Couples are always looking for ways to make their wedding as perfect as possible. Over my years as a professional photographer I have found all sorts of little tips that brides & grooms can do to make sure their wedding photos come out even better, almost regardless of who’s behind the camera. I hope these posts improve your wedding experience

Modern ceremony, especially those that take place out side of religious venues, often are shorter and less verbose. While this is a windfall for your guests looking to hit the cocktail hour, it can however put your photographer in a pinch if they wanted to get several different angles, or viewpoints, as there may not be many verbal clues to when an important part of the ceremony will happen. One of the best things you can do is let you photographer know exact phrases, or timeline of the ceremony once you’ve done your rehearsal.

While most photographers have a game plan and will start approaching a location we want to be in for the rings & kiss, on occasion a short ceremony can catch even a seasoned pro off guard if there is little in between readings and vows.

One of my most mortifying misses I had was at the wedding of Michi & Jesse (pictured above). The vows had been said and the rings were asked for by the officiant, I was in place, but nothing was said after and the rings were placed on their fingers. After getting the shot of the best man handing the rings off, I had looked down to make sure I had plenty of space left on the memory cards for covering this and the kiss, but when I looked back up the ring was already on the brides finger and not a word was whispered.

The ironic thing is that they didn’t even notice and in most situations, the camera doesn’t have a clear view of the brides ring finger anyway. Regardless, I apologized and added a little gift in with their wedding photos.

So, if your wedding is on the short & sweet side, make sure you drop a hint to the photographer about silent parts of your ceremony.

Find Vincent David Johnson on Facebook / Twitter /Google +

 www.VincentDavidJohnson.com

As far as March weddings go in Chicago, you can’t complain about 68 degrees and overcast, unless of course the last 12 days had been sunny and 80 degrees, but as most couples will tell you, the day goes by so fast with so much emotion, it would take a natural disaster to make you anything south of happy.

Part of my process of getting to know a couple, I often ask how they met, how did you propose and so on. Jackie & Jason have to have one of the more interesting stories I’ve heard and I’m sure the set backs would have had them prepared if there was another “Snowpocalypse” this year on their wedding day. To keep this brief, Jason had basically planned to pop the question at a picnic they were having while horse riding. As the couple made the trek from the Chicago burbs to downstate Illinois, Jason’s truck had a mechanical problem which essentially forced him to drive no faster than 45 miles an hour. This trip can take up to 3 to 4 hour trip at normal speeds. Finally on their picnic, it’s almost go time for Jason, and one of the horses comes undone and runs away.

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, Jason didn’t take this as an ominous sign and went through with his proposal.

The ceremony took place at  Ascension of our Lord in Oakbrook Terrace. We made a stop at a local park for some informal portraits and then made our way to the Carriage Green Country Club in Darien, ironically the site of the reception for the last wedding I photographed.

Not that I’ve ever had to say different, but it was a pleasure shooting their wedding. Jason is an all around stand-up guy and Jackie, is a breath of fresh air with a contagious smile.

Congratulations once again.

Getting ready to tie the knot.

I always take care of my grooms too. You want a photo riding your Harley on your wedding day? Done. Not sure about letting one of the groomsmen drive my truck, but oh well. Got the shot.

Bridesmaids relaxing before the reception.

A littler fakery on the toss.

See more photos on my pages on Facebook and Google Plus

 www.VincentDavidJohnson.com

One of the interesting parts of being a professional in a field for a while is you get requests from the media for comment on events, or topics relevant to that field. Recently I was asked to answer some questions for an upcoming book geared towards future brides.

I was one of several professionals who were asked questions specifically for wedding photography, so I don’t think I’ll be spoiling anything by revealing my answers, since I’m sure they’ll use others for some of the 15 answers, plus I wasn’t asked anything about catering, or how to preform a traditional religious ceremony.

I’ll be sure to post up link when the book is published, but for now I’ll be spreading the questions and my answers (plus maybe a little extra) out over the next 15 days.

Question #15

Is it possible to get black and white photographs as well as color photographs, or do couples typically have to decide between one or the Other?

Any photo taken in color can be changed to black & white with ease in the digital age. My web galleries allow couples to order photos in B&W, or a slew of other color shades if the photo was originally taken in color.

Choosing black & white for this photo was an easy call. The drab decore in the bathroom didn't do anything for the image and the purple dress was a distraction from some nice lines in the photo.

I've always been a bit torn on this image to go black & white because I like the small pop of yellow color, not to mention the image has a B&W feel to it even in color, but its the extra colors over the bride's hands that made me do it. The best part about most print ordering services today is you can do either as long as the original was shot in color.

Coming up tomorrow

Bonus Questions

I take a look at a couple of key questions I think were missed in my interview

Previous Questions

#14 Do prices typically vary for off-season or weekday weddings?

www.VincentDavidJohnson.com

One of the interesting parts of being a professional in a field for a while is you get requests from the media for comment on events, or topics relevant to that field. Recently I was asked to answer some questions for an upcoming book geared towards future brides.

I was one of several professionals who were asked questions specifically for wedding photography, so I don’t think I’ll be spoiling anything by revealing my answers, since I’m sure they’ll use others for some of the 15 answers, plus I wasn’t asked anything about catering, or how to preform a traditional religious ceremony.

I’ll be sure to post up link when the book is published, but for now I’ll be spreading the questions and my answers (plus maybe a little extra) out over the next 15 days.

Question #14

Do prices typically vary for off-season or weekday weddings?

Yes, but not by much. You’re still paying for talent and experience and that doesn’t change with the weather. Neither does the insurance & maintenance on the equipment, along with advertising, light bills and the cost of the album to the photographer all stay the same in December as they do in June. Typically you can see 10%, sometimes more, but don’t expect to see 50% off. Last minute weddings can also see a discount since photographers know the likelihood of booking an open wedding date just a month or two out is rare.

If you are getting married when there's a good chance snow will be on the ground, or the middle of summer in a southern climate, chances are you might get a discount, but don't go looking for half-off Groupon style deals.

Coming up tomorrow

Question #15

Is it possible to get black and white photographs as well as color photographs, or do couples typically have to decide between one or the Other?

#13  What equipment should a wedding photographer have?

www.VincentDavidJohnson.com

One of the interesting parts of being a professional in a field for a while is you get requests from the media for comment on events, or topics relevant to that field. Recently I was asked to answer some questions for an upcoming book geared towards future brides.

I was one of several professionals who were asked questions specifically for wedding photography, so I don’t think I’ll be spoiling anything by revealing my answers, since I’m sure they’ll use others for some of the 15 answers, plus I wasn’t asked anything about catering, or how to preform a traditional religious ceremony.

I’ll be sure to post up link when the book is published, but for now I’ll be spreading the questions and my answers (plus maybe a little extra) out over the next 15 days.

Question #13

What equipment should a wedding photographer have?

If you paying for a professional, they should have professional gear and they should have backups for the most essential parts. No less than 2 cameras, 2 flashes and at least as many lenses if not more. There are sensor sizes, mega-bytes sizes and specs for lenses & camera bodies that could take up a whole page. This doesn’t mean they need the top of the line and newest gear though. Essentially having the best camera in the world won’t help make a better photo and at the end of the day, you’d rather want talent behind a consumer camera, than a dud behind an expensive one.

Having the best equipment doesn't matter if you don't have a backup.

Coming up tomorrow

Question #14

Do prices typically vary for off-season or weekday weddings?

#12 How should a couple determine their wedding photography budget?

www.VincentDavidJohnson.com