Lets be honest. Wedding days can be a little chaotic! But mixed in with the chaos, are tons of gorgeous moments that you want captured so you can look back on them lovingly FOREVER! I have come up with a list of 14 ways that you can get the most out of your photographer on your wedding day!

1. Get to know your photographer - This is definitely one benefit to booking your photographer early in the planning stages. Meet up with him/her either in person or on Skype. Your photographer will be with you all day, so it is so important that you get along great with them. I think it is great when you can be friends with your photographer. It will also result in better photos because you won’t have some awkward stranger staring at you through a camera during your wedding. Having your photo taken can be an awkward experience, You want to make sure that you find a photographer that you can relax with, and truly be yourself around!

2. Trust your photographer - This is another reason why it is good to get to know your photographer! Trusting their advise, recommendations and abilities will make for a much more relaxing wedding day! Photographing weddings is a huge responsibility. Be sure that you photographer will give your wedding 110%!

3. Have an engagement shoot - Not only will you get some beautiful photos to hang up all over your house, but it will help you really bond with your photographer. It’s your chance to work with them in a 1 on 1, “actually 2 on 1” basis, without all of the wedding craziness going on around you. This will help you be more relaxed on your wedding day to get those truly epic shots! It will also show your friends and family that your photographer is skilled as well. This will help since they will probably be photographed as well!

4. Do a first look! - This is purely a suggestion, but I highly recommend one. These photos can be incredible! The reactions are so raw and powerful. I have never had a couple regret doing a first look.

5. A wedding planner can definitely help! - Having a wedding planner to help wrangle guests, hold bouquets, style the veil etc. can save your photographer a lot of time. And saving them time means both more shots and better photos for you! A great planner will also make your day a lot less stressful by taking care of things, so you can just relax and enjoy your day that you worked so hard on.

6. Get ready in a nice bright room! - All cameras have one thing in common, they need light to operate. One of my favorite parts of the wedding day is the bright, airy prep photos of the beautiful bride getting ready. Find a spot with some nice big windows. The results will be amazing!

7. Keep it tidy - Keeping the room as clean as you can while getting ready, will enhance your prep photos. Maybe put all of the clutter in a back corner so you don’t have dress bags, curling irons and other undesirable items out of your photos.

8. Be sure to let them know if you have any huge planned moments! - This is mainly for things that aren’t “standard wedding” events. We already expect all of those. If you have a huge choreographed father/daughter dance, or if you plan on serenading your significant other, It is definitely best to let your photographer know, so we can be in the right place at the right time!

9. Have realistic expectations- Great photography can take time. Rounding up guests, arranging everyone, changing locations and posing. If you have a shot list with 200 groups and 15 minutes to get it done, the results will probably be rushed photos that aren’t as good as you or the photographer would have wanted them to be. Having an unrealistic expectation of how many shots that you can take will only lead to disappointment. Talk to your photographer, they should have a much better idea of how long everything should take. Which leads me to my next point.

10. Have a shot list- I can not stress this enough! Having a shot list for your group shots is critical! This can be one of the most chaotic and stressful parts of the day. Not only will a list help you move quickly and efficiently through the group shots, but it will also help you make sure that you didn’t forget anyone. Unfortunately, there are no do overs when it comes to wedding photos. I do my best to make sure that you get photos with everyone that looks important to you, but unfortunately, it is a pretty hard job focusing on getting great shots and thinking about every guest in attendance, and who you would want a photo with.

11. Where’s the beef? - Do your mom and aunt not get along? Is there tension between certain people that you would like in the group photos? Be sure to let your photographer know so that they don’t place them together. Dirty looks don’t make for great photos.

12. Feed your photographer at the right time- At weddings we don’t sit down and enjoy a luxurious meal. We usually devour something in a style that resembles something straight out of a discovery channel animal documentary. It is very helpful if during the planning, that you find a quick time slot that would be optimal for them to grab a quick bite. Possibly right before, or at the start of dinner service, before all the speeches start. Your photographer is probably starving at this point. I know that I usually don’t have time for lunch on wedding days, and a little food in my stomach keeps me energetic, focused and working my best!

13. Take a deep breath! - If during the portraits you feel like you are getting super rigid, take a nice deep breath and let it out. This will help you relax mentally and physically. We want you to lose yourself in the moment. You are marrying the love of your life!

14. Get lost in the moment - One thing I love shooting are those moments where the couple can forget that I am even there. I want you to be completely overtaken with how happy you are, how in love you are, and how amazing your significant other looks! 

Hopefully these tips will allow you to Make your wedding photos all that they can be and more!!!

Happy planning!