Preparing for your wedding day photography

Many of you know I follow a number of blogs (Michael Andrew, David Jay, Melissa Jill, Jasmine Star, The Image Is Found, and Matt Nicolosi to name just a few)– I feel it is important to continue to keep up with not only the technical aspects of photography, but also the styles, and any other tidbit that other photographers experience in their business. The following is an excerpt and image by Melissa Jill of Melissa Jill Photography out of Phoenix Arizona. These four points were well thought out, and worth the read. If you are in the process of planning your wedding day, please take the time to read this, and …take a look at the Melissa Jill Photography site! http://www.melissajill.com/

#1 Plan out the timing of your wedding thoughtfully
…Make sure to time your ceremony so there is sufficient light available. Natural light makes all the difference in the quality of your photos. Always plan at least a half hour after the ceremony to interact with your guest of your family before even beginning the portraits. So overall, make sure the ceremony ends 2 hours before sunset to be safe. In addition, I recommend planning in extra time between different events of your day as there are always unexpected things that come up and this will help to reduce stress and allow you to enjoy your day.
#2 Communicate to me any “must have” shots
I will typically shoot the following formal portraits:
Bride &Groom
Bride&Groom with Bride’s extended family
Bride&Groom with Groom’s extended family
Bridal party all together
Bride with bridesmaids (grouped and individually)
Groom with groomsmen (grouped and individually)
If there are others you would like to have, simply email them to me. I encourage you to not get too carried away with the list. I will be shooting constantly and am sure to get a wide variety of shots that you will like. As an artist it is important for me to be able to stay in the creative zone and shoot moments as they happen instead of being tied to a long list of shots that need to be checked off. I do want to accommodate your desires so please make them known.
#3 Prepare your family and friends for the style of photography you have chosen
As you know, my style of photography is highly photojournalistic. This means that I will follow your through out the day and shoot all the details and special moments as they happen. It is important to communicate your excitement about your choice for photography to your family and riends. Write them all an email and include my website: http://www.melissajill.com/ and encourage them to take a look. When they see examples of my work they will better understand what I am doing on your wedding day. They will feel more comfortable around the camera. In the email also encourage them to ignore me as much as possible. I try to be unobtrusive and invisible as much as possible. This way I get much more natural shots. Preparing your family and friends will help everyone to enjoy the day and will insure that I capture the best images of your day.
#4 Trust Me
It is my hope that you hire me because you trust that I will do a fabulous job documenting one of the most important days of your life. I promise to do my best for you. What I want most for you is that you will be able to enjoy your wedding day, free of any worry that all the right shots are being taken. So determine ahead of time to enjoy your day and to relinquish control over the photography on the day of your wedding.