Working With Your Wedding Photographer: 7 Tips For A Great Experience

Working with your wedding photographer can be one of the most fun experiences at your wedding. Often, couples ask all of the right questions to be sure that the photographer they book can provide the service they are looking for. But sometimes I’m asked what couples can do to make the experience better for me. And there are a few things you can do to make your photographer’s experience better, and by extension will make working with your wedding photographer easier for everyone, from yourself to your family, to your guests.

Below, I’ve listed 7 easy things you can do to make your photographer’s job easier.

Wedding Planning

Share your wedding party and family contact information. I ask all of my couples for contact information for their wedding party. This allows me to reach out, introduce myself, and find out if anyone has any sensitivities to being photographed. When I walk through the door, everyone knows who I am, and there is no awkward discomfort.

Share your vendor list with your photographer. This is something I ask all of my clients for. With this list, I reach out to all vendors and introduce myself. I let them know that I will share photos with them after the wedding, which will allow them to think about their job rather than their future marketing.

Once I have the wedding party, family, and vendor contact information, I’m able to share my couples’ engagement photos and wedding gallery. This takes a lot of work off of your shoulders and maintains the excitement for the wedding after the fact.

Group Photos

Inform family and friends who need to be available for photos, when, and where. At every wedding, without fail, we are chasing down at least one family member who has disappeared during group photo time to grab a cocktail or talk to Aunt Mable. Often, the person who disappears to find that person is the father-of-someone and family photos come to a halt while we wait for them to return. This is one of the most important time-saving things I can share with you: let your family know when and where they need to be for group photos.

Have your officiant announce who your photographer is and when group photos will be happening. An introduction from the officiant can help all guests feel more comfortable with me wandering around with my camera.

Wedding Reception

Remember your photographer wants to sit down, too. There aren’t many professions in which someone is expected to work 12 hours straight carrying equipment, and taking no washroom breaks or opportunities to drink water. Your wedding shouldn’t be one of those jobs. It’s important that you respect your photographers’ need to take washroom breaks, sit down, and have a glass of water.

Feed your photographer first. This follows the last recommendation very closely. The reception is often the first opportunity that I have to sit down and have a glass of water. And it’s happened many, many times that my food will be placed in front of me and the MC will immediately stand to introduce the next speech. Ultimately, this leaves me with 5 minutes to devour my food before the servers come to pick up my plate.

Champion your photographer. In addition to the last two suggestions, I’ve often found that when I sit to take a break, guests approach me saying, “Shouldn’t you be taking photos?” or “You should be taking a photo of that moment over there!” I’ve also had extended family members direct me while photographing the group photos, for which I have a list. You can probably take a guess at who those family members are in your guest list. So do your best to champion your photographer at your wedding and let those guests know that your photographer knows what she is doing, that you have made a plan with her, and that she doesn’t need guidance.

After The Wedding

Bonus: Share your gallery with your family and friends. This is just a great way of telling your guests, “We love what our photographer did! Look at how good she is!” While you will download and share your photos to social media, you can share your gallery directly with your guests to your social media or by email. Your guests will love finding those candid photos of themselves, and this is a great way of promoting your photographer.