Wedding Planning And What’s Important For weddings
When it comes to planning a wedding, you need to know what’s most important for weddings!
What’s important for weddings?
It’s choosing the perfect color for your table linens.
It’s how many layers your cake has.
It’s having the most exotic blooms possible.
It’s having centerpieces that are so large you can’t see the guests on the other side of the table.
It’s probably pretty obvious that I’m joking. But you wouldn’t believe the number of websites out there stuffing these beliefs down couples throats. Many of them lead you to believe that if your wedding cost less than $100,000, there’s something wrong with you. Even sites like Pinterest can steer you down the wrong path. I see it all the time when it comes to wedding photography. Before I go any further, I want to be clear on one thing. I do like Pinterest when used correctly. When it’s used for inspriation, not replication. Pinterest can be a little misleading because not everything we see on there is real. Some of the wedding photos you see were created using models and elaborate lighting schemes. Luxuries we don’t have when photographing a real wedding. You will also see a lot of extravagant wedding ideas typically found on super expensive weddings. This can create a lot of social pressures.
There’s been A Shift In The trends!
Many times, trends drive our thoughts and decisions. Weddings are no exceptions. I must say, I’m a big fan of this trend. Couples are placing a higher value on emotion. They want candid wedding photography that captures people and the emotion that comes with the day. Not all that long ago, the trend was more focused on “things.” In other words, the photograph of a shoe had a hire value than a photo of a bride sharing a dance with her father. I love photographing the details of a wedding day - the wedding dress, jewelry, cakes, etc. They are great photos and they’re important to have at the end of a day because they play a critical role in telling your overall story.
20 years from now, you’re not going to look back on your wedding and think, "my shoes were the best part of the day” or “my bouquet was the most amazing thing ever.” Your going to look back on your wedding and remember the people, and the moments you shared with them. You will look back and fondly remember the first dance you shared with your partner or the heartfelt words that made you cry during your best friend’s toast.
How Will this Trend Impact Wedding Photography?
The answer to this question probably depends on the wedding photographer you ask. However, in my opinion, I believe there is great potential to have a significant impact.
Let me explain.
Here’s a sad fact about wedding photography. If a wedding photographer wants to be published in a magazine (and many do), creating amazing photos of wedding details is essential. That’s what sells magazines. These photographers create mind blowing detail shots, but many of them can’t capture a human moment if there life depended on it. Knowing this will of course play a role in who you choose to be your wedding photographer.
Do you want a photographer that has their own agenda? Their sole focus is creating incredible detail shots, but they miss the moment your father breaks down in tears after seeing you in your wedding dress. Most of your wedding photos will be about people. You will want a photographer that is good at photographing people and actually likes it too. This passion will be evident in their photos.
Something To Consider!
When it comes to choosing a wedding photographer, many couples focus on the wrong things. Unless you have wedding planning experience, it’s easy to do. For the purposes of this article, one thing you will definitely want to look at when evaluating photographers is their portfolio. Good wedding photographers have to be proficient in many different genres of photography. You have to be good a photographing:
Products/Details - attire, jewelry, cakes, etc.
People - formal posed and natural posed
Candid/emotional moments - understanding when to click the shutter because a second too soon or too late misses the moment
Action/event - dancing and any other action type events
Low light photography - understanding how to get the best performance out of your equipment to produce the most professional images
When choosing a photographer, check out their portfolio. There are a several questions to consider:
How do the people look in their photos? Do they look happy? Scared to death? Natural?
How does their editing look? Natural or something out of a sci-fi movie? How do the colors look?
How is their use of lighting? Do they appear to know what they are doing are there really awkward shadows?
Do they seem to be proficient in capturing details, people, candid moments, action, low light, etc.?
What’s important for weddings? Wedding photography is typically one of the top 3 most important details for couples. You’re spending a lot of money to have this memorable wedding experience and your photos will allow you to cherish these memories for the rest of your life. Hopefully you’ve learned about some important considerations when it comes to choosing a wedding photographer.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me! I love talking weddings!