You’ve booked me to photograph your wedding, and I’m so excited to be part of your big day.
As your plans come together, you might be wondering how the photography fits around everything else. Do you need to allow time for photos? What happens if you don’t know what to do in front of the camera? And will I be whisking you away just as the canapés arrive?
This is your guide to what to expect from me, what’s useful to think about beforehand and what you can happily stop worrying about.
You already know I love relaxed, candid wedding photography. On the day, that means a non-intrusive approach, a bit of gentle guidance if and when you need it and plenty of time for you to spend with your favourite people.
You’ve got a wedding to enjoy. Here’s how I’ll fit in around it.
Before the wedding: tell me about your people
A couple of months before the wedding I’ll be in touch with your pre-wedding questionnaire. I’ve kept this as basic as I can as I know what the wedmin gets like!
The timings and addresses matter, obviously. Turning up at the wrong place or wrong time is the stuff of my nightmares!
But I mainly want to know what you’re looking forward to, who matters most to you and whether there’s anything you’re worried about.
Perhaps someone important is making a rare trip to be there. Perhaps your family is like mine, and has some tricky dynamics. If so, I’m a judgement free zone, I may just need a little tact when we come to organise any group photos. Perhaps one of you is already dreading the camera.
Tell me. You don’t need to explain or justify any of it. Knowing these things helps me look after you and pay attention to the people and parts of the day that matter to you.
You can also tell me about anything I might not otherwise know to look out for, whether that’s a surprise, a meaningful detail or a particular photograph with someone you love.
Getting ready: you don’t need to tidy your life into a photoshoot
If your coverage includes the preparations, I’ll photograph what’s happening around me.
That might be an emotional hug, someone wrestling with a buttonhole or a room full of people offering entirely contradictory advice about how to fasten a dress.
There’s plenty going on before anyone walks down an aisle.
You don’t need matching pyjamas or a room that looks as though nobody has ever used it. If there’s an easy way to make a photograph better, such as moving slightly towards a window, I can and will help. Mostly, though, you can carry on getting ready while I get on with photographing it.
And you absolutely don’t need to apologise for being nervous, excited or a little bit all over the place.
During the ceremony: your attention belongs up there
During the ceremony, I work quietly, within whatever photography rules your venue or officiant has in place.
It goes without saying that I’m going to capture the obvious things, like the end of aisle reaction, the exchange of rings and your first kiss. But I’ll also be peeking over your shoulders, looking for the reactions around you. The proud faces, the squeezed hands, the person trying very hard to pretend they aren’t crying.
You don’t need to find the camera or smile at me. In fact I hope you don’t notice I’m there at this point! Look at each other. Listen to your vows. Laugh if something goes wrong.
Those reactions are part of your wedding, and they’re exactly the sort of thing I’m there to photograph.
Most of the day, you can forget about the camera
Around 90–95% of how I work is completely documentary style, with the remaining 5–10% involving a spot of very gentle guidance.
That means I spend most of my time watching, anticipating and photographing what happens, while you get on with enjoying yourselves.
I’m looking beyond the two of you, too. You’ve brought all these people together, and there will likely never be another time in your life where you have all of these people in the same room again. So there’ll be conversations, reunions, daft behaviour and tiny exchanges happening everywhere.
Your guests are a huge part of your wedding story. I want you to see what they were up to as they enjoyed your day, as well as what was happening between the two of you.
Working this way takes attention. I’m constantly looking at the light, the people and what might happen next, ready to make something interesting from a moment that might last a second.
You don’t need to do anything extra to give me something to photograph.
Group photos: yes, we can do those
Loving documentary photography doesn’t mean you have to give up a photograph with your parents, grandparents or best mates.
If group photos matter to you, we’ll make room for them. We’ll do these at some point during your drinks reception.
A manageable list helps keep this part of the day moving. It’s also useful to have someone on hand who knows the faces and can find the right people, especially when one of them has just disappeared to the bar.
I’ll give the direction needed to get everyone together and looking the right way. There’s no expectation that you’ll somehow organise a family photograph by telepathy.
And if the group dissolves into laughter halfway through, I’ll be photographing that too.
Couple photos: a breather together, with a little help from me
This is often the bit people worry about most.
“We won’t know what to do.”
That’s fine. You aren’t expected to arrive with a repertoire of poses.
We can take a short walk, find some lovely light and give you a little time together away from the crowd. If you need a starting point, I’ll give you one. If something feels uncomfortable or unlike you, tell me.
There’s room for a bit of guidance without making the whole thing feel like a performance.
You don’t need to love being photographed. A little trust and a few minutes can go a long way.
Oh, and I’m a firm believer that you should enjoy your own drinks reception and canapes, so we won’t be disappearing for hours either.
The speeches and the party: I’m watching the room
During speeches, the person holding the microphone is only part of what’s happening.
I’m watching you, your guests and the reactions to whatever story has just been told. Sometimes the best photograph is on the other side of the room.
And if your coverage includes the evening celebrations, I’ll follow that energy onto the dance floor. Enthusiasm is very welcome. Coordination is entirely optional.
