Leesburg, VA Wedding Photographers Discuss Photo Mistakes to Avoid

When it comes to beautiful wedding photos, a little forethought goes a long way. While your Leesburg, VA wedding photographers will do everything they can to capture every special moment, there are some things that you can do to ensure everything goes smoothly on the big day.

Let’s look at some of the top wedding planning mistakes that can affect your photos and how to prevent them.

4 Mistakes to Avoid for Great Wedding Photos

After photographing hundreds of weddings over the years, I know that spontaneity plays a significant role in capturing raw emotions. However, with so many unexpected things happening simultaneously during a wedding, it can be difficult to record everything.

Planning is key to ensuring all the crucial details make it into the final shots. Help set the stage for gorgeous wedding images by avoiding these common mistakes:

Missing the Firsts

So many firsts happen in a wedding —i.e., the first look, the first dance, the first kiss—and you’ll want to remember them for a lifetime. Sharing the tentative schedule of these firsts with your photographer ensures that they’re in the right place, at the right time.

Not Having a Photo Coordinator

This one’s more of a soft suggestion than a rule. Your photo coordinator can be a friend or sibling who’s close to you and know the people in your life. Just like how your wedding coordinator makes sure that everything goes according to plan, your photo coordinator can help with tasks such as arranging friends and family for group photos.

Ideally, your photo coordinator should attend all meetings with your Leesburg, Virginia photographer to get a good idea of what to expect during the wedding.

Not Finalizing the Poses

While I love taking candid, spur-of-the-moment photos, I also know that posed shots add great substance to your final album. Clarifying the poses you want can reduce disappointment and conflict later. It will also make it easier to coordinate everybody during the shoot. Therefore, it’s a good idea to finalize your shot list in advance so that we can make the most of the limited time during the wedding.

Not Paying Attention to the Details

There are numerous little things you may not notice but can get in the way of picture-perfect images. Here are some dos and don’ts to pay attention to:

Do:

✔ Ask the officiant to stand aside during your first kiss.

✔ Ensure there’s ambient lighting to set a romantic mood for the images.

✔ Remind guests to put away their phones to keep those screens out of the shots.

Don’t:

• Fill the water glass too early to avoid unattractive condensation in the shots.

• Use table numbers, flower arrangements, and candelabras that are too high to prevent obscuring your visitors.

• Clutter the bridal suite.

• Have the wait staff at the reception background.

What you should and shouldn’t do may also vary depending on your venue. Talk to your Leesburg, VA wedding photographers about them before the big day.