Wedding Photography Planning | Preparation Tips & First Look
Every Pittsburgh wedding photographer will have their own approach as to how they document your wedding day. When I meet initially with Pittsburgh engaged couples I like to listen to their feedback first in terms of what aspects of their wedding planning are the most important to them. That in turn helps me to gauge how to best fit wedding photography coverage around their special day.Your When planning your wedding day events feel free to let me know if you have any specific shots or ideas in mind for the pre-ceremony part of your day. Your feedback will help me to determine how much time you should allot for this prep phase of your day. I recommend that 2 hours of coverage (prior to the start of the ceremony; not including travel time) is a fair amount of time to capture this “getting ready” phase. I typically will start my day off by first capturing detail shots of your dress, shoes, jewelry & sentimental items which roughly will take about 30 minutes. Afterwards, my remaining time is spent capturing candids of your makeup prep, dress fitting & socializing with your bridesmaids. If you’re interested in adding a 2nd photographer to your day then he/she would simultaneously capture photos of the groom & groomsmen getting ready.
If you have the option, I always recommend doing your wedding day prep in a brightly lit room; the more windows for naturally light, the better! Also, try and keep the room you’re getting ready in as clutter free as you can. Another option is to stage your getting ready shots in a separate room. In terms of the jewelry, shoes & little keepsake items, please collect all of those things in a pile so that they are readily available. This allows me easily access to photograph these items in one central spot so that I don’t miss anything.
Thinking About a First Look?
The “First Look” is a photo op option where the bride & groom will have the opportunity to see each other before their ceremony. If you’re not superstitious about seeing each other beforehand, this can be a wonderful option to get some candids and couples portraits, especially if you don’t have much time in between your ceremony & reception. Typically for a First Look photo op the groom will have his back turned as his bride comes up and taps him on the shoulder or asks to turn around etc… I capture this moment as it unfolds naturally, without any interruption. Then afterwards I will also take a series of creative couples portraits.
If you have any specific questions during your info-gathering stage of searching for your Pittsburgh wedding photographer feel free to let me know. I’d be happy to discuss how my photography can best fit into your wedding day. Another great resource & guide for how to best plan your pre-ceremony portion of your day head over to weddingwire.com