Hey there! If you don't know me I am a wedding photographer based in San Diego and I am making this blog post to share my best tips on how you can make your wedding photos better. As a photographer I feel that it is my responsibility to get my couples the best photos possible in any given situation. However there are things you can do before the wedding and the day of the wedding to make my job easier, achieve better photos overall and save time. Let's talk about them.

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Keep the getting ready location clean! Put on your list of things to bring to your wedding day some Windex and paper towels and if they’re dirty, give mirrors and windows a wipe the morning of the wedding day. Also don't forget to reserve a spot for your getting ready photos and make sure they are in good light. If you don't know what is good light vs bad the easiest way to do this is to make sure it is close to a window, as long as it is not in direct sunlight you are most likely good. If there's no window a nice bright room will also work in most situations. Most Venues that come with getting ready suites at least in San Diego know this, but it is still something to think about if you are touring venues or places to get ready. Also don't be afraid to move furniture if it's a hotel or an Airbnb to make more space. While we are on the topic of getting ready let's talk about your detail photos. I ask all my couples to put their flatlay details into a box or something that will easily hold everything, If you don't know what flatlays are I will leave some examples below.

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Scout your venue, the next time you tour your venue pay attention to the places you want to take photos at. This should be obvious but just keep photo locations is something that might not be thought about. Scout for scenery you like that could make good photo backdrops, such as gardens, architectural details or scenic views. Take note of how the natural light interacts with different areas of the venue at the times of day you plan on taking your photos. If you have a nice backdrop you like but it's in harsh sunlight all day, there may be a better option. I use this app called Sun Seeker, which helps me estimate the position of the sun and determine what time of day a location would be the best option to take photos.

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Have a consultation call. This is so important to me that I have it in my contract, in fact you should be doing this with all of your key vendors (DJ, Photographer, Videographer, Planner/Coordinator, Officiant, Florist) During this call you should be going over at least the timeline, making sure your photographer has enough time in each part of the day most notably during getting ready and the family, wedding party, and portraits sections. Speaking of family, make sure you make a family photos list, and if you want to take this a step further ( which I also ask for) assign someone at your wedding to help with the family photos. Normally someone good for this role is someone who knows most people but isn't in all of the shots.

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Do an engagement session. Besides weddings, engagement sessions are my favorite sessions, they are optional, but I highly recommend doing one. Not only do you get to go out, have fun and get to know your photographer, but this is also a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera and do your trial hair and makeup. If you can't or don't want to do an engagement session, at least practice posing with your partner. Look up poses on Pinterest, Instagram, etc and mimic them in your house or with a friend on their phone. In my behind the scenes videos on my YouTube channel I teach people how to pose, but get creative.

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Schedule a sunset session. This one should speak for itself, please! If there is one thing that you want to have on your wedding day related to photography, it's a sunset session. One hour from Sunset is what us photographers call golden hour Simply because it is the best time to take photos throughout the day (otherwise sunrise). Most of the time I find that my favorite images from the wedding are from the sunset session. Keep in mind that if your venue is in the mountains the sun may fall behind the mountains before the sunset time, so be aware of that. Schedule 15-20 minutes within 1 hour from sunset to take portraits and trust me, you won't regret it.

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In conclusion if you take your time to set yourself up for success it will go a long way. As a photographer I do as much of these the day of but at a point I can only do so much without sacrificing time. I get super excited when I show up to a wedding day and a couple has taken the time to plan and does even two or three things that I mentioned here. These thoughtful preparations collectively contribute to a smoother photography experience and enhance the overall quality of wedding photos. If you are serious about making sure you have great photos.