This year I decided to photograph more weddings. I wanted to challenge myself with something new, and weddings are a fantastic way to test your skills as a photographer.

It has been an excellent learning experience and I wanted to share with you 6 tips to consider that will help you plan a great wedding day.

Number 1. Do you need a photographer?

Before you start planning your day ask yourself, how important is having photos of your wedding to you?

Weddings are one of the only events our society has where photography and the type of photographer you hire directly affects how the day unfolds.

Not everyone needs a professional photographer at their wedding, however.

If the type and quality of photos are not that important to you, and you don't want a photo book or art for your walls after your wedding; don't hire a photographer.

You can have all of your guests be your photographer and have them share their photos and videos with you.

I can tell you from experience, it is bizarre being at a wedding as a photographer when you know the couple does not care or want the service you are trying to provide.

It is a waste of money and time that could have been better spent on something for the wedding, reception or honeymoon.

Number 2. If you wouldn't invite them to your wedding, don't hire them.

Choosing the right photographer is a key part of how your day will unfold.

So when you are searching for photographers I recommend looking at a lot of people's work and talking to them directly.

I think it is very important to have a face to face conversation before you hire someone who is going to be with you for an entire day, especially when that day is so important.

If you cannot have a conversation with your photographer, or if they don't seem like the type of person you would want to invite to your wedding, don't hire them.

You might like someone's work but they may not have the type of personality that connects with you.

You are going to be spending most of your day with that person and if you can't get along with them don't hire them. Save yourself the stress and keep searching.

Number 3. Know the kind of photos you want to see.

knowing the kind of photos you would like to see when you go to look back at your wedding is a great way to narrow down your search.

After the day is done all you will have is your partner and your photos, so think about what you want to see.

If you want lots of posed photos of you and your wedding party, look for a photographer that does that formal style of wedding.

If you want to have more candid photos that tell the story of your day as it happened, look for a photographer that takes a documentary-style approach to wedding photography.

Generally speaking, formal photos require more time dedicated to them. They don't happen by themselves so you will need to plan time in the day for them specifically.

A documentary-style doesn't revolve around those sorts of formal posed photos. You are hiring them to be a good witness for you and to capture the candid moments that tell the story of your day as it happens.

Number 4. Things are going to go wrong.

As much as we like to plan every detail of a big event, inevitably something will most likely go wrong.

Don't worry though, most of the time it is not a big deal.

Grandma was late, somebody in the wedding party forgot their pants. Just small little bumps that won't ruin the day but can be stressful when you are on a schedule.

If you understand that and can roll with the punches your day will be infinitely easier for yourself and everyone involved.

Number 5. Don't keep people waiting.

People come to weddings to see you, celebrate, and have a good time.

Nothing will grind that to a halt faster than if you keep your guests waiting.

You would be amazed at how quickly a group of people will lose their patience or get irritated if they have to wait for food to be served or the party to start.

Keeping people waiting costs you money as well. You don't want to schedule your photographer for 8 hours and have 3 of those hours spent with them waiting for something to happen.

You are paying good money, you want to get the most out of your photographer for the time you have them.

As I said, people just want to eat, drink and be merry at weddings.

Whatever you can do to keep that happening without delay will make you the couple that threw the best party people can remember.

Number 6. Location Location Location

Your wedding location can have a big impact on your day. Lots of venues are beautiful, but you can easily run into pitfalls if you overlook certain things.

Dark Venues

Some locations are dark and moody. It looks beautiful in person but it could be too dark for photographers to get the best images.

Make sure you look at photos taken at the venue from other weddings and see how they compare to how you want your day to look.

If you don't want lots of flash photos and every photo from the venue has pictures where the people are brightly lit. It probably means the venue is very dark and photographers have to use flash to get any good images.

Barns

Barn venues have become much more popular recently. They can provide a beautiful rustic space for your big day.

My first question when considering a barn venue is, is the space climate controlled? If it is, great! If not, consider the time of year you are planning your wedding.

Outdoor weddings

To put it in one word. Gamble.

Outdoor weddings can be beautiful, but make sure you have a backup plan.

If you get rained out where will you go? Does the location offer an indoor component for such a thing?

Consider the time of year, if it is the dog days of summer do you want to be deep in a Minnesota forest being eaten alive by mosquitos. or baking in the sun out in a field?

If it is October or later what will you do if it snows or is colder than expected? Are you going to subject your guest to the elements all day?

If your answer is yes, that is okay but I would strongly refer you back to the tip about keeping people waiting and making sure you have some kind of shade or cover somewhere.

Your guests will not appreciate the bug bites, sunburn or frostbite nearly as much as you might think after a few hours of exposure.

Hotels

Hotels can be hit or miss. Some are great, some look like OfficeMax.

One quirk that hotels have over other venues is this. People will wander back to their rooms if they get bored.

I worked at a wedding where there was a 30-minute lull after dinner where nothing happened.

First dances were supposed to take place right after dinner but for whatever reason, there was this gap where nothing happened.

In that time the couple's guests, full from dinner and an open bar, wandered back to their rooms. By the time the dancing started half of their guests had vanished.

Point being, if you want to keep everyone at the party, don't have your reception in the same place where people will be crashing for the night.

And there you have it, 6 tips to consider from a photographer’s perspective to help you plan a successful wedding day. I hope you found this list helpful as you plan your big day!