Wedding Magic Moments

You’ve probably thought about the day of your wedding for some time, you’ve gone through it in your mind, and you have a vision of how that day is going to unfold, but how will you, your family and guests remember it?

Mini Events

Think of your wedding day as a series of little mini events, or set pieces, if you’re into football. Looking before the ceremony itself, so some of the first things that happen on the day, let’s just take a quick look at some of the “moments”……

The Bridesmaids and Bride having their hair and makeup done, along with putting on the all-important dresses, that first moment that your dad sees you in your dress, the groom and best man getting ready (and perhaps having a quick drink!), the cars arriving to take you to the ceremony… Just looking at that time period, a lot is going on and a lot of moments.

It’s all too easy to “go through the motions” with these and not capture in any way those moments. But, with a little thought and working with the right Photographer, these events can be captured for later.

My role

One of my most important roles, as far as I see it, is to help to create “moments”, but it’s also to make sure those moments are captured. That, for me, means working with your Photographer, explaining to him what we have planned and how I see that unfolding, before the moment even starts, so that they can be in the right place, at the right time, ready to capture that event.

First, let me make it clear… I’m not trying to turn your wedding into some kind of stage show; it’s about talking to you, months before the wedding, to share ideas and suggest some of the many ways I’ve brought a little sparkle to previous weddings. It’s about working with you to add to what will already be a magical day.

Some of my favourites

There are way to many “little touches” that can be bought to a wedding (far too many to write about in a single Blog post – I have written Blog posts that cover quite a few of these, so have a look through later) and so it’s much better to sit down and discuss the day, how it will unfold and if there is anything special you would like to do.

Some very special moments I’ve had the pleasure to be involved in over the years include:

Father and Daughter dances – A lovely way for your dad to have a very special moment with his “little princess”.

A special call – The bride’s brother, who was serving in Afghanistan and couldn’t make the wedding, but we had managed to arrange a live link-up via a video call, so he could see his little sister on her special day and, almost, be there. The Bride knew nothing prior.

Fun with Bridesmaids – It never ceases to amaze me how creative some Photographers are when it comes to making something special out of something so ordinary as the bridesmaids getting prepped.

Grand Entrances – The moment when the Bride and Groom enter the Reception. Easily built to whatever level you want to take it to, and can involve special musically accompanied entrances for the whole wedding party.

The bit before the Reception – A lot of the reception you don’t really get to see. Guests are mingling, chatting and milling around. This is a great time for all sorts of “magic moments”. It’s also a time that can be quite unstructured.

First Dance – The most memorable for me and the one that brought a tear to my eye, involved the usual start, but then partway through, the bride and group went and got their grandparents from the onlookers and danced with them and then presented them with flowers. They really wanted them to be a big part of their special day.

There are many more…

Photographs

I’d always advise getting a professional Photographer. Yes, we’ve all got an uncle with a camera who can take a few snaps for us, but let them enjoy the day as your guest rather than have the pressure of capturing the day for you.

Seek recommendations, talk to shortlisted candidates. You need to know what style of photographer they are and, more importantly, what you want. Unfortunately, you don’t really know the result until the photos come back to you, sometimes months after the event. You want to get this right.

I have worked with many photographers over the years, and the following three I would recommend to you.

Simon John – https://www.simonjohnphotographer.com/professional-wedding-photography

Nicola Dawson – nicoladawsonphotography.co.uk

Martin Bell – martinbell-photography.co.uk

Photographers capture the day, as you grow older together, it’s lovely to flip through the photo album with your children and then grandchildren and relive that time many years before.