7 Secrets for Best Wedding Photos

I mean, who better to fill you in on the secrets for the best wedding photos than the ones behind the camera?? The Hive and I are here to help you capture the magic on your wedding day! So much of the wedding day is fleeting and is over in a blink of an eye. Luckily for you, your wedding photos will stand the test of time. You owe it to yourself to do whatever you can to make them look and feel authentic.

You’ve found the perfect man. You’ve landed the perfect wedding location. You found your “this is the one” dress. And now all you need is to ensure are the wedding photos of a lifetime!

DO WHAT FEELS NATURAL

We are here to make you feel natural and relaxed during your wedding photos, but we know that being photographed all day can be exhausting. That’s why we have these secrets for best wedding photos to make you feel at ease. The best thing you can do during your photo session is just try to relax and act naturally. Any funny prompts we give you, just roll with it! We promise that you can take our lead.

You can always stand in a way that you normally would – like holding hands or with your hands around your backs. We always like to warn our clients about walking with their heads down as they walk down the aisle. We definitely suggest you pick up your head, even if you’re nervous. Even if smiling isn’t going to happen, at least pick your head up. A thoughtful or content look is always better than the top of your head.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE BEAUTY OF LAUGHING

Even if you think you look silly, you need to let the laugh happen! We promise you it’ll brighten up your photos and be the keeper you’ll hang on the wall. Don’t worry about the posing, that’s your photographer’s job. They will need to be experienced enough to get you set up in a way that is flattering and then make you genuinely crack up. One prompt we like to give our couples is “whisper in their ear your favorite breakfast food. As sexy as possible.” It’s seriously the funniest thing and we’re able to capture that laughter.

SCHEDULE AN ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

We can’t emphasize enough how important engagement sessions are. This is the time to get comfortable being in front of the lens and to get to know your photographer. Engagement sessions are a great opportunity for the photographer to really learn more about you two as a couple and learn what’ll work for you and what doesn’t. The images can be used for Save the Dates and your wedding website photos.

When the photography timeline of the wedding inevitably shrinks from an hour to 20 short minutes, your photographer will already know what works for you and what doesn’t. Plus, you’ll already feel comfortable with them so the rushed timeline won’t make you feel all awkward turtle and like you don’t know what to do with your hands.

This Montana destination wedding couple took their engagement session photos the day of their wedding before they got dressed. It really allowed them some great 1:1 time to soak in the experience of the day. TOGETHER.

TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

When your photographer is asking to move up your sunset photos for a time that’s a little different than the official timeline, it’s probably for a reason. It’s probably because the clouds have rolled in early and that perfect golden light is fading fast. Or if they are positioning you a certain way, it’s because the symmetry of the mountains or the leading lines of the river will make for an epic portrait. It might not always seem intuitive, but trust us, it’s one of our secrets for the best wedding photos. Your photographer knows best. We want you to have the world’s BEST wedding photos!

You and your guests have probably traveled a long way for your wedding day, so hire your photographer for rehearsal dinner, the hike you’re taking your guests on, or any other pre-wedding events. This will ensure you can relive every single moment of your wedding weekend.

When it comes to wedding days, your photographer should be able to help you with locations, timeline, vendor recommendation lists and how to use your photos after your wedding day! Wedding albums are a MUST so you can look back on your day outside of the computer.

DON’T GIVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER A SHOT LIST

The tough thing about shot lists from some wedding website on the internet is that not every wedding will have things on the list. This leaves your photographer to focus on watching for those moments that may never come, leaving them preoccupied and missing the spontaneous moments that they should be looking for. The spontaneous moments are far more meaningful than any staged photo on a shot list. That’s one of the best kept secrets for the best wedding photos!

You should be hiring a photographer who has photographed more than 100 weddings and has the “must have” shots down by heart. They’ll be getting the detail shots, wedding party breakdowns, family breakdowns, important little moments like your mom giving you a squeeze before you walk down the aisle. They’ll be getting those little moments you wouldn’t even think of. They’re the professionals, so trust them.

Keep your family photography shot list to a minimum as well. You really don’t want to spend all the time trying to get every last combination of extended family you can think of. Instead, focus on your most important family members.

FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT MAKES YOU LOOK GOOD IN A SELFIE

We see the stiff “I’m ready for a photo” pose all the time. It might look great on your phone, but in “real life” it can just leave you looking like you need to relax. Check this secret for the best wedding photos: we use unposed prompts in order to loosen you up and to get you acting more normal. We’ll do a lot of movement posing where you and your honey are actually doing something fun and moving around. As much as this isn’t the usual way you pose for a photo, go with the flow and you’ll see that your wedding photos will look genuine and natural.

SCHEDULE YOUR SESSION FOR SUNSET

For the best light and that golden glow we can’t get enough of, schedule your session outside during golden hour. Golden hour is the hour directly before sunset. The sun will be low enough to get some color in the clouds and (fingers crossed) the lens flare. Ask your photographer for the best time for these. In some mountainous areas, the sun crests the mountains much earlier than the sunset time online.