Top 10 Wedding Photography Tips For Couples

I know exactly what you are looking for from your wedding day. An incredible celebration, that is memorable and of course, stress-free. But also amazing wedding photos that will last the test of time and allow you to relive said incredible memories.

Is it possible to have a fusion of amazing photography and a relaxed, fun day without feeling like you are in a photo shoot as a bride or groom? You bet it is.

Top Wedding Photography Tips For Couples

I’ve teamed up with award-winning, international wedding photographers Liam Collard Photography to together share our extensive photography and wedding day knowledge with you. Sharing insider know-how on how to achieve great wedding photography and enjoy doing so.

Here are our top wedding photography tips for couples. Hooray!

1. Find An Amazing Wedding Photographer

It’s imperative you choose a wedding photographer that produces high-quality images, has excellent testimonials and has something that connects you to them. Do your research and turn to independent sites to look at real reviews – Google, Facebook and Trustpilot can be great for this. (Liam Collard Photography has amazing reviews across their across Facebook, Google and their website testimonials page, which is a testament to just how amazing their images and service is.)

It’s also worth looking at full wedding galleries by the photographer to get a good feel for the selection of images to expect from them post-wedding. Finally, find things in common with them. You’ll be spending a lot of time together on the day – you want to get along.

2. Meet Your Wedding Photographer In Person Before The Wedding

Liam recommends as a couple, meeting with your chosen photographer prior to your big day.

Go for a coffee with them and get to know them a bit. It helps so much to feel relaxed confident and excited on the day if couples already know and like their photographer, meaning they get better photos.

Also however good a photographer’s work is, liking them and feeling like they understand your needs is a massive part of having a great day, as they are the one supplier that is around you from beginning to end.

So true! As a bride or groom, you’ll be spending most of your time with your wedding photographer on your wedding day. In fact, a similar amount of time as you will be spending with your new husband/wife. So it’s really vital to get along.

If you like and are having fun hanging out with your photographer, you’ll enjoy your wedding day experience more and any stress will melt away.

3. Have An Engagement Shoot

You may be wondering if an engagement shoot is something you need to do, or if indeed it’s worth it? Well, wedding pro Liam definitely recommends an engagement shoot to his couples pre-wedding.

If you want to spend your wedding day enjoying the celebration and not worrying about how you look in your photos then do an engagement shoot.

It will allow you time away from the wedding day to get confident in front of the camera, get to know your photographer and give you some special photos in unique locations that would not be possible on the wedding day.

As brides and grooms, many of us don’t feel confident in front of the camera. You wonder how to pose, will we look OK in the end phots, you may even cringe about not feeling awkward or on the spot. This is where an amazing photographer comes in and an engagement shoot is an amazing chance to practice.

I was nervous about being in front of the camera on my wedding day, but after doing a pre-wedding shoot, I knew what to expect, both on the shoot and for the end images. It takes away another worry or potential stressor before the wedding.

By the way, Liam Collard Photography is offering engaged couples that love to travel a free shoot if they do an engagement session in Lisbon, Portugal, where they spend a lot of the year.

4. Decide On Your Wedding Photo List

Organisation is key to a stress-free wedding day and I recommend all couples have at least an idea of what they are looking for in their wedding photos. Not just in terms of style, but actually of who and how many formal images you’re looking for.

Every wedding photographer offers different wedding photography styles, but also has a different approach to the number of images you’ll receive and the formal photo options. So do arrange a wedding photo list with your photographer before the day. Discuss with them what you are looking for, what is possible and their thoughts on how best to approach it.

Then on the day, you both clearly know the plan and you can delegate a wedding role to one of your wedding party to help organise those shots. A clear plan equals less stress and more fun, plus you’ll be happier post-wedding when your shots arrive as you hoped.

5. Plan Your Bride/Groom Morning Prep

If you are thinking of having photos in the morning, during your wedding prep, it’s key to have a structure to ensure it all goes without a hitch.

Experienced wedding photographer Liam shares his words of wisdom.

It always takes longer than expected so to avoid feeling rushed, book your hair and make up an hour earlier than you planned.

