A good photographer can produce beautiful images under any given circumstance. However, there are a few simple steps you can take during your wedding planning process to help us capture the best photographs possible.

• Don’t hesitate to consult with your photographer as soon as you begin your wedding planning process. We can offer suggestions on the best time of day to take pictures, the best time to stage an outdoor ceremony for the most flattering light, even the best direction to place your wedding arch, among many other ideas garnered from our expertise.

• Splurge on a second photographer! This is the most important investment you can make on your wedding photography. A second pair of eyes can capture all the fleeting moments and details that happen throughout the day, while the primary photographer shoots the main events at hand. Not only do you have more images to choose from for your albums and prints, but you also get two refreshingly different points-of-view on your wedding day.

• Many weddings run late for one reason or another, and often times photo opportunities are the first to go by the wayside. To ensure you have plenty of time for pictures, schedule your preparations (such as makeup, hairstyling, dressing the bride) for several hours before the ceremony. If you end up with an extra hour of downtime before the wedding begins, it’s the perfect time to shoot formal portraits of and with the wedding party, pictures with parents, and even romantic ‘first sight’ portraits of the two of you alone.

• Most couples opt to shoot a majority of their portraits during cocktails between the ceremony and reception. Allow plenty of time for this; we recommend setting aside a minimum of one hour for formal photography, with half this time dedicated to family and wedding party portraits, and the rest of the time dedicated to your newlywed portraits.

• If you are having an outdoor ceremony where there won’t be any shade, try to avoid scheduling it in the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead. Bright sunlight creates harsh shadows across faces and objects, and results in unflattering images.

• If your wedding takes place later in the day, consider seeing each other before the ceremony to shoot your intimate couple portraits. Not only will it help calm your nerves, but it will also be one of your favorite moments of the day! The ‘sweet light’ in the hours before sunset casts a beautiful, warm glow on everything, and also gives the photographer a greater number of options for utilizing that natural light. If you do pictures after sunset, you risk losing all the pretty, glowing light.

• Some of our most exceptional newlywed portraits were taken outside of the ceremony and reception venues. Be open to experimental ideas from your photographer, even if it means traveling to and shooting in locations you hadn’t originally considered.

• When deciding on how many hours to book your photographer, opt for more time in the beginning of the day, rather than at the end. All the events leading up to the ceremony (the bride getting ready, the families buzzing with excitement, the guests mingling) make for countless wonderful photo opps, and details such as flowers and favors are still fresh and vibrant. The end of the reception tends to be repetitive; there are only so many photos you’ll want of your guests dancing. If you want fun, candid party photos, consider booking our popular Bliss Photo Booth!

• Assign your coordinator or a responsible friend with the task of identifying and rounding up family members and important guests for us that you want photographed. When going off alone to take portraits of just the two of you, bring along a bridesmaid to help adjust your train, hold your bouquet, and do a lipstick check.

• And lastly, don’t worry about anything photography-related on your wedding day. Leave that part up to us. We just want you to be relaxed and happy and smiling, so we can take the most amazing pictures of you on your big day!