Wedding day is a very special day in every couple’s life and as such, it is the photographer’s job to capture the beauty, feelings, emotions of that day and to perpetuate them in a wedding photo album for the couple to enjoy for years to come. Wedding photography differs from other types of photography as you have only that one opportunity to capture all the essential moments, so the shots and angles need to be just right.

There’s no place for errors. If you’re a beginner and you’ve never shot a wedding before, you should look at some useful tips which will help you shoot perfect photos. One of the best ways to prepare for sure is to assist a professional. Also, creating a shot list together with the couple helps in setting goals and expectations.

The location also plays a key role in shooting stunning wedding photos as well as being prepared. Changing angles, the lights, capturing emotions and reactions and focusing on details are all essential characteristics of a good wedding photographer.

Read a brief guide to wedding photography and look at some helpful tips.

1.   Assist a professional

Being aware of some do’s and don’ts of wedding photography helps a lot when you don’t have experience in shooting wedding photos. The best way to learn about these is in practice. You can do that by assisting a professional in shooting a wedding. In that way, you can see what to do and what to avoid at weddings.

Before shooting a wedding yourself, try finding a professional who is willing to share their knowledge with you and whose brain you can pick for some useful advice. Hands-on experience is the best for learning about such a business. Even though you might know about some of the things this photographer tells you about, it doesn’t hurt to get insight into how others think.

2.   Create a shot list

This is an important step to consider before shooting a wedding. You should discuss with the couple their thought and wishes. It’s key to make this clear and share expectations. One of your responsibilities as a photographer is to ask the couple what kind of photos they’d like to have taken, which family members with, how to make bridal and groom photos and so on.

Make sure to also ask about some important details and angles they’d like to have their photos taken. It’s useful to make a list of the shots which you can tick off as you do them. In this way, you’ll make sure that you don’t forget anything. When you get some experience, you probably won’t need these kinds of lists, you’ll keep all of that in your head.

3.   Consider the locations

Some professionals like to visit the venue before the big day and make a few test shots. It’s really helpful, as in that way you get to assess the light and possible angles for perfect photos. This would be quite useful for someone who is a beginner. When it comes to wedding shots, the venue is not the only location that you need to consider when taking photos. You also need to consider different sub-settings that come with the location.

For example, taking photos in a garden, under some beautiful flower decorations, at a church, bride’s and groom’s rooms as well as in a limo. Many couples around the world opt for a wedding car hire, or their own hometown, as it is an awesome addition to their big day. You can create some great shots here.

4.   Be prepared

You should be prepared for an event such as a wedding in terms of your equipment as well. Being overprepared even is preferable rather than just being prepared. So, make sure that you bring all of your accessories in order to make some amazing shots. You can also bring your laptop to manage photos in real-time. This can be useful for backup, as you can also make sure that you don’t lose any data.

5.   Change angles

Try being creative and experiment with your shots by changing angles frequently. This will help you in getting some awesome photos you couldn’t even imagine. The majority of wedding photos are usually quite formal, in some usual poses, so make sure that you mix it up a bit, by taking some shots in a wide-angle, from the bottom or top angle. This can have some amazing photos as a result.

6.   Don’t miss out on the firsts

The firsts are quintessential when shooting a wedding, so you should be quite considerate about these. It would be good to have a copy of the whole wedding ceremony to know exactly when to expect what. Couples want to remember all the things from their wedding, especially the firsts.

Some of the most monumental firsts include the first kiss and dance, cake cutting, taking vows. Some couples even get creative with their own idea of important firsts they’d like to have taken, so make sure that you ask the couple about these.

7.   Make sure that you capture reactions & emotions

The newlywed couples love seeing their guests’ reactions and expressions of emotions. So, don’t forget to capture these candid moments as well. Sometimes these can turn out to be quite amusing, and sometimes even funny.

Always scout for these moments and be watchful for everything that’s going on. Try to capture some of these moments.

8.   Focus on details

As a wedding is usually a big event that’s consisted of many smaller events, it’s sometimes really easy to overlook details. But details are as essential as the wedding as a whole. Another responsibility of a good photographer is to capture these details involving the married couple.

These details usually come to close-up shots of the rings, the bride’s dress and the veil, jewelry, shoes, decorations and many other details.

9.   Remember to turn off the sound on your camera

A really annoying thing that can easily spoil the moment is the shutter sound on your camera. Remember to turn it off while taking photos. Nobody likes hearing beeps during speeches, the couple’s first kiss, or the vows. It’s usually better when people don’t hear the shutter sound going off as photos tend to look more natural and relaxed in that way.

10.   Learn how to use different light

Light is essential in every kind of photography, and the same is true for wedding photography as well. Good light makes good shots. However, as not all light will be flattering, you need to be aware of this and learn how to work with different light settings to use it to your advance.

Getting good at taking wedding shots takes time and practice as well as knowledge and skills – keep that in mind.