Booking a Documentary Wedding Photographer.
So now that you've decided you'd like a candid approach to your wedding day, there are a few things that you need to do as a couple in order to maximise the results of this type of wedding photography and ensure that you have a relaxed and uninterrupted day getting the images you want and love from your photographer!
Research your documentary wedding photographer.
It’s no secret - there are lots of photographers and styles out there - it's a bit of a minefield and can be quite overwhelming - but do check out your photographers website portfolio! Instagram is like a mini portfolio for photographers and is a great place to check out what they've been up to! Their work should be consistent and consistently candid if this is what you'd like.
A lot of photographers advertise themselves as 'documentary' because to a certain extent they are however they may place more of an emphasis on the posed shots or they may actually set things up more. Make sure you know just how candid your day will be. If you want complete documentary, make sure you see examples of consistent candid photography in their portfolio and not just portraits.
Myself, I shoot 95% candidly with just 5% of the day spent on group photos and portraits. I don’t ever interrupt your day nor will I ask you to move near a window or ask you to do something again. Authenticity is paramount to me and my style.
Meet up with your photographer.
I shoot a lot of weddings where I meet the couple for the first time on their wedding day, in fact a lot of couples I only have email contact with and this works well for us, but if meeting up is important to you before hand, this is a great way to get to know your photographer better and find out if you are a good match.
Don't give your photographer a huge list of ‘must have’ photographs.
When you choose a documentary approach for your wedding photography, this is really important. Candid photography relies heavily on the photographers ability to anticipate moments and be in the right places at the right times. It also requires 100% focus on finding these moments. If my couples were to give me a long list of 'must have' photographs then the documentary approach you like so much goes completely out of the window because the photographer is now constantly checking the checklist and consequently missing out on the moments. Give your photographer the freedom to shoot your wedding the way they know how to and they will give you the results you want.
Don't give your documentary photographer too many group shots to shoot.
As important as documentary photography is to me, I do realise the importance of group photos too - even if it's just to keep the grandparents happy, but if you hand me a list of 20 group shots, you are going to have a fair chunk of your day taken up with them. Bearing in mind that each group takes around 3-5 minutes to set up and shoot so if you give me a list of 20, this is equates to 1 - 1.5 hours of standing around/waiting for photos away from the celebrations. If you do want this however, you can book a second photographer and I will focus on the candids (do bear in mind that you and your other half will be in ALL the photos though so really consider if you want to spend an hour and a half posing for pictures). I normally shoot between 5 and 8 groups, so this would take between 15 and 40 minutes depending on group size and the number you choose to have.
Set aside some time for couple photos (if you would like them).
I usually set aside around 15 minutes for your couple photos - we often do these during the drinks reception but it may be dependant on the weather. They are very relaxed and there is no posing involved. We usually just go for a wander around the venue to give you some much needed time alone together. By keeping the session short, you won’t be away from your guests for very long at all. I’m a bit of a light lover, so if we have a nice golden hour or sunset I may whisk you outside for some quick evening photos and these will be just as chilled as before, however if you want a completely documentary approach to your wedding day, let me know because couple photos and group photos aren’t essential if you don’t want them.
Fill your day with fun!
It may sound obvious, but I can only capture what is in front of me. If everyone has gone off for a power nap, then your images from that part of the day will be quite a bit dull. If you have a long drinks reception, or if there's a big gap between the wedding breakfast and evening reception I'd advise some form of entertainment for your guests. There are so many possibilities - Garden games, a photo booth, a magician, a caricaturist, a casino, piñata for the kids, a bouncy castle, beer pong…. the list is endless and your imagination is the limit.
Have an unplugged wedding ceremony.
Have your guests focused on you during the ceremony and ask for them not to use their phones. I've been to so many weddings where the just married couple are walking through a sea of ipad screens and mobile phones. If you want to see peoples faces and have them congratulate you than have a hundred pictures taken and see no-one, have your guests be fully in the moment by asking them to put away their phones and your official photos will be better for it too.
Trust your documentary wedding photographer to do their job.
Documentary Wedding Photographers work a bit differently to most traditional photographers but in order to do our job best and to give you the most amazing images we possibly can, we really need you to trust us. This is what we do, we are passionate about capturing real honest moments, we love weddings and people and we will go above and beyond to give you the best images we can but we do need to be a team and working together will allow us to produce the best work and the best results.
If you're getting married in Cheshire or indeed anywhere in the UK or worldwide and would like to have a candid unposed documentary approach to your day or to check my availability for your wedding, please get in touch - I'd love to hear from you!