This will leave you plenty of time to have photos done and enjoy a quick glass of something before heading to the ceremony. Time really does fly by so it makes a huge difference doing this to allow for any delays.

Also, ask your wedding party to get onto their outfits on before you do. You don’t want your favourite photo of you putting your dress/suit on to feature one wedding party still in jeans and a t-shirt.

Having a timeline in the morning is a great idea, I’d also recommend delegating time management to someone in the morning to help you stick to it and ensure you aren’t running late. You may even want to dress your wedding party in cute pyjamas, t-shirts or robes for getting ready shots, this is really popular with brides and grooms right now.

It’s lovely to give bridesmaid gifts or groomsmen gifts in the morning too if you are planning to, they can make for some lovely candid shots.

6. Decide On Your First Look Moment

Are you considering a more modern first look, or a traditional first look at one another when you walk down the aisle? Now is a good time to decide, so you can let your photographer know. That way they can plan for this.

A modern first look can be wonderfully intimate, make for a really special photo moment and may relieve the nerves of walking down the aisle. You could choose a more scenic location, or just have a first talk or handhold around the corner/behind a door so you don’t see each other. But still, get a wonderful photographic opportunity pre-ceremony.

If you are looking for a key shot of you walking down the aisle, as well as the reaction of your spouse, you may need a second shooter.

Many wedding photographers offer a second shooter as part of their package. Liam Collard Photography is actually a two-person photography team consisting of Liam and Stam. So they can essentially be in two places at once enabling those all-important shots of your first look from different perspectives.

7. There’s No Need To Pose During Your Couple Portraits

When you hire a great wedding photographer, honestly, there really is no need to go out practising posing or pinning pose ideas on Pinterest. A professional photographer will be able to direct you and will have experience in this, so do trust them.

Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly if you have a pre-wed shoot) you may have a lot of fun and intimate moments together during your portraits. Often I hear couples say in real wedding features, how their couples’ portraits were one of their favourite moments.

It’s a chance to have some time alone, have a giggle, a wander, dance together, a chat and maybe a smooch.

Real smiles and intimacy work much better than staring into the camera, trying to pose a certain way when it comes to end images. Even more formal moments such as the cake cutting and first dance, don’t need to be orchestrated for your wedding photos.

As long as your photographer knows your timeline and location, they will find the best spot and light to capture the natural moment as it unfolds. That means for you, less stress on the day as well as the most authentic, beautiful end photos. Just like the images by Liam Collard Photography as demonstrated in this article.

8. Think About Having An Unplugged Wedding

Ever been to a wedding or seen a wedding photo with a sea of cameras and phones? Me too.

Whether your guests are snapping away or posting to Instagram, they may be looking through the lens rather than being in the moment at your wedding. If you’d rather they put down their camera ask them to.

Allow your photographer to take the shots and your guests to truly relax and enjoy the moment. A simple sign here or there, or an invite to not bring a camera on your wedding website should be sufficient. It should also allow for much nicer images of your guests during the ceremony or at those formal moments such as the cake cutting or confetti throw.

9. Look After Your Wedding Photographer

Don’t forget to take care of your photographer. It may sound silly, but if they are rested, well-fed and hydrated they are going to be able to work at their peak.

Ask your photographer what they need on the day or your photographer may let you know if they require anything. You can then communicate this to your venue so you can relax on the day.

10. Ditch The Idea Of Wedding Perfection

Your wedding day will not be perfect. No matter how much you plan, organise or dream of the perfect wedding, it’s just not achievable. Things will go wrong, there will be bloopers, but I promise you this, it happens to us all.

An amazing photographer will be there to actually capture your day as it is. If there is rain, for example, an experienced photographer will not be phased by this. Instead, they will know exactly how to adapt. In fact, the images may turn out even more special due to the conditions.

So don’t worry about getting your dress or suit dirty, be adventurous and enjoy your day as it happens. Yes!

So there we have it, Liam Collard Photography and my, top wedding photography tips for couples. Here’s to your amazing images and the most incredible wedding day ever.

If you’d like to hire Liam Collard Photography to shoot your wedding, whether it be in the UK or internationally, you can contact them on their site here.