The Problem with Wedding Photographers...

A few weeks ago, I had an eye opening conversation with a friend.

We were walking around the mall (that’s what we have to do in Pittsburgh when it’s 6 degrees outside ;) ), and we started talking about business. We moved on to weddings. Then we moved on to our couples and to photographing them on their wedding days, one of the most significant days of their lives.

Then, we started talking about something that got my gears spinning. A question was brought up: am I shooting for my couples, or am I shooting for me?

The weight of this question hit me by surprise. Of COURSE I’m shooting for my couples, I mused. Why else would I be photographing all of these weddings if I wasn’t?

But then, the gears kept turning, and I thought back to a conversation I had with a former coworker. Recently married, I asked him what he would do differently about his wedding day, if he could. He answered “I’d insist that we take less pictures. I love how they turned out, but I missed out on a lot of my wedding day because we kept leaving to take photos. Before the ceremony, after the ceremony, during cocktail hour, and during our reception, we were pulled out multiple times for more photos. They insisted that we keep leaving our friends and family for more photos without taking our opinion into consideration.”

Whoa. As a wedding photographer, this hit me right in the gut. I began to wonder: am I putting too much pressure on my couples for the photos that I want? Or do they really want them, too?

Of course, there’s a balance, like with anything. Good photos take time.  It takes time to get a series of photos that represent who a couple is, to capture their friends and family, and to do it all in less time than an engagement session typically takes.

But, the question still remains: am I unnecessarily putting expectations on my couples to take photos that they don’t really want? Are we missing the boat as wedding photographers and camouflaging our desire to get photos that we love while sacrificing our the desires of our couples on one of the biggest days of their lives?

If wedding photography becomes about anything besides the couple, then we’re doing it wrong. We’ve missed the boat. We might say we’re in it for our couples, but in reality, we’re only in it for ourselves. That’s when wedding photography becomes selfish. And the temptation to make it about ME, the wedding photographer, is a great one. But if we can keep our eyes on what truly matters – on capturing this beautiful, sacred union and these two individuals on the first day of the rest of their lives, our focus will stay where it was always meant to be: on our couples.

One GIANT Tip for Spending More Time with Loved Ones on Your Wedding Day

You might’ve read the title of this post and been a little confused (especially if you haven’t experienced a wedding day as a bride or groom first hand): isn’t it a given that you’ll spend the whole wedding day with your friends and family?

Well… yes and no.

Of course, you’ll be spending your wedding day with your family and friends in the same vicinity as you, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be actually spending time with them. And to be honest, sometimes wedding photography takes up a significant portion of a wedding day. And it’s challenging, because as a wedding photographer, I want to get the BEST images possible for my couples – and of course, getting the BEST images possible takes a little bit of time, between bridal party photos, family photos, and photos of the happy couple.

But what if I told you there was one magic way to spend more time with your family and friends on your big day? ONE thing that you can add into your day that will give you that time that you so desperately want?

That “thing” is a first look.

WAIT. Don’t go. Don’t click out of this post yet! A first look can evoke a lot of different emotions in a lot of different people. But before I go into why a first look might be the best thing you could do on your wedding day, let me explain what a first look is:

A first look is where the bride and groom have a private moment together before the ceremony. Yes, you read that correctly. The bride and groom will see each other before the ceremony even starts, but the beautiful thing is – they will get to have that moment together. They can talk together, laugh together, hug each other, kiss, and cry with just the two of them present.

I understand that a first look isn’t for everyone. Heck, my husband and I didn’t even do a first look at our wedding! But a few weekends ago, Nick and I photographed another wedding with a first look, and on our way home, he looked at me and said “I kind of wish we would’ve done a first look. Those two got to spend so much more time with their family and friends and shared in that moment together. I wish I would’ve been able to tell you how beautiful you looked and hugged you when you came down the aisle!”

Bingo! Though Nick and I decided to opt out of a first look for our wedding, looking back on our day – we realized that it might’ve actually been a better decision for us. We took our wedding photos right after our ceremony during cocktail hour (which is a normal time for photos!), so we didn’t get to spend that time with family and friends who had traveled so far to celebrate with us.

BUT – if we had done a first look before our ceremony, before all of the guests had arrived – we could’ve been a part of cocktail hour and would’ve had much more time to talk to our loved ones.

So the moral of the story is: if you want to spend more time with your guests, a first look might be the best option for you. We’ve heard time and time again how much more relaxed and at ease our couples have felt after having a first look on their wedding day, which is the most important thing.

