The secret to a perfect wedding? Pre, prep, prep! From communicating your vision to your wedding photographers to finalizing your wedding timeline, these things will help make sure your wedding photos look as impeccable as your big celebration was. It also includes finding your Zen among the hustle and bustle of a wedding day.
How do you achieve that? I sat down with Melissa, one of our wedding photographers and Studio Manager whose job is to make sure our clients receive flawless wedding photographs and printed art pieces. We shared some real talk about the importance of sticking to a proper wedding schedule, trusting your team, and being flexible – all the things that you can do to help us enhance your vision and let your dream wedding come to life in photographs.
Describe the MANGO style. How does Mango Studios achieve such a flawless, natural wedding coverage?
Melissa: Mango’s style is light and cool. Our images are always honest, stylish, timeless and fun. Even though Mango is a luxury brand, we’re a relaxed bunch of photographers and designers who are very easy to spend your day with. This helps us blend in with families and friends at every wedding to achieve a really natural style of coverage. We work hard to perfect every shot in camera so that the final images have a fresh and flawless look and feel.
What is the MANGO experience?
Melissa: The Mango experience is custom tailored to each couple and event. It’s starts by getting to know all that you have planned – your reception venue, wedding size, ceremony start time etc. One of our amazing in house coordinators meets with each and every potential couple to help them come up with a preliminary photography timeline and possible creative locations. From there, we provide recommendations about other vendors we’ve worked with that are innovative industry leaders that we think might be a good fit for how the day is shaping up. With over twelve years in the industry and hundreds of happy wedding couples, we’re happy to share all the insider info we’ve learned with our couples to make their planning process as smooth as possible.
What are some things to consider when planning your wedding photography?
- Trust your photographer. Take their suggestions to heart because a lot of wisdom about timelines and locations comes with experience.
- Stick to the timeline. This one is super important because it informs the entire day. I’d recommend sharing the timeline with any key people in the wedding so everyone is on the same page.
- Bright is best. If you’re prepping rooms in your home or booking hotels rooms to get ready, always remember to ask and look for the brightest spaces with the most natural light.
- Hire a wedding planner. You’ll get no greater peace of mind on a wedding day then knowing every detail behind the scenes is being looked after by a professional.
- Enjoy the day!
How many photographers do you need for your wedding and why?
Melissa: We always recommend two photographers for many reasons but the main reason is that while one photographer focuses on the “must have” moments the second photographer is free to capture the candid reactions of other family members, or another perspective on a location that adds to the story. And as they say, two heads are better than one.
How to time formal family portraits?
Melissa: Start with deciding how extended you’d like to go – immediate families only or aunts, uncles, and cousins. Next, make a detailed, numbered list. Include people’s first names because calling out “mom” into a large group of people can be confusing. Start the list with the largest groups first and gradually get smaller so as you move down so there are fewer people hanging around. Print a copy of the final list and send one to your photographer. If you don’t have a planner on the day, delegate an organized friend or family member with a loud voice to assist with calling out stragglers and checking off the groups that are completed – you want your photographers taking pictures not running around chasing strays. Now, realistically, budget 2-3 minutes per photo and you’ll have the time required.
What if it rains on a wedding day?
- Be flexible. Being open to back-up locations and a slightly altered timeline isn’t the worst thing in the world to make sure you get great photos. The good news is some of our favourite images have come out of rainy days when the couple has been flexible.
- Be prepared. While no one likes to say it out loud, but it does rain on wedding days. The best thing you can do is be prepared with umbrellas for yourself and your bridal party, a change of shoes, and a second hair and make-up touch up later in the day to keep looking your best.
- Be happy. There is only one thing worse than rain and that’s a bad attitude.
Ultimately, the best weddings are the ones where you strive to make it authentically you. What is your piece of advice for brides-to-be to make sure their wedding photography runs smoothly?
Melissa: I chose Alana and Michael’s wedding above specifically for this question. For me, they embodied being in the moment and it was inspiring to be around. There wasn’t a single moment or location we went to throughout the day where I didn’t feel like it was the happiest day of their lives so far. Michael was literally throwing his fist in the air and grinning ear to ear knowing he got to marry Alana and I think that spilled over to their family, friends, and us. Because they were able to let go so freely, I believe they fully trusted us to document the day. Knowing they were big food people, they even let me surprise them with a creative location that included a french fry stop.
Did you love this post? Here are some other useful articles you might want to check out:
Essential Wedding Photography Checklist
Mango’s Step-by-Step Wedding Photography Guide
Rainy Wedding Day Tips