5 Tips for your day from a seasoned wedding photographer.

So this is probably my first real blog-post, and I’ll be breaking down the top five tips I’ve learned from the many weddings I’ve attended as a wedding photographer.

If you plan on having you or your bridesmaids wear heels down the aisle, you’ll thank me later if you double up with a pair of slip-ons. Some brides like flats, others like flip flops, some rock Keds or Tom’s, I’ve even seen a crew rock Converse down the aisle… This was a lesson learned early in my wedding photography career. When you’re traveling around Kansas City taking your wedding party photos, there are situations where hiking a little bit can be required, and nobody wants to trek in high heels. This became extremely problematic when I took a group on a bridge with large holes and the heels went right through them.

Bonus tip: If you have a big poofy dress, many brides don’t even bother putting heels on at any point!

The sparkler exit has become quite popular, they’re fun and I quite enjoy shooting them. Don’t cheap out with knock-off sparklers, and test them before you hand out hundreds to your guests! I’ve attended a wedding where the sparklers were shooting large sparks off the ends quite far. This made it quite scary to run through, and actually burned a hole in one of the groomsmen’s rented vests.

Be prepared for a long-winded rant here.

Ok, so I know that the cost isn’t as high as most other options, but there’s a reason for it. I’m no snob, nor a member of the fashion police… honestly, when you’re lucky, their suits are quite snazzy. I have yet to attend a wedding where Men’s Wearhouse hasn’t messed something up, and I’d say 80% of my couples end up using them. I’ve seen it all from them; wrinkled suites, missing shirts, missing shoes, missing belts, ill-fitting suits, there was even a case where pants were missing. Pretty much, if you can think of an issue with the suit, I’ve seen it from them. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to look dumb in the photos because your tux company messed it up.
Their customer service is also terrible. You’ll get decent service on the front end. They’ll measure you up, make you think you’re getting a perfectly tailored suit and treat you like a king-but that’s not how it ends up playing out. They end up setting you up with a basic fit, that may not really work with your body type, or it might not even be the right fit at all. God forbid you have an issue, they won’t have your back. They are all about getting new business, once they get your money they don’t have any motive to take care of you. In the example of the missing pants, they called the company, and their response was “well what do you want us to do about it?”

So If not Men’s warehouse… Who?

LITERALLY ANYONE ELSE! At least then you’ll know what you’re getting! All jokes aside, that it is a great idea to be able to actually buy your suit instead of simply renting it. Not only do you now have a slick suit to wear any time you may need one in the future, but you’ll also be in control of what you’re getting well before your wedding day. This may sound expensive but there are actually quite a few affordable options. Firstly being Jos A Banks, their reputation isn’t far off from Men’s Wearhouse, however, they offer the purchasing plan for only a little bit more. Another cool option you may have heard of is https://theblacktux.com/. You give them your dimensions and stuff, and then they send you the suit, and if it doesn’t fit just how you like it, you can send it back and they will get it taken care of! You can buy or rent, but when you rent from them, you get the tux 2 weeks in advance- so you don’t have to worry about issues popping up with no time to do anything about it like *cough* Men’s Warehouse *cough*.

I’m not affiliated with any of these companies but simply want you to have a smooth easy day and look great in your wedding photos!

Alright, I’ll lighten it up a bit, his one is pretty easy and can save a lot of time for more important wedding photos. On your wedding, you only have so much time during the day, and photos tend to be a big part of it. That said, in my opinion, the family ‘combo’ photos, while being important, should be limited to allow time for the more intimate photos. The issue is, there are an infinite number of combinations that can be done, and there’s no way for me to know which ones would be important for you. If you provide a concise list of photos beforehand, and also let the family know of that list, it makes it SOOOO much smoother after the wedding ceremony.

We’ll finish the list off nice and easy with the ‘first look’. This comes into play in a similar light to #4. I always want to maximize your investment in me, so the more time we have to take wedding photos the more you’re going to get out of me! If you get ready earlier in the morning, do a first look, and then hold the ceremony for later in the day, it opens up so much more time for party photos, without worrying about keeping your wedding guests waiting. I also enjoy these because I’m able to capture emotions in a more intimate way than I can on the altar.