Have a question about a first look? Feel free to email me at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com with any questions!

Tips for Making Your Bridal Details Look Amazing in Photos!

You may not realize it, but every wedding photographer has certain parts of the wedding day they favor photographing – and for me, one of my favorite parts of the day is photographing the bridal details! Having time to photograph the bridal details lets me creatively “warm up” for the day, and for me, is just plain fun!

I’m all about meticulously arranging beautiful compositions so brides can remember each and every important detail they incorporated. While it can be easy to lose some of those accessories and trinkets used on the wedding day throughout the years, a photograph (or a few) of your items in your wedding album is sure to remain!

Because I have a passion for creating beautiful imagery from bridal details, I’d love to share three pieces of advice for making your bridal details look amazing:

1. Pre-think and gather what you would like to have photographed.

The bride has a lot of accessories on the wedding day – the dress, veil, shoes, garter, jewelry, wedding rings, perfume, bouquet – just to name a few! I always love to recommend having brides pre-think and gather what they would like to have photographed so nothing is forgotten or unintentionally left out. Pre-thinking what you would like to have photographed means less scrambling on the wedding day looking for misplaced items, and leaves less of a chance that something could be forgotten in the photographs!

Here is a list of what I will typically ask for from brides:

• Dress
• Dress belt (if there is one)
• Veil (if there is one)
• Shoes
• Invitation suite (this adds so much to photographs, plus invitation suites typically cost a decent chunk of change, so getting them photographed is a great way to remember them!)
• Save the date
• Garter(s)
• Wedding rings
• Engagement ring
• Perfume
• Purse
• Headpiece
• Any jewelry (necklace, bracelet, earrings)
• Something old, new, borrowed, and blue

2. Add in personal elements and heartfelt touches.

I love when brides take this piece of advice and run with it! Last summer, I was doing a venue walk through with a bride who was having her wedding on her parent’s property. While we were walking through her parent’s house, I noticed an antique silver tray, which I later learned belonged to her grandmother. I made a point to incorporate the tray into some of the bride’s bridal detail photos, and not only did it make the perfect backdrop for her invitation suite, but was an extra personal element that she will always have photos of to remember! (See below for how the photo turned out!)

Other personal items might include: a photograph of the bride’s mother or grandmother in her wedding dress, a old photo of the bride as a flower girl, an heirloom vase, an antique picture frame or chair, a handwritten love letter from the groom, a handkerchief – but really, the possibilities are endless!

3. Ask your florist to provide some flower petals or a few extra flowers to help set the tone of the photos.

At a recent wedding, one of my brides requested extra flowers from her florist for detail photographs, and I thought it was a GENIUS idea (and can’t believe I hadn’t thought of asking the florists I work with sooner!). Sometimes florists have extra rose petals, flowers, and/or leaves leftover after creating the wedding centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnières – asking them to bring along a few extra items for photos typically is a-okay! Especially if you offer them the opportunity to use your photographs as portfolio pieces in return :)

So there you have it! Whether you're a bride or a photographer, I hope these few little suggestions help get your wheels turning to create some beautiful (and meaningful) photos that will help commemorate bridal details for years to come! 

Angela + Ajay: LeMont Restaurant Wedding Photographer

Angela and Ajay's elegant romantic blush wedding day was full of love, laughter, and true joy! While Angela and Ajay currently reside in New York, they came back to Pittsburgh to celebrate their love of a lifetime, surrounded by friends and family.

Before the ceremony, Angela and Ajay shared an intimate first look in a little city garden that was bursting with color! After, we joined up with the bridal party and did a couple of "traffic stopping" shots (you'll see what I mean ;) ) and celebrated with a champagne toast. At their ceremony, Angela and Ajay read heartfelt vows that hardly left a dry eye in the crowd (including mine!), with the Pittsburgh city skyline as the perfect backdrop. One of my favorite parts of their wedding day was when the crowd clapped as each family and bridal party member made their way down the aisle. If that doesn't give you an idea of how joy-filled and celebratory their day was, I don't know what will! Later, the two danced the night away (and let me tell you, these two love to dance!), incorporating some Italian songs as a nod to Angela's Italian heritage, closing out the night with a sparkler exit. Need I say more?

Angela and Ajay, you two are a joy to be around, and your love for each other (and for those around you) is infectious! Congratulations on tying the knot - here's to many more years of celebration!