Congratulations! If you’re reading this, I assume you’re engaged, or about to get married. Or perhaps you’re just someone wondering what advice a male wedding photographer could possibly give a bride?!
As a wedding photographer in Melbourne, I’ve seen weddings first hand, experiencing them from a unique, behind-the-scenes view that few will ever experience.
Here are the 6 things I wish every bride knew before their big day:
1. You don’t need to follow tradition Some of the most amazing weddings I’ve attended completely broke the mould of the ‘traditional wedding’.
Remember that your wedding is exactly that – your wedding. You can do whatever the heck you want! Think outside the box a bit and create something that matches who you are.
2. Do you really need photos of your shoes? I think this one’s the fault of us wedding photographers, who talk up the ‘importance’ of pretty pictures of wedding shoes… necklaces, garters, earrings, perfume (usually laid out neatly on a bed!)… by blogging photos featuring them. Do you really need those photos?
While your photographer is arranging pretty photos of objects that probably don’t really mean anything to you, all the awesome moments are happening in the next room while you’re getting ready. I for one would much rather be capturing them, or at least something that would evoke a feeling for you when you see the photo.
3. Unplugged weddings are priceless Everyone wants to sneak a photo of the bride walking down the aisle at a wedding – I get it! As a guest at a wedding, I feel myself reaching for my phone too…
‘Unplugged weddings’, i.e. ones where guests aren’t permitted to use their phones/tablets, are so much better – not just for the photos (which don’t show a sea of screen-hidden-faces), but also for your guests’ attention. Without their devices, they’re encouraged to really experience your special moments.
4. You get what you pay for I appreciate that everyone has a strict budget for photography, but in general, you get what you pay for when hiring a wedding photographer. Don’t be tempted by that guy who’s offering a $1000 all day wedding package on Gumtree.
To be able to shoot that cheaply, he’s likely had very little experience, doesn’t have the right gear or backup gear, doesn’t have insurance, is shooting 100’s of other weddings to make ends meet, or is doing wedding photography as an experiment while he works out what he wants to do.
Paying the market rate, or slightly over the market rate for a wedding photographer is always a wise investment. After all, paying someone adequately to do an amazing job of recording your most precious memories on the most special day of your life is really important.
5. What’s most valuable to you? Weddings are expensive things, but before you start going over your budget, take a step back and decide what’s really important to you.
Do you really need to have that $10k dress you’ll only wear once? Do you really to book that expensive venue, just because all your friends got married there? Do you even need to decorate the entire venue in flowers that will be on the compost heap by sunrise?
I don’t want to tell you how to plan your wedding, but I encourage you to challenge the notion of a typical wedding. Remember – it’s your day, and you can do whatever you want
6. No wedding has ever or will ever go according to the timeline
I have encountered very few weddings that have gone according to the pre-made time line. Weddings have a time line of their own, and will unfold just as they are meant to! My couples who enjoy their day the most, are the ones that don’t get too caught up in everything having to BE JUST SO. They are full of love and gratitude, that they have found the person they are meant to be with. As you embark on a lifelong journey together, does it really matter if the ceremony starts 5 minutes late?
Great tips here! I never really thought about the tip with the shoes etc but it makes sense! And I love that you remind people it’s their day and they don’t have to stick with tradition – that’s exactly what I’ll be doing for my wedding day!