and ringbearers -- make great subjects at a wedding. Dressed in their spiffiest outfits, they're nearly always delighted to ham it up for a friendly photographer. Children also make great "location scouts" -- ask them to tell you if they see something that'd make a good picture, and they'll keep you busy shooting their great ideas.

Know when to say when.
While photographs shot by family and friends will be treasured additions to any bride's album, it's important to know when to step away and let the professional photographer work undisturbed. Many pros use lighting setups that are triggered by a hand-held flash. If you shoot at the wrong moment, you could ruin the photographer's carefully designed portrait.

Many photographers' contracts state that they're the only ones allowed to shoot during the formal portrait session. This might be a great time for you to rove around the reception area, shooting all the moments the bride and groom miss while they stand still and smile!

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Reprinted with permission from Creating Keepsakes. This article originally ran in the June 2000 issue of Creating Keepsakes Magazine.