1. Preparation. Preparation. Preparation.

You don’t just turn up and wedding and start shooting. No matter how much talent you have, if you don’t know what is going to happen, and when, then you will miss a lot of important moments of the story. I asked my Bride and Groom so many questions, everything from the schedule of the day, to VIP guest’s names and who the suppliers were. Then I took the time to memorise it all.

With all that information stored in my head, I could direct members of the bridal party by name, and advise guests on what bit was happening next when they asked me. I was like a walking wedding encyclopaedia on the day. And that meant I was in the right place, at the right time to capture the images I wanted.

2. Pack Your Bags

As well as the obvious stuff like cameras and lenses, you’ve got to make sure you over pack with batteries and memory cards. Better to have too many, than not enough. Also remember the other things that you need to keep going. Bottles of water, energy bars and mints etc are little things that will make a big difference on how you feel on the day. And the better you feel, the better you will shoot.

3. Don’t Stop Shooting

Don’t stop to look at what you’ve just taken, or fiddle with camera settings. Don’t put your camera down, or start changing lenses. Spend as little time as possible away from the action. And for capturing the key shots, like the first kiss, don’t hold back, take as many photos as you can, to make sure you have it covered. There’s no way to do it again if you miss it.

4. Expect The Unexpected

The best moments are the ones that you don’t expect, so you need to be ready to capture them at any time. Always keep an eye on what is going on behind you; often the guest’s reactions to the main event you are photographing can produce some of the most natural, emotive images.

5. Keep It Simple

I’m perfectly proficient using off camera flash, but I didn’t use it once on the day. For the reasons above, I didn’t want to have more settings to worry about, or more equipment to keep tabs on. Instead I concentrated on utilising the best possible available light in each situation.

On the other hand, if the light was bad, you have to be flexible and be prepared to change your approach. A couple of Speedlights were only a couple of seconds away if I needed them.

6. You CAN Shoot A Wedding With Just Two Prime Lenses

I know because I did it. And it worked great.

7. Don’t Forget The Details

It’s very easy to capture the big things going on in the day, but in order to tell the whole story, you have to include photos of the small things that the bride and groom probably won’t remember in years to come. Details like the table decorations, to children dancing or messing about, candid’s of the guests taking pictures etc. On their own, these images won’t win any awards, but as part of the narrative of the day, they are essential. These all add together to tell the story of the day from another angle. Unfortunately, I took a few details shots, but I don’t think I took enough, so next time I’ll take more.

8. Check Your Posing

I regret not spending enough time checking people’s posing for the bridal and group portraits. Small things, like what people are doing with their hands, creases in their clothes and where they are looking were little things I forgot to look out for. These little details can make an otherwise good portrait look messy and unnatural. Next time, before pressing the shutter, I will do a spot check on hands, faces, background and clothes.

9. Enjoy Yourself

I can honestly say shooting my first wedding was the most fun I have ever had with a camera in my hand. I was smiling ear to ear for the entire 14 hour day. Although you are there to do a job, you also have to remember that this is a wedding. It is a fun, emotional roller coaster of day, and you have ride along with it, and get involved in the story, in order to capture it in the most genuine and brilliant way.

10. This Is What I Want To Do

I approached my first wedding with no previous experience, but a lot of enthusiasm and ideas. Until the day was over, I kept an open mind. I was prepared to accept that wedding photography may not be for me, but at least I could say I had taken the opportunity to do it.

Considering just how much fun I had shooting the wedding, and how happy both I and the clients are with the images, I think it’s safe to say that wedding photography is something I REALLY want to do again.