Tips for the Perfect Photography Coverage of Your Wedding Reception

As a New York wedding photographer, I have gained some knowledge on the do's and don't for the best photography coverage of your big day.

There are some things to keep in mind when planning your New York wedding. You not only want to hire your dream photographer - but you want to make sure that your wedding is photography-friendly. In this blog, I give you some tips for ensuring that your wedding reception looks incredible in photos. These things are guaranteed to impact your wedding photos - so let’s make sure they’re impacted in a positive way!

Timeline

The first is how many hours of coverage you need. This is determined by when certain events in your wedding are taking place. If you want your cake cutting captured, you'll want to make sure it happens during your hours of photo coverage. You also want to make sure there are breaks in between the day - having a wedding that is nonstop with no breaks gives you a bad experience. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a couple tell me “When my siblings got married the whole day was a photoshoot. They didn’t even eat dinner or get to try the cake.” It’s no fun for you, and it can creatively drain your photographer!

Your coverage begins at getting ready and is consecutive hours from that time. For example: if getting ready begins at 2pm, and you book an 8 hour package, you have coverage until 10. You'll want to keep all those important moments happening by 9:40pm. This way, there is enough time to finish up those parent dances or cake cutting, and your photographer still has time to hug you goodbye! :)

Lighting

Lighting is important. Some venues are super dark and I'm able to capture photos during almost any lighting scenario. But you'll just need to keep in mind the photos will look different in a very dark venue vs. one with tons of natural light. Think about that when you are looking at venues! I highly reccommend looking at photos taken at that venue by photographers that align with your preferred style to get an idea of how they will turn out. It’s best to come with proper expectations.

Colored DJ lights may seem fun, but I HIGHLY recommend opting out of them. They don't always look great in the photos, and it's not always possible to edit it out. They can cast weird tones on people's skin, and the only way to save the photo in those cases is turning it black & white. In other cases, the lights are more subtle and not a huge deal. If you want to avoid this altogether, make it clear to your DJ you do not want any colored party lighting. Trust me, your photos will come out so much better!

Second Outfits

Outfit changes - TELL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER! If you plan on doing this, TRUST ME you want photos of it. You may even want photos “getting ready” in your second outfit! You want to make sure your photographer will be there at least a half hour after an outfit change so you’ll have epic pictures of you dancing in it!

I hope these tips helped you! If you have any questions on planning your reception or need a New York wedding photographer who can capture these moments beautifully, reach out to me here!