Dearly beloved wedding couple,
You’re about to tie the knot! We are truly honored that you have asked us to chronicle one of the most precious times of your life.
This day will be unforgettable for a variety of reasons.
Being the major one out of all: you will be surrounded by the individuals you care about the most in the world.
As your photographer/cinematographer, we want everything to be flawless for you; we want your photos/videos to transport you back to the emotions you’ll be feeling on that special day.
Things are about to take a turn for the best! We’ve covered a lot of weddings! We’ve learned and acknowledged a lot of things that we wish our clients had understood before their wedding day. So here it is: our checklist of everything we believe a bride and groom should be aware of on their wedding day! (This list is predicated on the premise that you want your images to appear amazing!)
- Messy backgrounds
Clear the clutter from the area where you’ll be getting ready. Trying to shoot around suitcases, coffee cups, empty dress bags, and stuff on the floor is quite annoying. Create a “clutter room” where you can store whatever you aren’t using. YOU’LL BE LESS STRESSED AS WELL!
- Specifics
Request your photographer to photograph all of the small elements on which you’ve spent so much time on! This might include everything from table favors to fancy seating cards to flower centerpieces on each table. Bring a blank invitation card, a cake box, both of your wedding/engagement rings (with boxes), a flower arrangement, coat flowers, perfumes, and any other fancy goods you’d like to use as an accessory to make the images and films appear great.
Note: If you want to take images with sunglasses during your prime wedding session, make sure everyone has pairs of a kind. Having a variety of shades will make your images appear “Not Attractive”.
- Take ‘lighting’ into account
We appreciate it when clients come to us for suggestions on where to shoot and when to shoot in order to capture the optimum light!
A few quick pointers:
If possible, select the brightest (natural light) and cleanest room in your house to do your hair, makeup, and get dressed in.
Look for a location with plenty of natural light and huge windows! Most makeup professionals will seek out natural light, but if they don’t, make sure you have a position near a large window ready. This works well for two reasons:
1. Photos will appear more professional.
2. Makeup will appear more natural.
If you’re having an outdoor ceremony, the time of day will have a significant impact on how the light and your ceremony appear. Consider speaking with your photographer about the optimum lighting setup. We’ve witnessed several weddings when one of the bridesmaids or groomsmen is in the sunshine while the other is in the shadow. Are you planning a wedding in a forest-y area or under the shade of a tree? Awesome!! Again, consult your photographer to determine which way you want the ceremony to face in order to maximize the light in this situation! In an ideal situation, the light should be evenly distributed in front and behind you.
- Have faith in us
We’ll probably ask you to do strange and crazy things or shoot in bizarre areas — believe us when we say that some of the strangest locales make for the coolest photos! If you can, keep your shot lists to a bare minimum (or don’t have any at all); they’re just unnecessary if you trust us and want us to do our best. The problem with shot lists is that they ultimately prohibit photographers from capturing genuine emotions.
- During speeches, sit close together.
Okay, so this isn’t a must-do, but it’s a fantastic photo opportunity! (And it can be used for the entire day!) Also, especially if the head table is raised, try to avoid putting a large centerpiece in front of you.
- Have delight in your first dance.
Try not to spend the entire dance conversing; instead, take even 10 seconds to absorb the moment and truly live in it.
- Accept and embrace your feelings
Smile, Cry, Laugh – Weddings are incredibly emotional for a variety of reasons, and we love capturing that feeling.
Authentic interactions look great on photo and video, so don’t be afraid to show them out!
- Allow yourself to let go.
Allow all of the worry from the hiccups and things that did not go as planned to go away. You can’t change them, and it’s pointless to ruin the rest of the day/photos because the flowers are the wrong colour or it’s a wet day. These things don’t actually matter. Plan for backups, expect things to go wrong occasionally, and let go when they do. There’s more to this day than bouquets, chair coverings, and centerpieces. On that point, your dress will very certainly get dirty, and you will never wear it again, so make the most of it that day!
- Don’t scrimp on quality.
If you’re thinking about hiring a separate videographer to capture your special day, we beg of you not to skimp. Choose someone who has worked on weddings before. It’s really tough to Photoshop a novice videographer out of every photo, especially when they aren’t sure where they should be at particular times. Keep in mind when hiring your photographer and videographer that it will be the images and recordings that will remind you of what your wedding day was like in the years to come.
Keep in mind: Consider putting up a sign informing your guests that the ceremony will be unplugged and that the photographers will be the only ones allowed to take official photos. Yes, we were referring to the official images exclusively! Everyone enjoys a good selfie, and we know the bride and groom like being featured on their friends’ Instagram/Facebook/Snapchat stories!
Give us an order of service so we know what’s going on and when it’s going to happen. You can only get images of all of your key occasions if you inform the photographer where he or she should be when they occur. (After all, they need to capture the best viewpoint!)
When it comes to group photos, you should let the photographer know if there are any problematic family situations so that he can arrange the subjects appropriately and be as diplomatic as possible.
If any of your guests have mobility issues, inform your photographer so that benches and seats can be arranged as needed for specific photographs.
Tell your photographer whether you want to be captured in a certain location (on a bridge, beneath a beautiful tree, strolling down a magnificent staircase), so he or she can leave adequate time for these images, especially if lighting needs to be altered.
Get your photographer in on the surprise if you and your partner are arranging a surprise first dance with an outstanding lift. He can capture the best perspectives for the coolest shots if he knows when the major moments are approaching!
Important: Please request that the DJ turn off all PAR CANS, Laser Lights, and artificial lights for the first dance or surprise dance. If you truly need the lights on, make sure they’re pointed towards the roof so that the effects on images and movies are minimal. Also, no smoke/fog/haze machines should be turned on while the first dance or the surprise dance is taking place.Team Agani would love to collaborate with you to help you reach the full potential of your life event. We will do everything in our ability to meet your criteria and make the glorious work pleasurable for you.
