5 Tips to Stress Less About Your Wedding Photos - A WordPress Site

5 Tips to Stress Less About Your Wedding Photos

A bride and groom on their wedding day being photographed in Minnesota

Wedding planning can be stressful, I get it! You are planning a major event, often with hundreds of people in attendance. On top of that, family and friends’ opinions may be involved. You have your hands full! The last thing you need is to be worried about how your photos will turn out. In this post, I’m going to share how you can stress less about your wedding photos.

You deserve a day that’s peaceful and fun! Your wedding should be about you and celebrating your new marriage. When you get bogged down by stress, it takes away from the magic of your day. I’ve seen my fair share of stressed-out brides, but that doesn’t have to be you!

Here’s how to stress less about your wedding photos:

girl in cute hat for engagement photos

Do an engagement session with your wedding photographer.

Engagement sessions are essentially a test run for your wedding photos! Using the same photographer for your engagement and wedding will give you a feel for working with them. This allows you to be more comfortable on your wedding day.

Speaking of comfortable, are you confident and comfortable in front of the camera naturally? No?! I’m shocked! (That’s sarcasm.) Most people don’t get in front of a camera and start whipping out model energy. Most of us feel awkward and don’t know what to do with our hands. 

By doing an engagement session, you have a chance to get in front of the camera and break the ice a bit. You’ll learn some of your photographer’s go-to poses and prompts. Hopefully, you won’t feel awkward by the end of the shoot. Then on your wedding day, you get to pick up where you left off and you’re automatically less stressed about getting good photos.

You also get a chance to have a gallery of your wedding photographer’s images and be able to envision the final product of your wedding day. Maybe that calms your nerves and helps you know you went with the right person. Maybe it makes you realize you aren’t working with the right photographer and need to find a better fit. Either way, it helps clarify what to expect from your wedding photos.

a bride and groom in a field on their wedding day in Minnesota

Get INSPIRED by Pinterest, but don’t let it dictate your day.

Pinterest is fun and it is a great place to find wedding day inspiration. However, it can cross a line from being a source of inspiration to everything needing to be “Pinterest perfect.” 

Spoiler alert: Pinterest isn’t real life. It’s the best of the best of wedding days. It’s an unachievable high standard, setting us up for disappointment if we expect our day to measure up. Your wedding day might have setbacks and less than perfect moments… and that’s okay!

Instead, use Pinterest to find ideas and brainstorm, then make it your own. Don’t try to copy a bunch of Pinterest poses; it will make your wedding photographer feel like you don’t trust their work. If there are one or two shots you really want, mention it to your photographer, but ultimately it’s best when you trust them to capture your day in the style they are an expert in. Give your photographer space to be creative and try to relax into the process instead of focusing on the perfect Pinterest pose.

a wedding party popping confetti with the bride and groom

Let the professionals handle it.

Don’t be afraid to delegate!! This advice comes in handy in a variety of ways. First, choose a photographer who is a professional you can trust, not just a friend with a nice camera. Second, don’t be afraid to let them make some decisions, such as a first look location or taking their advice on timeline. Lastly, on the day of, trust your photographer to be in control.

Sometimes, especially during family or wedding party photos, it’s easy to want to jump in and start directing people on what to do. That’s your photographer’s job. Your job is to be present and enjoy the moment with your people. 

By hiring professionals you can trust, you are taking the load off of yourself. They’ll ask for your opinion and don’t be afraid to give it, but also release some of the control.

You can also appoint someone to help and answer any of the photographer’s questions throughout the day. Maybe this is an event coordinator, a personal attendant, or the maid of honor. Having a designated person can lessen the stress for you.

a bride and groom on a lake in Minnesota

Plan more time than you think you need.

Listen to your photographer when planning your timeline – they know what’s up! Hopefully, this isn’t their first rodeo and they know how to walk you through the whole process. They should know how long you need for photos, rest time, and other miscellaneous timeline questions. Every photographer plans a bit differently, but you should be able to trust their plan!

Adding extra time allows you to go through the day with less stress. Have “buffer” times available throughout the day. This way, if you get behind, you can catch up throughout the day. If you’re running right on schedule, awesome! You get a break to rest and relax!

bride and groom on their wedding day in Minnesota holding a bouquet

Take some deep breaths and enjoy your day!

Last but not least, don’t forget to enjoy yourself! This is one of the happiest days of your life. Focus on the people surrounding you and the reason why we’re all there, to celebrate your love. 

Wedding photography is fun! So have fun! Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t be afraid to kick back and relax when you have the moment. Yes, these photos are really important. And yes, they’ll turn out better if you’re genuinely having a good time.

All these reasons and more is why who you hire for your wedding photography matters and is the number one way you can stress less about your wedding photos! Your photographer can make the difference between a stressful day and an epic celebration. You want to work with someone who is calm, in control, but also can have a freaking good time right beside you! 

I would love to be your photographer for your big day! I bring years of experience to your day and am guaranteed to give you a professional and fun process from start to finish. Ready to book? Contact me here. Already a Schrage Photography couple? Then buckle up! We’re going to have a really good time.

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