Photo Credit

This post is a continuation of the post I did earlier for improving communication with your wedding photographer.

A photographer is a skilled individual. They are artists who are entrusted with the most precious moments of your day. And they become highly skilled in organization, else they miss those moments most important.

But your photographer needs your help to stay organized; to ensure that he/she won’t miss any bit of time with you and your family on the big day. This is why it’s so important to give your photographer a running timeline of your entire day. This ensures that the photographer knows exactly how to delegate which ‘formal’ pictures to be taken when, and how much time each will last.

The following is an example of a typical rundown of the communication that should go into your relationship with your wedding photographer.

4-6 Months Before the Wedding

• Choosing your photographer
• Meeting with photographer
• Booking photographer
• Discussing initial planning stages and expectations

1 Month  Before the Wedding

• Contact your photographer to be sure of all the details, go over any last minute changes, and make sure they have your updated itinerary. Make sure all times are as accurate as possible. Also, now is a good time to confirm your list of shots you do not want your photographer to miss.

1 Week Before the Wedding

• You can never confirm too many times. One last confirmation email/phone call/meeting to be 100% sure of everything.
• Also, give your photographer your emergency numbers (cell phones) and make sure you have your photographer’s.

Shot List for the Wedding Day

This post comes next week. =)

Here’s a tip for brides-to-be. We all know that planning your wedding can be stressful. You have to make sure everything is perfect and running smoothly. Improving communication with photographers is one of the many things you can do to avoid any unnecessary causes of stress!! Make sure you are open and honest with your photographer from the beginning. After all, she is the person who is in charge of capturing all the special moments of your big day.

Make sure all points are covered in the contract. You don’t want a special photograph to be missing because you didn’t make sure it was part of the deal.

Also, make a ‘shot list.’ Include every photo you absolutely want taken, such as groom with parents (and any possible sticky situations to be avoided, such as divorced parents who do not want to be photographed together). These kinds of lists make your day incredibly less stressful, and things run much more smoothly. What’s not to love about a photographer who takes control because she already knows exactly what you want?

If you haven’t already booked an engagement shoot with your photographer, ask them if they offer a pre-wedding photo shoot. These are soo essential to the relationship between client and photographer. It lets you as the client get to know your photographer, and become comfortable with their style of shooting, and it gives your photographer a chance to get to know the best way to work for you. *TIP* It doesn’t hurt to just hang out and have coffee with each other either. =) To trust someone with something so precious as your wedding day memories should mean you are comfortable, and even friends, with each other.

Don’t be afraid to let the photographer know what you are looking for!!! Yes, you booked that photographer because you love their work, and their style. But it’s a photographer’s job to bring out your personality in your photos. Help them out!

Another Wedding Day Tip to help with the photography: designate an ‘assistant’ to your photographer. Someone who knows  exactly who everybody is and can have everyone rounded up so the photographer doesn’t lose his/her mind trying to find people and organize them.

Also, make sure that if your photographer and videographer are not from the same company, that they are all on the same page. It’s not always pleasant when neither one knows where the other is until they’re in the shot..

My only other advice is to make sure that you let your photographer know of any special circumstances so no one is put into any uncomfortable situations. This is your big day. Do anything you can to let it flow smoothly!!