RESEARCH YOUR VENDORS

It is a great time to look for a wedding photographer as there are so many brilliant and talented photographers out there, and you are really spoilt for choice. There are lots of different approaches from purely documentary to more editorial; different editing styles from romantic light and airy to a dark and moody, and lots of photographers who are somewhere in between. You need to find your perfect photographer, whose work you really love and connect with. It is also important that you feel comfortable and relaxed with your photographer as he/she will be with you most of the day. You also need to consider if the venue works with the photographer’s style. For example, if the venue you have chosen is dark, you need to make sure that you find a photographer who has experience in working in low light-venues.

THE DETAILS

Once you’ve found your wedding photographer, he/she will prepare the wedding contract which will outline and list all the important details. The wedding contract protects both parties and it is important to ask and discuss any questions with your photographer before signing. The most important thing is that you communicate with your wedding photographer; they need to know the schedule of the day in advance and make sure that the timeline is realistic. For example, you need to allow 25-30 minutes for couple portraits after the ceremony and usually the same for the formal group shots. If you work with a wedding planner, they can assist with all these details. You also need to send the requested group shot list to the photographer and need to make them aware of any additional requests, special circumstances, VIP guests etc. In my experience group shots can be time consuming as guests can be challenging to gather and organise; and having dedicated helpers who know both side of the family can be a great help with this. If you have any concerns -something you don’t like, worried about the couple photography experience or some guests who don’t get along etc.  it is always best to discuss them with the wedding photographer in advance, no matter how big or small the issue may seem. The chances are that your wedding photographer has experienced similar situations and will be able to suggest solutions or ideas to try. Your photographer will have years of experience in the wedding industry, so feel free to ask them for any tips and advice.

HELPING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER ON THE WEDDING DAY

You need to check with your wedding photographer what assistance they need on the day, to make sure that they can provide the best possible service. The bride and groom will be way too swept of their feet to worry about the photographer on the wedding day, however with a little organisation, things can run very smoothly, particularly if you are working with a wedding planner. For example, you can ask the Maid of Honour to be responsible for tidying up the room the Bride is getting ready in, and make sure that it is as clutter free as possible. You can ask a bridesmaid to make sure that she hands the dress, shoes, invitations, rings and anything else needs to be captured to the photographer when he/she arrives. You can ask the hair and make up artist to make sure that you are ready 30 minutes before you need to get dressed, to capture some lovely getting ready shots. You can appoint helpers who know both side of the families to help with the formal group shots. And lastly, you can make sure that the caterers feed the photographer at the same time the guests are having their wedding breakfast, so your photographer is rested and recharged to capture rest of the day. These small things actually make a huge difference on the day and help you to make the most out of your professional wedding photographer.

ENJOY YOUR DAY

Once you have discussed all the details with your wedding photographer and ensured that the photographer has what he/she needs on the wedding day, your only aim is to enjoy the day. Trust your wedding photographer that he/she will capture the day beautifully; and embrace the day however it unfolds. Stop worrying about things out of your control, like the weather -let’s face it, some seasons in Lusaka rain can come any time, certain wedding guests, and if the floral decor will look exactly how you wanted and remind yourself of the meaning of the day. You are there to celebrate your love and commitment, and no matter what happens, it will be one of your most special days in your life.