The quieter moments count too. A conversation away from the music or someone having a cuddle with a tired child can say just as much about the day as a packed dance floor.
What if it rains, runs late or refuses to follow the plan?
Then we work with the wedding you’re having.
I’ll keep an eye on the light, adapt to changes and help find a sensible opportunity for any portraits or groups you want. You don’t need to monitor the sky on my behalf.
If there’s a chance for a lovely photograph, I’ll suggest it. You still get to decide whether you fancy stepping outside or would rather stay exactly where you are.
A wedding doesn’t have to run perfectly to be full of brilliant things to photograph.
What I need from you
Let me know what matters to you. Tell me about any important people, sensitivities or plans I should understand. Give me a little room to offer guidance when it helps.
If anything is playing on your mind before the wedding, get in touch. You don’t need to save up your questions or worry that they’re silly.
Then enjoy the day you’ve put so much into planning.
You can cry through your vows, laugh with your mouth full and get thoroughly involved in the dancing. I want you to look at your photographs and recognise yourselves, your people and the day you actually had.
I’m so looking forward to seeing it all come together and being there with you.
After the wedding: what happens next?
You’ve done the marrying, hugged approximately everyone and discovered that your feet do, in fact, have limits. What happens with your photographs while you’re recovering from all that celebrating?
A little preview while it’s all still fresh
You’ll receive a selection of sneak peeks within 24-48 hours. Something to enjoy together, send to the people who are already asking for photos and share if you fancy it.
These are a first look at your day, rather than the full story. There’s plenty more to come.
Then I get stuck into your full gallery
There’s a fair bit of work between photographing a wedding and sending out the finished photographs. I go through the images, choose the ones that tell your story and edit them into a consistent collection.
I’m looking for the big moments, but also the expressions, connections and little bits of wedding-day nonsense you might not even have noticed happening.
My full wedding gallery turnaround is within eight weeks, unless we’ve agreed a different timescale for your booking. Your own agreed delivery timeframe is the one to go by.
When your photographs are ready
I’ll send you the link to your online gallery. My suggestion? Find a bit of time to look through it together properly, rather than opening it in the supermarket queue. Although I appreciate that resisting a notification like that takes considerable willpower.
Once you have your download details, save your photographs somewhere safe and keep another copy in a separate place. They deserve a better long-term plan than “I think the link’s somewhere in my emails”.
And please do tell me what you think. Hearing which photographs made you laugh, cry or spot something you missed is one of the best bits of finishing a wedding.
A few questions you might still have
Do we need to send you a shot list?
A list of the family group photographs you’d like is useful, along with anything particularly important that I might not know about. A photograph with someone who needs to leave early, for example, is worth flagging.
You don’t need to write a checklist of every moment in the day. I’ll be watching what’s happening, and leaving room for the unexpected is a big part of how I work.
How much time should we allow for photographs?
That depends on your plans, your group list and what you’d like from your couple photographs. We can talk it through around your timings so there’s sensible breathing room without the photography swallowing your drinks reception.
A shorter group list and someone helpful to gather people make a real difference. Nobody has ever become easier to find once the bar opens.
What if we really don’t enjoy having our photograph taken?
You can tell me that, even if you’ve already told me three times. You won’t be the first.
For most of the day, there’s nothing you need to do for the camera. For any portraits, I’ll help you get started and keep things relaxed. You don’t need to practise smiling or suddenly become different people because it’s your wedding.
Can we tell you about difficult family relationships?
Please do. You can share anything you’d like me to handle sensitively, including people who shouldn’t be grouped together or relationships you’d rather I didn’t make assumptions about.
I don’t need the entire backstory. Just enough to help avoid an uncomfortable moment and look after you and your guests.
What if our plans change after we’ve booked?
Let me know, particularly if you’re changing the ceremony time, locations or anything that could affect your booked coverage. We can talk through what that means for the photography before the day arrives.
Do you need to know about surprises?
Yes, please! If a surprise is being organised for you, your co-conspirators can contact me directly. A little warning helps me be in the right place to photograph it, without giving the game away.
What if we don’t want certain photographs shared online?
Tell me about any privacy preferences or concerns, including anything involving children or particular guests, so we can agree what can be shared. You don’t need to feel uncomfortable raising it.
Can we ask questions before the wedding?
Absolutely. If something is worrying you, ask. You don’t need to wait until the wedding day to mention that you’re nervous about the portraits or unsure where the group photos fit.
I’d much rather we talked it through than you spent the next few months quietly fretting about it.
Stumbled across this and haven’t booked your photographer yet?
Hello! I’m Hannah, a wedding photographer based in Wetherby, covering North Yorkshire and beyond.
I wrote this guide for the couples who’ve already booked me, but if you’ve found your way here while looking for a relaxed wedding photographer, it should give you a good idea of how I work.
If you’d like photographs full of personality, time with your guests and someone who’ll give you a bit of guidance without taking over, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
Whether you’re getting married in Wetherby, Harrogate, York or further afield, tell me about your date, your venue and what you’re most looking forward to.
Get in touch to check my availability and tell me about your plans.
