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Wedding Day Tips |
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Wedding Day Tips |
At Creative Arts, our photography preserves the memories of your wedding day. Our style blends contemporary photojournalism with traditional wedding portraiture to give your photographs a genuine, natural appearance. We will show every heart-felt glance, every tear, every embrace and every joyous moment, all while remaining discrete and unobtrusive.
There are, however, a number of issues for you to consider so that you don't inadvertently hinder our ability to produce beautiful and creative photographs. If you follow these simple tips, your wedding photos will bring memories and joy for years to come.
You may want to consider event insurance to cover such things as accidents, property damage, vendor non-performance, or retainer losses due to an unplanned cancellation of the day. For example, if the one and only road to the reception hall gets washed out a week before the wedding, your limo, florist or other vendor does not show or deliver, one of your guests breaks a 100 year old antique chair, or a parent or grandparent unexpectedly passes the day before the wedding. Because we have seen these types of things happen many times over the years, we recommend event insurance to our brides.
Many homeowner insurance companies can offer it as a single event rider, or you can purchase it through a third party company like Fireman’s Fund (RV Nuccio & Associates) 800-ENGAGED.
Churches often have strict policies about photography. For example, a few churches prohibit photography inside the sanctuary. Some require that photos be taken at a specific time, such as before or after the ceremony. Others specify when and where the photographer may photograph your ceremony.
Be sure to check with your church's photography policies. You should advise Creative Arts about any restrictions or any permit requirements well in advance.
If your church does restrict when or where photos may be taken, you might consider using the Creative Arts studio for some of your portrait and group shots. Formal portraits, for example, could be taken in the studio on the day of the wedding.
Another alternative that you might consider would be to take photos outdoors at a scenic park or a friend's home. You should make these arrangements well in advance of the wedding date.
Before the wedding, check around the church's altar and other photo locations. Churches often have visible microphones and sound systems around the altar, and sometimes have unusual rugs, display banners, statues, kneeling steps, religious symbols, wall repairs, and spot painting that you may not want to show in your photographs.
You need to let us know in advance if there are items that you do not want shown in your photographs. You can ask the church to have the items concealed or removed. Unfortunately, few churches allow these items to be disturbed.
Sometimes we can choose a shooting angle that avoids an unwanted item, or we can choose an alternate photo location.
When selecting outdoor locations consider the lighting and time of day. Midday outdoor ceremonies have the worst lighting. Direct overhead light can cause the details in your dress to get washed out. It also causes squinting and unwanted shadowing in the eyes. Try to find a shaded area that can be provided by trees or an archway.
The best solution is to choose a ceremony time a couple of hours before sunset or a couple of hours after sunrise. It’s also a good idea to visit the ceremony location at the same time of year and day as your wedding. Observe the angle of the sun and shadows. Preferably, your guests and photographer should have the sun shining on their backs or up to 45 degrees to the left or right of their backs. Also check to see if you are going to be looking directly in the sun as you say your vows. This could cause unwanted squinting, and result in one or the other’s face being in total shadow.
Permits or special permission may be required before photographing in some locations. For example, Washington, DC requires that professional photographers have a permit specifying the date, time, location and use of photographs before taking pictures on public property. Other locations prohibit tripods, light stands and equipment cases. Ask each site for their photography policies well in advance of your wedding.
Permits or advance arrangements may be required for parking and unloading. For example, the Army-Navy Club in Washington, DC requires service providers such as florists and photographers to be on the guest list and to make advance arrangements for parking and unloading equipment.
We like to use areas that are decorated with fresh flowers as a setting for your portraits. Therefore, it is important that the flower arrangements be complete and properly placed in advance of the portrait sessions. If you are using fresh flowers, be sure to let the florist know the portrait schedule and how long the flowers must remain fresh. In any case, make sure your florist delivers your flower arrangements before the portrait sessions are scheduled to begin.
Be careful when selecting accessory material for your dress like veils and tooling. Many of the cheaper man-made materials have been heavily bleached white, which tend to reflect a lot of ultra violet light. When photographed, these materials tend to have a blue-magenta cast. The effect is even more exaggerated in outdoor lighting. You can easily end up with a beautiful white dress and a blue veil as a result. One way to test the material is to take it outdoors and view it in sunlight and shade. Compare it with your wedding dress in the same light. If the veil appears bluish magenta compared to your dress, then you have a problem.
Consult with your musicians, the organist and any vocalists, to determine their rehearsal requirements. Make sure that the music rehearsal schedule does not conflict with the photography schedule. If you expect a conflict, let Creative Arts know in advance so that alternative photo locations can be selected.
