Weddings are hard. You have to book everything so far in advance, you have to figure out a seating chart to where you know you won’t have any family fights for the evening, and you have to set a budget (but Pinterest though!). By the time your wedding rolls around, you’re already excited for the show to get on the road.

What I forget as someone who works in the wedding industry, is that most people getting married have only been to a few weddings or maybe none at all. And, most of the time, they haven’t planned one yet. So, I want to share a little bit of my knowledge on little things you can do as a bride (or groom) to make your pictures and video so much better on your wedding day.

Communication

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s also the most important! Communicating what you want to your videographer and photographer will not only make the wedding day go smoother but will make you happier in the end. I make sure to send a questionnaire to my couples a month prior to the wedding to go over everything they want in their film. So if you’re looking to still book your photographer or videographer, make sure that they have a plan to meet with you or talk over the phone to go over what you would like or expect on the wedding day. While we have filmed/shot a lot a weddings, there’s always new trends coming around that we may not be aware of. So if there is a certain picture or shot you want — let us know! We would be happy to get it for you.

Getting Ready in Natural Light

Nothing ruins a makeup or hair shot more than bad indoor lighting. And most of the hotels out there have it — the dreaded orange light! The best place to get ready is in natural lighting, whether that may be outside or inside with the lights off. And it doesn’t have to be for the whole time! We know your make-up artist will probably need the room light as sometimes with the lights off, it’s a little dark. By turning off the light for just a couple of minutes, we can get the shots we need that will really make you pictures and video pop! Or another option is outside. I’ve done a few dress shots outside where the bride is getting ready. The natural light outside was absolutely stunning!

Opt for Sunset Pictures and Video

My most favorite part of the day! Golden hour. You know that block of 60 minutes before sunset, that is the most perfect time to get pictures and video done. The lighting is perfect! And the best part is that it’s just the two of you, being romantic and cute. Golden hour is honestly where I get a lot of my footage for my wedding films and if you’re looking for those romantic shots that will make your video and photos to stand out, definitely opt for going out at golden hour.

Check out your Photographer’s/Videographer’s Portfolio

Hopefully you’ve done this if you’ve booked them, but if you haven’t, make sure you check out your photographer’s and videographer’s portfolio. The hardest thing, as bride’s, is setting up these huge expectations of what you’re wanting your big day to look like (curse your Pinterest!) so seeing what you vendors can do will put you at ease. Also, when you are looking for your photographer and videographer, really look at their work. Is it what you want your memories to look like?

Relax and Have Fun

A no brainer, right?! One wedding I filmed, the bride and groom were both a little nervous. They had warned me ahead of time that they were a little camera shy so of course that did show in their shots together. Though, after some great icebreakers from me and the photographer, we got them to relax and loosen up. What a difference! Remember, we love the natural moments. Don’t feel silly for laughing a big laugh or accidentally messing up a twirl for the camera. Those are the moments we LOVE! So don’t worry if you mess up or totally miss each other’s lips when trying to kiss because even if it may seem silly to you, it translates beautifully on camera.