# First Wedding | Tips? How should I be prepared?



## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

Ok, so a friend approached me and asked if I would shoot a wedding for a friend of his, he hasn't sent me any details or anything but its going to be a small wedding, less than 50 on the safe side and probably less than 40 I would say. Wedding isn't until November, will be indoors with what was said to be adequate lighting (we shall see...).

I AM DOING THIS FOR FREE (just to get that out of the way, because it is my first wedding)!

I currently have 7D + 24-105 f/4L + Speedlite 480EX II and some ND filters (not sure I'll need these).

I probably won't rent or buy anything for the wedding and just shoot with what I have (I would like to NOT have to buy anything, but...) but I would like to get a soft box for my speedlite just to have one and I know they can come in handy.

So, recommendations for a speedlite soft box?

Anything else I should consider renting/purchasing if I absolutely need it and will make things easier?

How should I go about practicing? Just ask friends/family to be my models for a few hours?



Any thing would be appreciated! Thanks!


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## gsgary (Aug 28, 2012)

that lens is no good for an indoor wedding


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

gsgary said:


> that lens is no good for an indoor wedding



Care to elaborate? I was told it won't be dark, but who knows.





Wedding is also low key, not a lot of money being put into, just thought I'd throw that out there.


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## spacefuzz (Aug 28, 2012)

Just remember that its a big day for them, and you dont want to muck it up for their sake. Dont do it for free, instead do it for the cost of renting the gear you need to do it right.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

spacefuzz said:


> Just remember that its a big day for them, and you dont want to muck it up for their sake. Dont do it for free, instead do it for the cost of renting the gear you need to do it right.



Tis a good idea, don't wanna charge since it is my first wedding, but will keep this in mind and see what prices are like.

I'm confident I'll end up with decent and usable images they will like, but not to the caliber of a hired pro obviously.

Should I really consider renting a fast 2.8 24-70? What about the softbox for flash?


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## fotomumma09 (Aug 28, 2012)

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/camera-lenses-for-indoor-event-photography-fast-glass/

Just did a quick google search.

I certainly do not envy you! So much pressure, but you have a few months to get ready good luck!


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

You really need some particulars for this before you can determine what you will need. 
Gary has a point in that lens. If this is a church wedding, indoors it's going to really kill you. 
When? Time of day is pertinent to you regardless of indoor or outdoor wedding
When and where do they want portraits taken? Indoors-you're probably going to need more than just the speedlite. At minimum I'd want an off camera setup for it. Usually I would want no less than 2 speedlites. 
Where? Indoor in a well lit green house? Or indoor in a dungeon of a church? Outdoors facing the sun? Outdoors in the shade? You see where I am going here. 
Where-regulations. Many to most churches do not allow flash photography during the ceremony at all. So, if you are indoors you are in a world of hurt with that lens. 

From where you are at right this second in this post here is what I would want:
70-200 f/2.8 lens of some sort. Doesn't have to be the Canon even. If you could borrow one? 
50mm f/1.8
Your lens for outdoor portraits and anywhere you can use flash
Off camera setup for the flash-trigger, tripod and modifier. Umbrellas are CHEAP. A Fong Tupperware or knock off is a good start. Again, can you beg borrow or swipe one from a friend? 
A half dozen memory cards about 8G
A reflector-one of those things for car windows can work well. Either in silver or white. If you can't find those a piece of that stuff kids use for science fair projects or white foam core board. Score one side of the white foam core board with a razor blade so it will fold up some and so you can "wrap" it to reflect light as you want it to.
A back up camera is really important, but I know that many go their first without it. 
Good shoes. 
Advil
Gatorade or tons of water
Maybe some Xanax.


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## Big Mike (Aug 28, 2012)

With the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras, F4 is often going to be good enough.  Although, you may find that 24mm just isn't wide enough in situations where you can't back up (indoors).  

First off, I think that "I AM DOING THIS FOR FREE (just to get that out of the way, because it is my first wedding)!" is a bad idea.  

If you were getting paid (or if you want to be perceived as professional) you will want to rent/borrow some form of back up equipment.  This is someone's special day, are you willing to risk the photos, knowing that if the camera/lens/flash stops working (for any reason), you would be out of luck?  
That is a big part of 'being prepared'.

Also, this may not matter, as you're doing this for free, but you should have a contract in place.  At the very least, it should outline the expectations for you and for them...so that there are no surprises and/or hurt feelings afterward.  

As for 'being prepared'...this is always what wracks my nerves before a wedding.  Did I pack everything I'll need?  The camera gear is the easy part.  What about extra clothes, in case something happens to the clothes you're wearing.  What about medication for something that might come up...headache, nausea, diarrhea etc?  I always bring a small cooler with water and something with sugar (juice or pop).  A tripod can often come in handy.  A step ladder is a very useful thing to have.  
Be prepared for any likely weather...jacket, umbrella in case of rain...maybe and extra shirt if it's so hot that you sweat though your first one.  

