Plan stress-free nuptials
MELISSA Barber presented her wedding photographers with an unembellished vision and they delivered, she said, a truly special product.
Ms Barber, who married her husband Aaron in 2018 at the Cairns Colonial Club, said everything fell into place for her special day, but more than 18 months of planning and trusting her suppliers, such as the photographers, helped the Edmonton couple forget the logistics and be present.
“I’m a planner, but when I began the process for our wedding I was stressed thinking about who I was going to go with,” Ms Barber said.
“I booked everything together at the beginning of 2017, including my photographers.
“When we met I just told them ‘outdoors’ and ‘nice colours’ and left it with them; they brought the vision to life.”
Popular Cairns wedding photographers Amy and Isaac de Reus, the duo behind Perspectives Photography, have a familiar understanding of how stressful a wedding can be to plan, and they say even 12 months of preparation could be cutting things too fine.
“Everything in the wedding industry books up quicker than you’d expect. We recommend reaching out to your ‘must have’ vendors up to 18 months in advance,” Ms de Reus said.
“Do this before you lock in a firm date with your venue, as you might find you can align some date options easier than others.
“It’s a great idea to look through a range of photographers websites and social media to get a feel for the style of images they create. The next step is to ask to see a couple of full wedding galleries.”
Ms de Rues said after naring rowing down choices, it was important to meet potential photographers in person to make sure you gel with them on a personal level.
“Finally, be clear on all the fine details. Make sure you have a contract that outlines everything your photographer will provide, how long the coverage is and what happens if things go wrong.
“Don’t feel the need to collate a huge Pinterest board of every wedding inspo pic you can find.
“The more your photographer has their head buried in a shot list, trying to recreate and tick-off photos, the more genuine moments they are missing right in front of them – ones that make your wedding day unique and personal.”
Mr de Reus also shared five insider-knowledge tips to all but guarantee a wedding is captured how it deserves to be.
1. It’s all about the light.
“Lighting plays a massive role in how your wedding photos will look,” Mr de Reus said.
“If you need to book accommodation to get ready on the day, a light and airy Airbnb will lend itself to great photos much better than a small hotel room with only one window.
“For the ceremony, if you’re under the shade of a tree, make sure when you do a rehearsal you watch out for patches of sun filtering through. Ideally you want nice, even shade on both of you. If it means moving the ceremony spot a few metres to one side, it’s totally worth it.
“At your reception, lighting creates the ambience and mood of the evening. The more lightthe better. Fairy lights look beautiful in the background of photos, but they don’t actually create much light.”
“The harsh midday sun makes for tough shadows. Aim for a 3.30pm or 4pm ceremony start time, which means your photos take place in the beautiful golden light that happens an hour before sunset.”
2. Consider an unplugged ceremony
“This is fairly common these days, and for good reason,” Mr de Reus said.
“Asking your guests to put their phones and cameras away for the ceremony means you’ll have smiling faces in the background of your photos, rather than a sea of iPhones. It also means your guests are actually present in the moment.”
3. Your day, your way
“Aside from a few legal sentences you need to speak, there is literally nothing you must do on your wedding day,” Mr de Reus said. “Not cake kind of people? Don’t have a cake.
“Find the idea of vows in front of 80 people daunting? Save those personal promises for a cute moment later in the day during your photos. There really are no rules. Allowing your individual personality to shine at your wedding will reflect in your photos.”
4. Know what you’ll have covered
“Some photographers offer timed packages, and others offer a looser ‘from preparations to first dance’ type of event,” Mr de Reus said.
“It’s important to know in advance what you have booked, and what you’ll have time to cover.
“Many couples ask about having a sparkler exit as they leave the wedding; but, generally, we finish our coverage before the end of the reception. We have a cooler alternative: a sparkler entrance into your first dance.”
5. Spend some time alone as a couple
“Your wedding really does fly by so quickly,” Mr de Reus said. “Take a few moments as a couple to just be present and enjoy the moment, away from the whirlwind that a wedding can become.”