Fake it until you make it may work in certain scenarios of your life, but not your wedding photos. Bride, Susannah Moore said, “The most important thing to me were photos of my husband and me. We had over an hour of just us!” This couple chose to capture the natural chemistry of their first look in private. When it’s just the two of you, there’s no holding back the excitement. You can’t fake that kind of emotion or response. When you’re in front of guests, you’re more worried about how you look, instead of who has your focus. A real candid shot is done when you think no one is looking. Plus, your makeup, hair, and wedding attire will already be freshly pressed and camera ready!

Also, time and money are two factors to consider when taking photos before the ceremony. These two reasons alone can make or break your event, including your bank. Andrew Smith who has served as a Best Man and a Groomsmen agreed with Brides, Amanda Winsor and Abby Kiker when they said, “There’s nothing worse than waiting around for hours at a wedding reception for the bride and groom to finally arrive.” A two-hour gap between the ceremony and reception may sound like enough time for your photos, but it’s an eternity for the guests who have traveled near and far to celebrate with you. Groom, Kristopher Kuss mentioned that, “It cost less to only keep the photographer through the ceremony. We took our first look and bridal party pictures before, so we could go straight to the reception.”

This brings us to our next point. It’s critical to be on time. If anything runs late before your "First Look,'' you'll have less portraits and everything will be pushed back. We mentioned the importance of a wedding itinerary in our last blog. The same caveat applies. Ladies, make sure you have all the details with your wedding dress designer and makeup/hair stylist mapped out beforehand. Gents, make sure your tux is steamed the night before. Have your Best Man on site should you need someone to check your neck wear. The upside to all of this? Since most of your day will be catering to your guests, you can steal a moment away with your sweetheart, and actually spend time together. You'll still get the aisle experience, and get to the party on time! It’s a double win when you plan ahead!

Still on the fence about this? Actress, Rebecca Yeager and her groom made an alternative choice to the “first look” approach. She chose to do a “blind conversation” look, where they stood on either side of a corner so they couldn’t see each other, but got to hold hands and check-in with one another. She said, “It was a really sweet moment, and these are some of my favorite pictures. We did joint pictures after, and it only took 30-45 minutes, because in the theatre world, you know how to make people move quickly and efficiently!” So, see? Even with the decision to do her photos this way, punctuality played a huge role in her wedding. No pun intended. 

Whether you choose the trendy or traditional style, we're honored to serve as your wedding photographer. What’s your opinion? How are you planning your first look? We’d love to hear from you!

Richard Fleming Photography knows how stressful planning a wedding can be, and we want to ensure that your 

photos capture memories to be enjoyed long after the honeymoon.  

Here are a few tips to consider when preparing for your wedding photos. ​

1) Wedding Day Itinerary - Schedule your wedding day from the minute you wake up to the 

hour your event ends. Not only will this keep you organized, but a wedding itinerary will help 

keep your vendors on time – including your photographer. Your best photos will be the ones 

that are candid, and when we have a timeline of your entire day, we will know when to step in 

and take a picture from the moment you kiss your spouse, to the first dance, until the time you 

leave. Everything takes a lot longer than you think, so plan ahead. 

2) Bridal Party Pictures – It can be a hard job for a photographer to wrangle an unruly 

wedding party for pictures. Appoint your maid of honor, friend, or family member to ensure 

everyone who needs to be featured is present and accounted. Remind them ahead of time and 

after the ceremony to stay in the ceremony location for photos.  This is a collaborative effort, and we waste

time when a guest interrupts a shot, or someone doesn't listen to the photographer

when we say, "Look and smile." 

3) Communicate Time and Location – Did you know there are optimal times that 

photographers take the best shots depending on time and location? We are not Pinterest, but we 

are fun and professional. When you give us these specific details ahead of time, we know the 

right equipment to bring to make sure you have the best lighting and background in all of your 

photos. You’re our focus, and we have an eye for these things – even on days when it’s raining, 

snowing, hot, cold, or windy. Trust us. You hired us to do this. 

4)  Limit the Alcohol – We aren’t here to preach, but we’ve had enough experience in this 

industry to know that no amount of photo editing can eliminate a person who looks completely 

toasted. Of course we want you to celebrate, but try to save that for after the pictures. 

5) We Aren’t Robots! – Optimus Prime may not have to eat, but wedding vendors do! 

Planning ahead with your caterers to make sure your photographers are fed, as well as any other 

vendors who attend is much appreciated. While we are happy that you’ve chosen us to be a part 

of your special occasion, many vendors travel out of city or state.  Here’s the perk to serving your 

photographer the same time as the guests: We’ll eat fast, and be ready to rock your photos for 

the cake cutting!

Cheers and Happy Planning! Stay tuned for our next blog...

Is this really a problem?  Not at all.  It is.  Imagine impatiently waiting to get your wedding photos back, and as you are going through them, you find that your "You May Kiss The Bride" photo is nothing but the back of Aunt Gertrude's head and an iPhone stuck casually up in the air as she pushed her way into the aisle to get the perfect picture.  Would you be bummed?  The photographer would be.  Because Aunt Gertrude's picture will most likely be blurry, and you most likely won't want a canvas of the back of her head hanging on your living room wall, all you will have is the memory of that moment.

You see, as a photographer, it's not that we think we take the best pictures in the world.  It's the fact that you entrusted us to capture your wedding day.  One of the biggest days of your life.  And we want nothing more than to do an amazing job for you.  We want you to relive the magic of your wedding day every single time you look at your wedding pictures.

So, how do you go about asking people to unplug?  There are some really cute ways to add to your wedding decor.  You can have a wooden sign made for a rustic wedding, add it to your RSVP card, or you can print and frame a sign to add to your ceremony entrance. Your guests will see it as they enter the ceremony site.  We have some really cute ones that we made available for instant download at https://www.etsy.com/shop/richardflemingphotog.  Once your guests know that you are serious about Unplugging your Wedding, they will be more than happy to oblige.

So here's to unplugging your day!  

Richard and Myra