Yesterday I started a series on "How To Plan Your Wedding Day To Ensure The Best Wedding Photos Possible". Today we will be talking about Communicating to your photographer your vision for your wedding, or what photos are important to you.
You've probably spent many hours if not many days invested in researching your Sacramento wedding photographer. You've visited their website, their blog; you met with them and looked at their albums, talked about their photographic style and your vision for your wedding. And it wasn't until all of that fell into place that you chose the right photographer for you.
But many of you are wondering, how do I convey my vision for my wedding, or what I'm looking for in my photos? Most of you brides out there have been dreaming about your wedding day in some shape or form for many years. Sure not all of you have been dreaming of the princess dress and had your colors picked out since your were 4. But you have some sort of idea of what you want for your wedding right? Share those thoughts with your wedding photographer.
Maybe you are envisioning a comfortable affair that your guests feel free to mingle and celebrate with you as one big happy family. Something simple, you want your gown to be simple, yet timeless. Your colors, flowers and decor are all simple clean yet beautiful like the black white and green color pallet of this wedding.
Or maybe you have a theme to your wedding, like a vintage old Hollywood movie premier. Combining your love of all things glamour, and his love of fishing, like this wedding, where the movie they premiered, "The Perfect Catch"
No matter how simple or how grand you plan your wedding to be, the more you let your wedding photographers in on your vision, the better they can capture that for you. If you have a binder of your wedding inspiration, we recommend sharing that with your photographer. Bring it to the initial interview; if the photographer captures that vision and is on the same page with you, then you know you've found the right person for the job. But if they don't seem to get it, or are missing the mark on your vision, you know you may need to keep looking.
Take a good look at many different Sacramento wedding photographers' websites, and note which photos you are drawn to, which ones you like. Is there a consistent theme to the photos you like? Are you drawn to the photojournalistic photo? The one that is completely unplanned, that is just a moment captured spontaneously? Or maybe they are the photos, that while posed, are capturing an emotion, a closeness, a passion. Do you like fun playful photos, or maybe photos that have a high fashion feel to them? Do most of the photos you are drawn to have a natural color/processing to them, are they black & white, or is there a lot of Photoshop effects done to the photos your like? Are you drawn to a more modern casual style of photography, or a more traditional posed style of photography?
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All of these things are good to make note of, and share with the photographers you are interviewing. Even show them samples of the style of photos you are drawn to. Do you see that style reflected in their work? If there is a particular wedding that they photographed that captures the style you're drawn to, talk to them about that. A true professional will not give you a carbon copy of those photos you're drawn to, but use that inspiration, coupled with your groom's and your personalities to create your own unique wedding photos.
You could have the best photographer in the world, but they aren't a mind reader. Make sure you communicate to your photographer if there are any "must have" photos.
Sure they know to get a photo of the 1st kiss, the 1st dance, a photo of you and your groom together. If they are good they are not going to need to be told to get a photo of you with your parents, or your 1st sight of each other. So throw out that list from the wedding sites that has a million photos listed that would make a 3 year old say, "DUH, of COURSE they would want that photo!" You don't want your photographer so focused on a 5 page list of photos that they miss a spontaneous moment.
You've also selected the photographer you did, hopefully due to their artistic style and professionalism. If you give them a list of exact photos, and poses, they will be so focused on that list; it will remove their ability to tap that creative energy and inspiration that you hired them based on.
Instead share with your wedding photographer anything that holds significance or special meaning to you. For instance you have a family friend who took on an almost grandmotherly role in your life and you want that special bond recognized in the photos. Or your great aunt & uncle flew in from Russia to be here, and you want to make sure you get a photo of them or with them. Are there any details that you planned that you are really excited about and want recorded in the photos? A "legacy" table that honors loved ones that have passed on? Or maybe you and your sister in law spent days folding paper cranes and have all your guests' names on the cranes for your seating assignments. Or maybe you just LOVE your candy bar, make sure to let your wedding photographer know about these details.
We can't stress enough, the more you share with your photographer the plans and vision for your wedding day, the better they can capture that, and personalize it to you!
Check back tomorrow for another post in this series. We will be focusing on the importance of preparing your family and friends.
