Yoo hoo!! Clodagh here, your friendly Mornington Peninsula wedding photographer! You can check out all things Mornington Peninsula wedding here and here.
So, you want to know how to get some peeerrrfect ceremony photos you’ll want to frame? You’ve come to the right place. My time photographing Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley and Gippsland weddings has taught me a thing or two! Or three. Or the 8 that I’m going to be listing right here.
There are many things that you can do to make sure your ceremony photos are divine and wall worth. Read through this list and save it for later so you can double check you haven’t made any of these mistakes! Better yet, if you’re getting married on the Mornington Peninsula or beyond then book me as your wedding photographer so I can take care of it for you.
8 tips to get better ceremony photos at your wedding…
- Have an ‘unplugged’ wedding.
Have an unplugged wedding!! ‘A whhhaattt?’ I hear you ask! An unplugged wedding is where your celebrant asks your guests to put away their phones so they’re fully present during your ceremony. You have hired an amazing photographer for a reason so you don’t need them!
Imagine this… your ceremony photos… everyone joyously gazing at you, shedding gentle tears, laughing when they’re meant to and clapping vigorously as if on queue. Can you imagine how beautiful those photos are? Emotional. Candid. Raw.
Now imagine this… your ceremony photos… everyone with an iPhone or iPad in front of their face, phones waving everywhere as you have your first kiss and phones/limbs sticking out as you rock it down the aisle!!
So what’s the best way to tell your guests to put their darn phone away??
- Have a message at the bottom of your wedding invitation to say you will be having an unplugged ceremony.
- Have a sign at the entrance of your wedding ceremony that explains it’s an unplugged ceremony.
- Ask your celebrant to make expectations clear at the start of your ceremony.
- Give your guests 30 seconds at the start of your ceremony to get it out of their sister.
Or better yet, make sure you hire yourself someone as awesome as Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula celebrant Hitched By Heidi, who will bring a nerf gun to your wedding and threaten to hit any phones she sees!! Believe it or not this is now a popular request.
- Style your ceremony area well and make sure there’s no distractions (e.g. cords and speakers).
What’s the easiet way to ensure this happens? Hire an amazing stylist like Melbourne wedding stylists Cloth and Confetti Events, Bow Creative, Weddings by E or CelebrAIT Wedding Co. They’ll make sure your ceremony space is absolutely divine and you don’t need to worry about a thing.
If a stylist isn’t on the cards then chat to your venue and florist about what they can do and work together to create a picture perfect space for you to say ‘I do’.
Looking for ways to style your ceremony space? You can find lots of inspiration by…
- Checking out wedding blogs such as Polka Dot Wedding, Together Journal, Hello May, Ivory Tribe and so many more.
- Following your fave wedding vendors, blogs and magazines on social media.
- Pinteresting your heart out!
Check out this awesome Pinterest board I collated full of modern ceremony inspiration.
3. Carefully consider the time of day of your ceremony if it’s outdoors.
Before you organise your ceremony time, chat with me about time of the day if you have some flexibility! I’ll be able to look when the sunset is and give you a rough timeline of when your photos are going to be best.
This is something you can also do yourself! The best time of day for photos is the hour or so before sunset, but you want to reserve this time for your couples portraits. Figure out when sunset is (this will change depending on the time of year) and then time your ceremony for 2.5 – 3 hours beforehand.
Harsh sun creates a lot of shadows and isn’t that flattering, even in the most perfect locations! If you have to have your ceremony earlier in the day then there are some ways around it
- Find a spot with shade.
- Make sure you’re facing away from the sun so you’re not squinting or have sun glaring in your face.
- On a wedding day you sometimes don’t have a choice but to have photos in harsh lighting situations, so hire a photographer like me who can be flexible and knows ways around it.
OR, just have it indoors.
4. Ask your celebrant to step to the side before they pronounce you married.
The last thing you want in your first kiss photos is someone watching you in the background! Most celebrants will do this anyway, but it’s a great thing to double check with them if they’re going to step to the side so they won’t be in your photos.
5. Choose your wedding party (if any) wisely!
These people are going to be in your ceremony photos, so make sure you choose wisely!! You want people there who are going to absolutely hype you up and be excited (maybe even teary) during your ceremony. These make the BEST photos, when you can truly see that love is all around, even in your wedding party.
My fave ceremony photos have been when there’s happy tears, huge laughs and the look of ‘awwwwwwwww’ on their faces.
- Stand in the centre of your ceremony area.
Are you an OCD kind of person? Make sure you and your partner are standing centred in your ceremony space or it’s going to drive you NUTS haha.
- Slow down when walking down the aisle.
When you’re walking down the aisle, go slow! This will give you time for your partner to react, your photographer ample time to capture the moment, and it also allows you to take it all in.
- Have a friggin’ amazing exit.
Don’t just awkwardly walk back down the aisle hand in hand! Have an amazing post ceremony song and live that moment up! You can add an extra layer of cool by having something for your guests to do during your exit, and this will make some amazing photos.
Here are some ideas that you might want to try….
Confetti – Did you know you can get biodegradable confetti so not only will your photos be epic but it’s also sustainable? Woo hoo! Make sure you check with your venue if they allow confetti, many don’t because it’s so hard to clean up.
Streamers – Imagine how cool your photos would be with coloured streamers billowing through the air.
Bubbles – Bubbles are a classic and very fun!! You are NEVER too old for bubbles.
Lavender – You can fill little biodegradable cones with purple lavender blooms. Imagine the smell!
Confetti poppers – Remember how fun these were at birthday parties? Your guests can have the same fun as they send of you off down the aisle.
Whole flowers – Rather than just going for petals, you could do something beautiful like daisies or roses. Cute!!
Oh!! And an amazing kiss mid way will make your photos AMAAAZZZZZING! Practise this beforehand. Even a dip!
Check out ANOTHER Pinterest board here with some exit ideas.
If you’re looking for a Melbourne or Mornington Peninsula wedding photographer with ALL the info, get in touch with me here!
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