Five Mistakes NOT To Make

Having worked in the wedding and entertainment industry, I thought I had a good idea of what to do in a photo shoot. I’m so glad my photographer Jenny told me otherwise. She stopped every two minutes to readjust my head or tell me where to look. She saved my fiancé from making simple mistakes that no amount of Photoshop could save. Your pictures are the prize of your wedding. They capture a moment in your memory and hold it. Forever.

The following common mistakes you don’t want held in your happily ever after.

5 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make:
■ Not trusting your photographer – “My clients get great shots because they just let me do my thing,” says Jenny Hansen of Jenfolio.com. “They trust my eye, and my edgy ideas. Those shots always turn out the best photos.” You are not the professional. Your photographer is. Trust them.
■ Not hiring a professional photographer—“This day will only happen once,” says Terra Cooper of Magnifique Photography. “Make sure you hire someone to capture all the memories in the most beautiful way possible.”
■ Staring into the lens—“Make sure to have a little emotion in your eyes,” says Becky Reed of Ravenburg Photography. “No matter the photo, the eyes are the focus. Pretend that you're still looking into your groom’s eyes and not the camera's lens.”
■ Forgetting to tell your story—Let your photos tell your story. “My favorite weddings have concentrated on details that tell a story about the couple,” says Reed. “Too often brides focus too much on their hair and dress and forget to think about these.”
■ Not asking enough questions – “Make sure you know what is included in your package,” says Cooper. “Check on prices of albums, invitations, and prints to make sure it fits your budget. Find out if high resolution digital negatives are included in the cost.”

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After our shoot,the squish from Jenny’s rain boots tickled the grass and weeds as we left the deserted riverbed and crossed the field back to reality.

“That was a great shoot you two!” she said as she struggled to pull a suction cupped boot off her foot.
“Ug,” she said pulling on her boot. “I can’t wait to get the proofs up on my website.”
Struggling.
“How does tonight sound?”
More struggling. The boot would not budge.
Brett and I looked at each other.

“Sure Jenny, but what about your boots? It looks like you are having a bit of trouble.”

“Oh this… this is nothing.”
Still more struggling followed by a gigantic pop and a boot launched high into the air.
“Ahhh. There we go. You just got to keep at it. It all works out if you just keep at it.”

Truer words never spoken.

The last piece of advice is not a NOT to do, but a DEFINITE TO DO. And it comes from me, not as a wedding planner, but as a bride. Make sure you photographer is persistent. If your photographer doesn’t have a huge portfolio—he/she soon will. If your photographer doesn’t know the exact place to shoot—it will come as he/she begins to shoot with you. Equipment and novelty backdrops help, but if I could choose any trait for my photographer, I want my photographer to remain persistent. Don’t give up on that perfect shot. It’s out there. Go find it.