We loved our wedding photographer.
He took terrific photos, was easy to work with and had some great suggestions. So imagine our surprise when we received our photos after the wedding and realized that there wasn’t a single photo that made sense (in our opinion) to send out to our guests with our Thank You cards.
It wasn’t our photographer’s fault.
How was he to know what we had in mind for the shot we would send to our families?
What we had in mind, was the typical bride and groom staring happily into the camera shot. What we received back was a group of photos suitable for an art gallery. Great stuff, but difficult to explain to our aging relatives.
“But I can’t see your face in that photo?”
“Why are you so far from the camera?”
“Why are you on the train track? Isn’t that dangerous?”
When you meet with your photographer, remember he isn’t a mind reader. He doesn’t know what type of photos you want. He doesn’t know what style of photography you like. And maybe you don’t either.
Before you meet with your photographer, go through some wedding magazines. Pick out photos that you like and take them with you. Make sure you both have a clear idea of what is expected.
And if there is one particular photo that you can’t live without.
Tell him.
I love the picture! I even get what he was trying to say by using it. Very sage advice though. I got married a year and a half ago, not very shy of 40 something and I know what you went through! Thanks for sharing…..
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Thanks for your comment Jacqueline! I love the photo too! I love all of them, but most of them felt too personal (lots of photos of us gazing into the distance, kissing or holding each other) or too arty to send out in our Thank Yous. We should have been clear about needing that one basic traditional shot.
That said, our photos are gorgeous, and I will be sharing more of them.
Thanks for reading!
Hey, how about sharing them with your wedding party!! hmmm?
Stunning shot! I knew that one would be. The amusing thing about it was the fact that there WAS a training on it’s way to the station.
Oh, yes there was – and he got a good pic of me pointing out the fast moving light coming toward us!
Printed all the of photos through an online service and they are almost all cropped incorrectly…so as long as you don’t mind the top of your head being missing…
We have to return them and have them all redone…it took at least two hours to upload, crop and save them, and somehow the service printed the uncropped photos. Grr!
And missy, have we ever got a few beauties of you!
That is a really great tip! I take wedding and engagement photos for close friends and family on the side, Its easy for me to get caught up in the artistic element of the photo shoot so I have to remind myself to get up close face shots, and to have a couple of ideas in mind for the posing of them.
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A perfect example of why it’s so important to meet with your photographer shortly before the wedding and discuss your needs.
Many times we’ve met with a couple and they’ve told us they don’t want any “Posed” pictures. We ask them if they’re planning to send out Thank You cards. Very often they hadn’t considered what kind of picture would work best for this.
We consider it part of our service help guide the couple through the process, and help them to avoid this kind of issue.
LJ