After months of discussions, tastings, dress test, make-up test, hairstyle test, various brainstorms, video calls, emails, emails confirming brainstorms, brainstorms confirming cake tastings, etc,... finally, it's here: the big day has arrived, your wedding day. At last all the choices have been made, there's nothing left to do but enjoy the day, hope everyone has good time, and say a last prayer to Jupiter Pluvio.
But I am here to talk about photography not meteorology!
So let's try to better understand how exactly your photographer will behave during your wedding day.
The groom's preparation
In my experience, grooms fall into two categories: those who want to be photographed, and those who don't like it at all, but they adapt.
I would like to reassure all those belonging to the shy & reserved category: I always work trying to put my clients at ease, so I never push a groom (and a bride, of course) who is reticent, to be photographed, especially in a very intimate moment like this. In this case I only shoot a few details of the suit, and a few family photos or with the groomsmen and close friends (who are usually with him during the getting ready); after that, I run off to the ceremony venue, so that he has plenty of time to follow his own pace, without feeling pressurised by a foreign presence. I will then take care, during the rest of the day, to take candid photos of the groom, so that he also has his photo shoot.
On the other hand, when the groom is confortable with the camera, I take a little more time to details and group photos, the getting ready and also some portraits of him.
When the groom wants his preparation, I let him to my assistant; an eventuality that occurs especially when the bride and groom do not prepare in the same place. Unlike the bride, the groom tends to get ready a few minutes before the ceremony, and I am already at the venue where the ceremony will take place to film the details.
The bride's getting ready
I usually arrive at the bride's two hours before the time of the ceremony, and my arrival usually coincides with the arrival of the make-up artist as well. I must admit that despite my experience, this moment is always very moving, because it is absolutely the most emotionally delicate phase of the day. At the same time, it is one of my favourite phases because when the tension is so high, people drop their masks off, show themselves for what they really are, and most important: almost immediately forget I am there. This allows me to start getting into the mood of the day, understand her relationships with the people present (family, bridemaids and close friends), and begin to follow this magical ritual: watching her transform from a woman into a bride, a real metamorphosis involving a hairstyle, make-up and dress chosen especially for the occasion.
At this moment I try to blend in with the wallpaper, I don't want to interfere with this process at all, and I just focus on the story and the details. After the metamorphosis is over, when the bride is ready, I propose a few photos with family members or bridemaids, but always without forcing and only if the bride is eager to have these shots.
Wedding photos list: the ceremony
When I arrive at the reception, I immediately focus on the details, the flowers, the tables, the way it has been set up, trying to capture it without the presence of the guests. Then I shift my attention to the emotional part, the guests starting to take their seats, and of course the groom, waiting for his beauty. I admit that I have a preference for the sensible groom, who may shed a tear, but because they are so unbelievably happy, they cannot hide it, to the point of making me cry too.