Check the shooting schedule outlined in the wedding photography contract. If there are to be changes, consult with the photographer before making any changes.
This seems to be a growing problem for most brides in recent years. On average we have seen up to 15% of the guests arrive after ceremony time. This not only can delay the ceremony, but also can snowball into other delays that effect the schedule of the day. It can also be disruptive to have guests wonder in behind and among the procession.
The main cause of tardiness seems to be that guests underestimate travel time or do not anticipate delays due to heavy weekend traffic especially when weddings are scheduled during Friday afternoon rush hour.
It’s a good idea to include driving time in the directions you send guests. Build in an extra buffer to allow for congested weekend traffic. You may even want to consider posting in the invitation a ceremony time that is 15 minutes prior to the actual time.
If you do not have a coordinator, you should consider assigning the task to someone you trust. Many details must be supervised on the wedding day, and you are going to be too busy to do it. It is smart to assign the responsibility to another person other than yourself, a member of the wedding party or immediate family.
All those great bridesmaids will be there to wait on you hand and foot. Don’t be afraid to put them to work. They can be very helpful on the wedding day including monitoring your dress, makeup and veil throughout the portrait sessions.
Creative Arts needs access the shooting locations at least one hour before we are scheduled to take photographs. We need that time to select suitable locations and set up our equipment.
Almost every wedding experiences at least a few unforeseen delays. Your florist could need a little more set-up time than was expected. The hair stylist or manicurist might arrive late. The limousine driver could be caught in traffic. Members of your wedding party, or your family, may think it's fashionable to arrive a little late. Spills, rips, lost keys, a missing tuxedo…there are a million things that can go wrong. We've seen many of them, and we're sure to see some more.
Expect delays. Schedule a little free time periodically throughout the day so that your whole day's agenda isn't thrown off by a few early delays.
If the bride, bridal party and her family are scheduled for photos first, we recommend having the groom, groom’s party and his family there ready for pictures at the same time. If the bride is delayed, we can photograph the groom and his while we are waiting.
If formal portraits and family groups are schedule after the ceremony make sure to check that ample time has been set aside for these portraits. The photographer can give you an estimate on how much time we be needed. Make sure this schedule does not conflict with your other vendor schedules such as catering, transportation, or entertainment services even if the ceremony does not begin on time.
Make certain that everything is secure on the wedding day. We have had several brides, their friends and families robbed of wallets, purses, credit cards, video and camera equipment, cell phones, wedding gifts, and monetary gifts left in dressing rooms, unlocked cars or other unsecured areas. Make sure to gather and secure your valuables after getting dressed. Keep weddings gifts in a secure location. You may want to assign a person to be responsible for collecting envelopes and gifts as guests arrive.
Make certain that everyone (!) is ready for their pictures on time. Creative Arts recommends that you assemble everyone being photographed at least thirty minutes in advance. You could assign this job to your event coordinator.
Obviously, it makes the whole process easier to manage, but more importantly, it makes better portraits. This way, no one will feel rushed; everyone will be relaxed. When people are relaxed, it shows. A relaxed person is just more photogenic.
We recommend that you not tell people they are being assembled early. Tell them that they are expected at a certain time. Only you and your event coordinator need to know that it is thirty minutes earlier than the actual schedule.
Once we begin taking portraits, those being photographed must remain at the location until we are finished.
In any case, do not assign errands or projects to those being photographed. When pictures are scheduled after the ceremony, the wedding party and families should return to the photo area immediately after exiting the ceremony, before having a chance to scatter. We will photograph the bride, groom and officiator first, bride and groom next, wedding party, immediate family and, as time permits, extended family.
We take great care to allocate enough time for your portraits. Any reduction in the allotted time due will diminish our effectiveness.
When portrait sessions are scheduled after the ceremony, it is best to photograph the bulk of the family and wedding party groups near the ceremony location before members have a chance to scatter. Trying to reassemble members for groupings at a separate location is extremely difficult and time consuming, and should be avoided.
Photographic flash units will occasionally cause a bright white reflection on eyeglass lenses. Even eyeglasses that are supposed to be non-glare or glare resistant can and do reflect very bright light.
Unfortunately, retouching photos to reduce the reflection is time consuming and costly. Creative Arts recommends that you either not wear glasses for your portraits, that you wear contact lenses, or that you wear eyeglass frames with the lenses removed. Talk to your optometrist. Do not remove the lenses yourself.
