Couple walking by castle reflected in lake

How to Get the Most from your wedding photography


Your wedding day is one of the most important milestones of your life, and capturing it in a way that reflects the authenticity of your love story is essential. I employ a natural, documentary-style photography, which offers a timeless and emotive approach to preserving your memories. I also love to include a few artistic couple photographs incorporating beautiful light and landscapes. Here are some tips to ensure you get the most from your wedding photography:

Pre-Wedding Communication

I always prioritise clear communication with my couples throughout the whole process to ensure your expectations are met. Once you have decided to go ahead with your booking we will keep in touch until the big day. Feel free to contact me anytime if you have a question or need advice. I’ve photographed many weddings so I’ve seen all sorts of set ups and suppliers. If you need advice about planning your day, feel free to ask.

Videographers & other Recommended Suppliers

If you are interested in booking a videographer for your day, I highly recommend matching the styles of your photographer and videographer. For example, I have a very natural documentary style approach throughout the day where I’m not stopping you and posing you, so it’s important that you choose a videographer who also has this approach to get the best from both services. Please see the link below for some highly recommended documentary videographers who I have had worked with in the past, along with recommendations for other suppliers if interested.


The Pre-Wedding zoom chat

One to two months before the big day, or at any point once you have a good idea of your schedule, we can have a zoom chat where you can share details about your wedding day timeline. We will go through your schedule and the photography timings. We can also discuss how I work on the day and the type of photographs that are important to you.

Schedule Planning & Photography Timings

Your day is your day and I don’t dictate anything. However, there are a few suggestions I make on timings for the photography that are useful to factor into your planning and make the day go smoother.

Preparations

I love this part of the day as it’s generally quite relaxed and fun, with a buzz of activity. I usually arrive two hours prior to the ceremony to capture the preparations, but can come earlier if needed. If both partners are getting ready at the same location it is easy for me to hop between the two and capture both bridal preparations and groom preparations.



If both partners are getting ready in different locations then I usually spend most of the time with the bride and then meet the groom 30-40 mins before the ceremony (at the ceremony location) to capture the groom and groomsmen putting on their buttonholes and welcoming guests to the venue. For this arrangement I will need to leave the bridal party in time to get to the ceremony location to spend this 30 minutes with the groom party. Therefore, I suggest that the bride and bridesmaids are fully ready 20 mins before I have to leave their location, if you’d like some photography when you are all fully dressed.

I can offer a second shooter for the day but this is only really needed if both partners are getting ready in separate locations and you want a full two hours preparation photography of both groups. I also recommend a second shooter if you have a a large number of guests ( over 150).

If you’d like to do any first looks with your partner, father of the bride or your bridesmaids we tend do these at the end of bridal prep once you and your bridesmaids are in their dresses. Please allow 10 mins in your schedule to make sure we have time for this, if it’s important to you.

Ceremony

If you are getting married in a church I always advise checking with the vicar that they are happy for a photographer to be stood at the top of the aisle to photograph the ceremony. It is very rare that vicars don’t allow this but it does happen. If your vicar is concerned please let them know that I work with completely silent cameras and I am very respectful. I will not disturb the proceedings. I’m happy to have a chat with the vicar myself if this is helpful.

Couple and Family Group photos

Any couple photography and family group shots usually take place between the end of the ceremony and the wedding breakfast. I always suggest having 2 hours (1.5 hrs minimum) available here to give you a relaxed amount of time to get the photography done and for you to also interact with your friends and family and have some drinks and canapés. You don’t want to miss out on those canapés!

I usually allow 30 mins for the couple shots (the amount of time is totally up to you) and any groups shots will usually not take more than 20 mins. The time for couple shots can also be spilt between this period and later in the day around golden hour, if you expect to get a lovely sunset.



Group Photos List

At our Zoom chat I always ask my couples to provide a list of any formal family groups you’d like taken on the day. Most couples book me for my documentary style so generally don’t want lots of staged groups. I suggest not having more than 10 groups. I also suggest that you appoint a guest in charge of helping gathering family groups at the allocated time. This helps to get these groups photographed quickly and efficiently. Group shots don’t usually take more than 20 mins. If you’d like a big group shot of your whole wedding party I usually do this first. Group photos are usually done at the reception venue but if you are having a church ceremony we can do them in the church grounds, if you prefer.



Confetti

Most of my wedding couples want to have confetti on the day. This is usually thrown immediately after the couple walk out of their ceremony. For the photography I recommend getting LOTS of confetti. The more the better for creating fantastic images of you being bombarded by your guests! Check with your venue as they will probably have rules about where you can and can’t throw confetti and they will usually want you to use the biodegradable kind.



Special Relationships

If there are any members of the wedding party who you particularly want photos of, for example a granny, grandad or child, please let me know and I will keep an eye out for special moments including those people.

Embrace the Unscripted

Documentary-style photography thrives on spontaneity. Relax and focus on enjoying your day rather than trying to orchestrate picture-perfect moments. I love to capture great unscripted moments —whether it’s the laughter shared during a toast or the quiet anticipation before walking down the aisle.

Be Present in the Moment

The more you immerse yourself in the joy of the day, the more your photos will reflect genuine emotions. Let go of distractions and please don’t worry about the photography. When you’re present and enjoying every second, I can capture the magic of those fleeting, heartfelt interactions.



Trust your Photographer’s Vision

Please trust my vision and give me creative freedom on your day to explore angles, lighting, and compositions. Wedding photographers know how to use natural light and the surroundings to create stunning images. By trusting my expertise, you’ll receive a collection of photos that feels authentic and artistic.

Focus on the Details

While documentary photography is about capturing the bigger picture, the details matter too. From your floral arrangements to handwritten vows, these small touches add depth and context to your wedding story. I will always look out for details to photograph on your day but please share any particularly meaningful details with me so I can be intentional about incorporating them into your gallery.

Bubbles, sparklers, Champagne pops and fireworks

I absolutely love to photograph bubbles, sparklers, champagne pops and fireworks so please let me know if you are planning anything along these lines. I’m happy to discuss any creative ideas you have. If you’d like a champagne pop photograph please bring along 3-4 bottles of fizz on the day. It can be the cheapest Prosecco or the non-alcoholic version, just something that’s fizzy.



Questions

Thanks so much for reading my guide, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

I’m really looking forward to our zoom chat nearer to the time and to photographing your day!!