Introducing an Amazing Wedding Photographer

I work with some amazing wedding photographers, and one of my absolute favourite togs is the talented Kirsty from Wildflower Weddings. We first worked together on a mutual friend’s wedding in January 2016, and since then we’ve become close, meeting up every couple of months to chat all things wedding.

Recently Kirsty came to the House of Hotten to hug Valentine McFarty and share with me insider tips from a wedding photographers perspective. Below is everything I learnt, and I hope you find this helpful too.

Timings for your ceremony

Firstly, when thinking about the timings for your ceremony, it’s a great idea to discuss with your photographer what time they suggest it should start.  They have lots of experience on how long everything will take, and can advise how you should take into consideration the time of year and location you have chosen.  For example, in South East Queensland and Northern NSW, sun sets around 5pm in Winter, whereas in Summer you’ll have an extra hour and a half to play with.

You may want to consider how much time you would like between your ceremony and your reception starting, and whether you’re going for a short, simple ceremony, or a full Catholic Mass wedding.

SUGGESTED TIMINGS

Winter wedding in Brisbane with a sun set of 5pm, and a half hour ceremony

3.00 to 3.30pm: CEREMONY

3.30 to 4.00pm: CONGRATULATIONS FOLLOWED BY GROUP/FAMILY PHOTOS

4.00 to 4.30pm: BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS

4.30 to 5.00pm: COUPLE PHOTOS

Things to consider:

• If you need to travel to your photo location, allow extra time for this. 
• If you have a large bridal party (more than six members), allow extra time as well.

Summer wedding in Brisbane with a sun set of 6.45pm, and a half hour ceremony

4.30 to 5.00pm: CEREMONY

5.00 to 5.30pm: CONGRATULATIONS FOLLOWED BY GROUP/FAMILY PHOTOS

5.30 to 6.00pm: BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS

6.00 to 6.30pm: COUPLE PHOTOS

Things to consider:

• If you don’t want to wait until 4.30 to start your ceremony, you can still do it earlier. You might want to arrange an afternoon tea, nibbles or a grazing platter for your guests

Ceremony Lighting

You may have fallen in love with a particular area at your venue where you would like your ceremony to take place. However when holding your ceremony outside, it’s important to consider what the natural light is like. 

During the ceremony, if one of you is in dappled light, or one of you is in the light, and the other in the shade, this can result in less than ideal circumstances for a photographer to get the best possible shots of you.

From a photographers perspective, an ideal ceremony location is one that under full shade.  Direct sunlight plays havoc with facial expressions and really, who wants their wedding photos to be mainly of them squinting?  Plus it can be pretty uncomfortable for those standing within the direct rays.

Unplugged Wedding

When a photographer is taking shots of your ceremony, a good opportunity can be missed when Auntie Beryl is in the way, recording every moment with her brand new iPad. Kirsty is the kind of photographer who loves taking shots of guests reactions during the ceremony, and if they’re looking down at their phones, this is something she can’t capture.  Her preference is for your guests to be engaged and in the moment but if you have your heart set on your guests taking candid shots, then she, of course, is not going to stop you.  It’s your wedding, and Kirsty is the kind of photographer who is very flexible and will do whatever works best for you.

Confetti Toss

If you’d like your confetti to make maximum impact, ask your guests to toss the confetti nice and high, and not all at once, as you walk past them.  You can ask your Celebrant to make this announcement, or get the person or people handing it out to ask.

And, another tip: the bigger the confetti, the better it will look in the photos.  Rice is fairly indistinguishable in a photo, whereas a larger petal, such as those from roses can look the best.

Framing the Ceremony Space

If you’re wondering whether to have an arbour, plants, or décor to focus your ceremonial area; do!  Giving this focus to where the action is happening always results in better photos.  And, if you can remember to do so, try to stand in the middle.  Don’t worry if you forget though. As your Celebrant, I’ll always be keeping on eye on things and will gently help guide you into place if you do start to wander off.

Thanks a million Kirsty for these great tips. Some very good advice from one of the top professionals in the industry.

To read more wedding tips check out the following list.

Please feel to contact me at roxy@roxyrocks.com