Wedding Photography Tips and Pictures!

So on Saturday, I had my first wedding photography shoot as a professional.  Have to tell you, it was a blast, but boy was I exhausted afterwards!  The setting was beautiful, however, and the family was amazing - so nice, and filled to the brim with personality.  I filled up 22 gigs of space on my cards - three cards combined - which is about 1300 photos shooting in RAW.  Everyone there had such a vibrant personality, there was almost nothing I didn't want to photograph.  The family/wedding party also did most of their own decorations, the cake - and you definitely wouldn't have known!  I have to give a special shout out to the maid of honor/bride's sister - she was my lifeline when it came to getting the family together for photos, and helped style the bride's gown during the formal shoot.

Tips for newbies like me!:

-Always bring twice as much memory as you think you're going to use!

-If you have time, try and talk to the pastor before hand and ask him not to move during the first kiss!

-Make sure you have lots of water - you get dehydrated very quickly

-Find that person that can get the family in gear early on, and ask for their help!

-If you don't have a wide angle, BORROW ONE!  You never know how many people will need to be put in one picture, and having a super wide angle makes it so easy.

-If you can't afford a $1000+ telephoto lens, try and get a prime lens of 50mm or 85mm.  They have absolutely excellent lens quality, and with low fstops you can get creamy dreamy backgrounds and shoot in very low light conditions easily without flash.  You can always zoom in and out with your feet, even if you can't with your lens!

-Don't be too proud to take suggestions from family members - they know their family best!

-Always ask what the most important pictures to the bride, groom, and parents are - you are there to make them happy!

-Sometimes its the reaction of the crowd that makes a picture - watch everyone, not just the bride and groom.


Some of my favorite moments from the wedding:

Proud Parents

One of my absolute favorite portraits

He said she couldn't skip in heels.

You can tell they are so much in love

I love how she's looking at him

The wedding party was announced with flamethrowers - how cool is that?

The groom tried to get her first

He told her not to catch it

The groom takes off the bride's garter...oh, wait...

 Congratulations, Drew and Rosanna!