If you are wearing tinted lenses, be sure to keep them out of the sun prior to shooting, so that the lenses do not appear dark in the photographs.
If you tend to close your eyes when being photographed, please let us know. Also, let us know about members of your wedding party or your guests that are known to close their eyes. We can take the necessary steps to help remedy the problem.
Apply makeup a little darker than normal since flash lighting has a tendency to wash you out, but not too heavy. Too much foundation or powder to cover up a zit can make them stand out even more. Reddish colors will appear more saturated in the photographic image than real life. Use a matte finish makeup-and-mattefier like Maybelline’s Shine Free Oil-Control makeup or a shine-controlling serum that goes on underneath your makeup like Dior’s iOd Matte Aqua Fluid. Avoid shiny or glossy finishes, “angel dust” or any other product containing glitter or any reflective substance to your makeup. These substances reflect light, and that is a problem that will require retouching at an additional price.
This may sound silly, but stand in front of the mirror and practice your smile – are you showing too much gum or teeth. Find that natural smile and try to remember how it feels. Once you have it, repeat it enough times to where you can do it without looking.
If children are in your wedding party, Creative Arts recommends that you assign an adult, one who is not participating in the wedding or being photographed, to monitor the children. It will be the adult's job to make sure that children such as the flower girl and the ring bearer are in the right place at the right time. The adult will also need to make sure the children remain dressed in their wedding day costumes for the ceremony and photography.
And, a word to the wise: Avoid giving candy, soda, or anything with either sugar or caffeine to children before the wedding. They will be excited because of the festivities. Sugar and caffeine may cause them to become over stimulated.
When you're exchanging your vows and rings, try to remember to turn completely toward each other so that at least your profiles can be viewed from the back of the church. Be sure to say your vows to each other rather than to the officiator.
When lighting a unity candle, try to position yourself so that your bodies do not block the candle and the lighting can be observed from the back of the church. Outdoor weddings may want to consider globes for the unity candle to prevent the wind from blowing them out.
During the procession, remind the participants to look straight ahead and smile.
After the recession, be sure to let us know whether you will be returning immediately for more posed pictures or be delayed by a receiving line or other event.
If you have requested that either the photographer or videographer have priority over the other, please be sure to inform both of your wishes to avoid any possible conflicts on the wedding day.
If pictures are scheduled after the ceremony and you are planning a receiving line, we recommend that you schedule your receiving line to coincide with your arrival at your reception. If you schedule the receiving line at the ceremony location, it could reduce the amount of time we have for posed pictures.
If group portraits need to be taken at the reception, we recommend selecting a single location that is easily accessible to everyone. Schedule the photographs to be taken at one time, either during the cocktail hour or before you enter the reception.
If Creative Arts has been contracted for six or more hours, then the photographer and assistant will need a meal break. Ideally, you should schedule our meal break to coincide with your dinner. That way, we won't miss any important moments.
If you have made meal arrangements for us, please let us know in advance.
Smoke from candles, fog machines, cigarettes, fireworks, or any other source, can be a problem. Smoke reflects and distributes light. The effect of taking flash pictures through smoke is similar to the effect you see when a car's headlights shine on fog. The light is reflected back, making it hard to see through the fog.
It's the same with cameras and smoke. Smoke reflects light from our flash units. At best, the images will appear washed out, as if you're looking through gauze or white fishnet stockings. At worst, the images will be completely unusable.
Ideally, you should prohibit smoking anywhere photos will be taken. To reduce candle smoke, keep the wicks trimmed to a short length. Save the fog machine for late in the reception. Set off fireworks far from your guests. Keep indoor smoke-filled areas well ventilated.
Be sure to get a good night's sleep. If you are fatigued (or hung over), it will show in your portraits. This is something we cannot fix by retouching or editing.
Nervousness and stress are reduced if you are well rested and well fed. It will also help prevent fainting and dehydration during hot or humid weather. You may want to have a fruit plate and plenty of water available.
Don’t forget some of your guests, such as the elderly, may have special needs or be intolerant to certain environments. Handicap access, plenty of bottled water for outdoor ceremonies, and an emergency plan should be considered.
At Creative Arts, our goal is to create a wonderful set of images for you to cherish forever. We want your entire wedding experience to be as enjoyable as possible.
Taking the photographs is our responsibility. If you follow these simple tips, you won't inadvertently hinder our ability to produce beautiful and creative photographs, and you can be certain that your wedding photos will bring memories and joy for years to come.
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