Guest post from Katrien of South Event Specialists: My 5 Top Tips for working with your wedding photographer on your wedding day
Happy Thursday everyone! I hope you are all well and enjoying the Autumn so far.
So today I have got another guest post for you from the lovely Katrien of South Event Specialists. Today she is sharing how wedding planners and photographers can work together to help a day run effortlessly while making sure you get those amazing memories immortalized forever in your wedding photography.
Enjoy….
A little bit about me before I jump in headfirst… I am a wedding and event planner and own South Event Specialists based in London and there is hands down nothing I love more than creating a joy filled day for the bridal couple that I am working with. It is literally what I get out of bed for every morning! I love champagne, wine and all things in life that tastes good and/or creates aesthetic joy. Lastly, I am a hopeless romantic!
Now that’s out of the way; full disclosure, I love wedding photographers! Well, actually photographers in general… I really do marvel at their ability to look at the world and with a little bit of light, or a lot, create unforgettable memories through their lens. It is for this reason that I would, budget allowing, always say to a couple to invest in a photographer and the best one you can afford at that!
To me; and I am sure to any other wedding planners worth their salt, the only thing better than creating oodles of joy, happiness, and buckets full of stress-free stunning for a couple is making sure that they relive this joy every time they look at their wedding pictures. Time passes so soon and a photographer is your best friend when it comes to making those memories, and the ones that happened while you weren’t looking, last a lifetime!
With that said it is also important to know that in order to make those jaw-dropping photographs a possibility it can only happen when all the suppliers, especially the planner and photographer, work together as a team and makes everyone’s day as stress-free as humanly possible.
A not very well-kept secret is that one of a wedding planner’s most favorite things is a “to-do list”, which is why we can always be spotted with a binder or tablet tucked under our arms, #howtospotaplanner…., which leads to, as you can imagine, my “must-do list” when working with my couple and their photographer/s. This advice is what I have found will make those above-mentioned jaw-dropping images happen.
1. There are many different photography styles
What couples discover shortly after starting their wedding planning journey is that there are many different styles of wedding photography and that one should find a photographer that is suitable for one’s need, it’s pretty much like dating. Having the right photographer on your wedding day will not only make for great images, but it will also be a cherry on top adding to the fun and overall experience of the day.
A definite to-do item on my list for my couples is to have time with their photographers before booking them to make sure that they have the right person for the job. One should try to meet with them or have a Skype chat with them to make sure you are 100% comfortable and happy.
2. Timelines are seriously important
My main rule when working with photographers is that, although I will do my utmost and will move mountains for you, I cannot move the sun. Therefore, when it comes to timelines and photos I always defer to the photographer. I will send the proposed timeline to the photographer first and only then to all the other suppliers. This is because I will look to your chosen photographer to make sure that we manage to get those golden hour moments and have time to capture all those very special family photos.
3. Let your photographer do their job
So, you, or your planner, have done all the research into finding just the right photographer for your wedding. Somebody whose style and personality are spot on in terms of what you were looking for, not to mention somebody that falls within your budget. Now, when the big day finally arrives, remember that you chose the specific photographer for a reason and let them get on with what they do best.
Trust them to deliver, after all, that is why you hired them.
4. People Manager
There are a lot of things about weddings going on behind the scenes that nobody ever really thinks about until things go wrong, and believe it or not, the family pictures are one of those. You would be surprised at how fast Uncle Jack can disappear without a trace and have everything stopped for 20 minutes, eating into your precious wedding day time and thus wasting time when everyone should actually be drinking bubbly and dancing up a storm. The advice here is to have a people manager that knows and can manage all your nearest and dearest so that these photos don’t end up taking way longer than they normally would.
From a planner side, I will manage your go-to person and make sure that the photographer knows who to speak to allowing things to keep running smoothly.
5. Communication is key
On the big day and running up to it there is nothing more important than communication and as a planner, my job is to make sure that everyone is 100% clued up and on track with the plan.
So, when speaking to your planner or your photographer be clear on what you want and we will make it all happen, from the perfect pictures all the way through to the very last champagne glass and name card. After all, that’s what we are there for!
In my books, when we have all the above in place, you two will be able to enjoy your bubbly and to relax. While you are on cloud 9, we will be busy in the background and behind the scenes to make sure that everything falls seamlessly into place, allowing you to enjoy every moment fully without having to worry about a thing.
Wishing you lots of planning and wedding happiness!
Katrien
