Wedding photographer Northern Ireland

 Maybe you’re feeling a little nervous – worried about lighting the reception, posing a slightly-awkward couple, or choosing the right lens for the ceremony.

 We’re not going to help you with any of that. Time, experience, and experimentation will earn you your style and technique.

 To rock your first wedding, there’s one thing you must do: prepare for chaos. These wedding photography tips for beginners will help you do just that!

 With the right prep, you’ll manage even the craziest celebration with class – and create beautiful photographs despite the challenges.

 One of the biggest beginner mistakes a photographer can make when photographing weddings is not having a signed contract. When you have a legally binding contract, it sets an agreement between you and the client.

 When your client signs a contract, it means they agree with your role and responsibilities for the wedding. The contract clearly states your tasks and what your clients will receive. It serves as a protection to both parties, especially since there’s money involved.

 If you haven’t already, make your booking legit with a signed contract and paid retainer. You can do both through ShootProof, using an attorney-drafted contract template from ShootProof’s Marketplace and the Invoices feature.

 If you’ve already collected a signed contract and retainer: congratulations! Level up!

Wedding photographer Northern Ireland

 Behind every scheduled wedding photography shoot is a series of inquiries, bookings, and payment discussions. It all starts with effective communication so that you can do all the necessary preparations and set expectations with the client. Make sure that clients have a way to contact you; may it be through phone, email, or social media.

 When you’re just starting out, it can feel scary replying to messages. There are cases when the client won’t respond right away, which might make you nervous that you said something wrong.

 Don’t worry, this is normal. Remember, your couples are in the middle of planning a wedding, so they have a lot going on! Even though they might take awhile to reply to you, it’s important that you focus on answering them as quickly as possible. The better the experience you provide them throughout the process, the more likely they are to refer you to friends!

 Leading up to the wedding, send your couple a detailed questionnaire asking questions to help you fully understand what will be happening on their wedding day. Make sure you know exactly what time coverage begins, the locations you need to be throughout the day, the names of important family members and those in the wedding party, any specific images your client envisioned, and when coverage ends.

 Additionally, use questionnaires to learn more about your couple. Find out where they met, their proposal story, and why they chose their specific wedding venue. All of these unique details are great to use when creating a blog post after the event!

 About 2-3 weeks out from the wedding, set up a meeting to connect with your couple. This can either be done in person or on a FaceTime call, depending on what’s most convenient for them and you.

 It’s great to actually have face-to-face time with your client before the big day, especially if you didn’t do an engagement shoot with them. This gives you an opportunity to review the timeline in person, ask them any last minute questions, and help relieve any nerves they might have.

 Being a wedding photographer doesn’t mean just shooting events. Most of the time, you’ll be busy handling the booking process, email communication, post-processing, and delivery of orders. If you manage all of this by yourself, find ways to streamline your workflow.