The whole wedding journey can feel like a dream. One minute you tell your loved ones you are getting married, and before you realize what’s happening, you are at the altar exchanging vows with your fiance.
Your wedding day will come and go in the blink of an eye, but how will you preserve those precious memories? The best way would be in photos, your wedding photos will be valued forever. You don’t want to regret not having those photos with your childhood friends, parents, or (least) favourite aunt.
And this is why you need a wedding photographer who can capture the day as it happens, as it was in the moment. As a full-time Cornish wedding photographer here are my top ten most essential photos, you need to have taken on the day.
Bride / Groom Preparation
You’ve been planning for months even years and the day is finally here. You are nervous, wondering if this is all a dream, hoping everything goes to plan. These tense, joy-filled pre-wedding moments are an essential part of the day. If you want to capture these moments, you can make arrangements with your photographer to visit you in the morning while you make preparations. If your fiance is getting ready nearby, then ask if your photographer can nip back and forth between the two of you to capture the getting ready process. But remember this may not be possible if you are at different locations. I will aim to get pictures of the bride getting her hair and makeup done, getting into her dress and other smaller details. The groom will generally spend less time on average getting ready, so if your photographer can spare as little as 30 minutes, you should still get some good memories.
The Empty Venue
We know you would be excited to have your reception hall filled with the presence of your loved ones, friends and well-wishers, make sure you have some shots of it empty so you can truly appreciate and remember what that day was like. Take pictures of the empty venue with the decor, the tables, and settings before the room gets filled up. Your photographer will arrive at your place to take amazing photos on time, so make sure you make this request known to the photographer. I will make a point of allowing time for this as once even a few guests have arrived. Furniture gets moved, and decorations get disturbed, so this is one of the more time-sensitive photo opportunity.
Arriving At The Venue
Your photographer will want to be sure to capture the bride and groom as they arrive at the ceremony. Whether they are arriving by car to a church wedding or on foot from on-site accommodation, it’s a special moment, especially if you have hired a wedding car. Also worth capturing are those few minutes while the bride is waiting nervously outside the venue. It’s also good to be on the lookout for the arrival of the bride and groom’s family, but due to the timing on the day, this is usually not possible.
Groom Waiting At The Altar
Some spend their time in a room with groomsmen praying or sharing words of encouragement; sometimes, the groom will be staring into space pending the arrival of the bride or at the altar in floods of tears. All of these are picture perfect and will look great in your wedding album.
The Little Ones
The younger members of the family love to be involved on the day. Giving them a part in your celebrations will provide them with a sense of responsibility and show them how much you appreciate their help, whether that’s a small job such as delivering the rings or as big a role as being a best man. In a few years, your flower girl and ring bearers will be all grown up, your photographer should how vital capturing shots of the little ones are to you. The looks on the children’s faces are always so full of emotion, its something that most of us lose as we get older, be it happiness or boredom their faces will most likely show you exactly how they feel, and this makes for some fantastic photo memories. Photographs like these would be a reminder of how amazing the wedding was for you and those present, they are great pictures to look back on.
Generational Photo
Weddings are great for bringing families together. As the rather sombre adage goes, ‘nothing brings people together like weddings and funerals’. Couples who are lucky enough to have parents, grandparents or elderly family members in attendance will want to have photos of them to look back on. You won’t want these moments missed, and your experienced photographer should know this. These photos are often bought in my print store and make great gifts for the parents.
The Vows
Lovers exchanging vows is possibly the most moving part of the day for everyone in attendance. The whole room is quiet; everyone’s gaze is on you as you exchange vows and express yourself with words and promises of a great future together. The happiness, joy, and excitement captured can be made into a picture you can hang on your wall, it will bring back those memories every time it catches your gaze.
The First Kiss
The first kiss is probably one of the most hyped moments of the wedding day. You’ve probably had plenty of practice, but this is the first time you’ve kissed as a married couple. The post-kiss reaction and resulting cheer from the guests are worth capturing, and also look good in a photo album because at the end of the day every moment is worth capturing.
The First Dance
Everyone loves a wedding dance for many reasons. It’s that moment when you have your hearts connected, undistracted from whatever is going on around you as you bask in the joy of your union while your carefully chosen song plays. An action shot of you and your partner hitting the dance floor will become a long-lasting memory in your hearts and is, therefore, another on our top ten list.
Bride and Bridesmaids
Show the parts your nearest and dearest played in your wedding is a must-have, showing how supportive your friends and family were on your big day is worth remembering and endearing. The matching dresses, the bridal train, and words of encouragement included. You’ll want to remind your photographer to take excellent shots of your friends and loved ones’ presence on the day.
In Conclusion…
One of the reasons to choose a professional Cornish wedding photographer to capture your celebrations is that they will have an idea of what photos to capture on the day. Even if you are going for a natural style like myself, there are still plenty of significant moments on the day that need capturing. The last thing you want to be worrying about is whether or not your photographer is going to miss any of those irreplaceable photographs.
If you are yet to find the right photographer for your day, then I would love to be considered. Have a look at my packages and give me a message to see if I am available on your date. I really would love to hear from you and hear what you have planned. Yes, I mean you!
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Professional, Fun and Relaxed Wedding Photography
My name is Steven! I'm a full-time documentary wedding photographer from Cornwall. I specialise in relaxed and unposed photography, capturing the moments of your day as they happen.
I love what I do, and I always have fun doing it. If you are looking for someone to capture every moment, create beautiful lasting memories, someone who will laugh with your guests, talk to the kids, pet all the dogs and get stuck into almost any task on the day, then I am the person for you!
