Top Tips For Your Cotswolds Wedding
Top Tips For Your Cotswolds Wedding
You only get one shot to capture your wedding day and make that perfect photo album to look back on forever. Imagine how disappointed you’d be if you didn’t have a single picture of you and your maid of honour or if you missed that priceless look on your dad’s face when he first saw you in your wedding dress.
As a professional wedding photographer, I know how vital these moments are and I try and highlight all of this in a short but precise questionnaire I send to you prior to your wedding day . It’s still smart to do some prep work on your own before the big day.
Take a moment to sit down with your partner and chat about which shots are a must-have for you both. Maybe someone special can’t make it, and you want a pic of the portrait you’re carrying of them in your bouquet. Or maybe you’ve spent hours crafting a piece of decor that you really want to be in the album.
And if you have an unconventional family setup with step-parents or step-siblings who mean a lot to you, make sure they’re featured prominently in your photos. At Pedge Photography, I’m here to help you capture all those special moments so you can cherish them forever.
Bridal & Wedding Details
If you could have all the details ready for me before I arrive and gathered in one place, it would really help save time. You could ask one of your bridesmaids to keep everything together, or you could package it all up yourself before the wedding day. That way, when I get there, I can dive right in without having to track everything down. So, what do you need to have ready for me?
THE DRESS: I’ll usually start with your dress, veil, and bridal shoes. You can use any hanger you like for the dress, especially if you have a special one in mind!
WEDDING STATIONARY (INVITES/ SAVE THE DATE): I like to start with all the paper details—invitation, announcement, RSVP card, envelopes, programs, anything in writing related to your wedding (and don’t forget the envelopes!). These make for beautiful background layers for things like flat-lays, as pictured above.
THE RINGS: Another obvious feature to add to the flat-lay photos.
ACCESSORIES: I’ll photograph all your accessories—earrings, necklace, bracelet, perfume, garter—basically anything unique you’re wearing that day. This also includes your something blue, something borrowed, or any special heirlooms.
FLOWERS: Whenever possible, having the bridal bouquet, groom’s boutonniere, and bridal party bouquets in the dressing room allows me to capture detailed shots of the flowers before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. While it’s not always feasible for the flowers to be delivered this early, if they are, I’d be thrilled to photograph them before the festivities kick off!
GROOM: If I get a chance to see the groom before the wedding or if you are having a second shooter from me as an added extra, it’s always nice for the groom shots to have a best-man pinning the grooms buttonhole, any watches or cufflinks that mean something to the groom and any cards or notes from the bride to the groom at ha
Wedding Ceremony
Of course, this time of day is very much taken candidly but if you do have any details in particular taking affect – specific readings, special aspects to the ceremony due to particular beliefs and cultures etc – then be sure to let me know of these on the questionnaire as well, just so I’m prepared to look out for these moments.
I’ll be sure to look for a copy of your order of service, to grab a photo of that keepsake also.
If you are wanting epic confetti shots make sure you have lots of it! The more your waiting guests can hold, the better! You basically want a blizzard. I will give simple direction on the day also. White, in my opinion looks the best. If you want bubbles, bubble guns are really good at spitting out lots of bubbles to fill the camera frame!
Group Shots and Family Formals
Before the big day arrives, we’ll have gone through all the details, probably on the questionnaire you filled out.
Now, here’s a handy tip to make everything go smoothly: it’s super helpful if you can nominate someone from each side—yours and your partner’s—to be the point person for rounding up groups for photos. This way, we can keep the momentum going and capture all those special moments without any hold-ups!
So, who’s gonna be your photo wrangler? Let’s make sure we nail those shots!
Sparkler Shots
Let’s talk about sparklers—those little fiery sticks can make for some seriously stunning shots, no doubt about it!
But, and it’s a big but, we need to handle them with care. I’ve seen a few mishaps before, and trust me, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
So, here’s the lowdown: make sure you’ve got buckets of sand or water handy to safely extinguish those spent sparklers.
And to keep the magic going, you’ll want plenty of lighters on standby to make sure everyone’s sparklers are twinkling at the same time! Safety first, folks, but don’t worry—we’ll still capture all that sparkler magic in your photos!
The Dark!
Before I head off and as long as you are both up for it at this point, why don’t we get the lights out ( my photography lights) and try a few creative shots for you to remember your wedding by.
All that is needed for this is the desire from you guys and the willingness to participate. More photos in my portfolio
Final Words
I hope the above has been useful. To reiterate, hopefully the questionnaire I send to you beforehand will prompt you to giving me all the information shared above anyways, but a little extra preparation helps get you the best shots for your wedding.
If you’d like more inforation, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can discuss either over a call or a zoom meeting.
Top Tips For Your Cotswolds Wedding – FAQ’s
