Welcome to the SJP blog

 

Every girl dreams of pinterest-worthy wedding photography from her wedding day…but amazing photos don’t just happen.  There are a few key ingredients that will make a world of difference in your wedding photos…so here are my top 5 wedding photography tips for brides.

My Best Wedding Photography Tip…Pick a photographer you love!!!

If I could give just 1 tip it would be…choose a photographer you love! A good fit is soooo important….for sooo many reasons….

1.  Your photographer is with you ALL day, and basically becomes a part of your wedding party.  So hire someone who’s personality will mesh well with you & your future hubby’s.

and

2. Your less likely to have disappointment over the way your photos were captured, because you already know you love their style!   It’s no secret that weddings are expensive, and photography can be expensive, especially good photography.  But, I’m a big believer of you get what you pay for.  So not only should you love their personality, but you should also love their work!  Photography is your 1 tangible item (besides the husband of course) that allows you to relive that amazing day over & over again.  It’s how you will pass along your love story to your children & grandchildren.  You put your time, money and whole heart into making this day magical, why not hire someone to capture it just the way you want it??

So when you are dreaming of those swoonworthy wedding photos…choose a wedding photographer you love <3

 

Engagement Session: Game Changer

So if your like most brides (and grooms) you’re totally uncomfortable with the idea of having your pictures taken….and not sure what to do, where to look or what to do with your hands.  I will admit, when I’m on the other side of the camera, having my photo taken….it’s scary!  And on your wedding day, tensions are already running high, and being nervous about pictures is just not worth the stress when there is an easy solution….engagement sessions!

Doing an engagement session with your wedding photographer before the big day will help your wedding photos tremendously!  Not only will an engagement session take away photo jitters on your wedding day, for both the bride & the groom, but you will get a chance to see your photographer in action, and get a feel for how they work.  It also will help your photographer get to know you as a couple, and get a feel for your personalities so they can work their photo magic on the big day.  When your wedding day arrives, you will know what to expect from each other, making the day all that more enjoyable!  It’s kind of like a dress rehearsal…practice makes perfect, right? 🙂

 

 getting ready: Keep it bright & clean

The morning of your wedding is one of the happiest times of your life, but it can also be a little crazy!  When you have all your bridesmaids getting ready together in 1 room, celebrating and sharing lip gloss…there will be stuff….stuff everywhere!  It just goes with the territory,  but…..all the clutter, half eaten muffins, paper cups, dirty tennis shoes and plastic garment bags aren’t always the prettiest in the photos….  So I recommend trying to consolidate random clutter to 1 area of the room. That way, we can photograph you & your gal pals behind the scenes of your big day candidly & clutter free 🙂

Also…natural light.  I cannot emphasize enough how important natural light is.  When you’re thinking about a space to get ready in on your wedding day, try to find a space that has a decent amount of natural light.  Natural lighting is the most flattering of all types of light and will help us to avoid any funky hues from artificial lights in the room.

 

 

 

 

 first looks: totally worth it

I know…I know….Isn’t a first look bad luck?????  It’s definitely not the traditional way of making your grand entrance to see the groom on your wedding day,  but I promise you this…..you won’t regret it 🙂  This is another one of my favorite wedding photography tips for brides.  Not only does it make the day waaaaaaaay less stressful because you get more photos done before the ceremony, but you will be able to capture the emotional filled romantic moment of seeing each for the first time in an intimate way.  If there was 1 thing I could go back in time and change about my wedding day, it would be to do a first look. Totally worth it!

 

 

Sneak out of the reception for sunset pics: ummmm yes

So right before sunset there is this magic lighting that photographers refer to as golden hour….aka absolutely stunning light!  Ideally, your entire wedding day would be shot during golden hour, buuuuut….that’s impossible.  Sometimes it doesn’t even work out for your bride & groom photos to be shot during golden hour, especially with how crazy a wedding day schedule can be.  So I always  recommend taking just a few minutes to sneak out of the reception with your photographer to take full advantage of that gorgeous flattering light!

So that’s it!  Those are my 5 big wedding photography tips for brides on how to get stunningly beautiful wedding photography.  I hope these tips will you to get the wedding photos of your dreams 🙂

Want to see a downtown raleigh wedding that followed all of the above tips and walked away with amazing images???  Check out Kristina & Charles’ stunning wedding at the Stockroom at 230 wedding

If you feel like my style of photography would be absolutely perfect for your big day! I’d love to hear from you!  Get in touch with me to tell me all about your wedding details!