My last wedding was a 4 hour drive away and I was there for two nights.  I went over everything, trying to think of what I might need.  I was 3/4 of the way there when I realized I forgot to bring any sort of jacket (forecast called for rain).  I had to stop and buy one.  

This is the difference between being a professional and just being a guy with a camera.  A professional is prepared to get the job done.
But as you're doing this for free...I'm not sure your and their expectations will be...


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## Big Mike (Aug 28, 2012)

> Should I really consider renting a fast 2.8 24-70? What about the softbox for flash?


A softbox works by enlarging the size of the light source, relative to the subject.  So for it to make a big difference to the quality of light, it would have to be a good size.  And a good size softbox is too big to be used while the flash is on the camera.  If you are using the flash off-camera, then a softbox might be useful.

But really, you can get much softer light by bouncing the flash off of walls or ceilings etc.  So if it's going to be indoors, bounce flash is usually your best bet.

As for the lens, yes...of course...a faster lens is better and most wedding photographers shoot with F2.8 zoom lenses.  But F4 is only one stop slower, which you can probably make up with ISO.  It was less than 10 years ago that we (most photographers) didn't use an ISO over 800 for weddings...and many didn't go over 400, whether it was film or digital.  Now we can easily shoot at 1600, 3200 or even 6400.  So that's why I don't think it's essential to shoot with nothing but F2.8 lenses.  (but it still helps)

It might not be a bad idea it add a fast prime lens.  Something like a 50mm F1.4.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

fotomumma09 said:


> Camera Lenses For Indoor Event Photography: Fast Glass &#8211; PictureCorrect
> 
> Just did a quick google search.
> 
> I certainly do not envy you! So much pressure, but you have a few months to get ready good luck!




Thanks for the article!

And yeah... I usually do nature stuff where there is no pressure... so this will be a step out of my comfort zone and we shall see how I like this. I'll either hate it or love it lol.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

Awesome points everyone, thank you so much.

Leek and Mike, thank you, I will be printing your responses out haha

I will defiantly look into renting prices of equipment I'll need and I will pull more details out for where this will be and what kinda of lighting there will be.


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

Where are you at in OH? Anywhere near one of us who you could borrow gear from?
I am about an hour from the OH border. A couple hours and change out of Cleveland. I know there are several in the CLE area...


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 28, 2012)

What if your camera stopped working?, What if your lens is broken?  What if your flash is dead?


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## manaheim (Aug 28, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> With the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras, F4 is often going to be good enough.  Although, you may find that 24mm just isn't wide enough in situations where you can't back up (indoors).
> 
> First off, I think that "I AM DOING THIS FOR FREE (just to get that out of the way, because it is my first wedding)!" is a bad idea.
> 
> ...



Scary.  Of all the weddings I've shot so far... clothes... was one thing that never even occurred to me.  Great advice, Mike.  (all of it- not just the clothes) Thank you.  

BTW, I personally bring a cooler with two medium size bottles of gatorade and no less than three high-protein snack bars.  Like 20g+.  Weddings are a lot of work and moving around and you have to be on your game, and being undernourished and dehydrated is a no-win situation.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

MLeeK said:


> Where are you at in OH? Anywhere near one of us who you could borrow gear from?
> I am about an hour from the OH border. A couple hours and change out of Cleveland. I know there are several in the CLE area...




I'm in Toledo, OH, about 2 hrs from Cleveland... great idea though.



And to answer Mike's question about expectations, they know they are not paying a pro and not getting a pro, they will be happy to have photos of decent quality.

I'm getting to know my 7D pretty well now and I'm getting pretty comfortable in knowing aperture/ISO/shutter speed and how that all correlates and affects the other so its not like I'll be spraying and praying on full auto...


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

manaheim said:


> Big Mike said:
> 
> 
> > With the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras, F4 is often going to be good enough.  Although, you may find that 24mm just isn't wide enough in situations where you can't back up (indoors).
> ...



You know, I don't carry extra clothing or a change of clothes as a part of my kit either. Although after reading Mike's response I think I should have been doing it! I guess I've been damn lucky!


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

macpro88 said:


> MLeeK said:
> 
> 
> > Where are you at in OH? Anywhere near one of us who you could borrow gear from?
> ...




I know that they "know" what they are getting and you can say it 7 ways till tuesday at this point. BUT! It won't matter after the fact if they are disappointed. Put it in writing in a contract saying what you are promising them and what they are  understanding. You can NEVER have too much CYA but you can have too little.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

Schwettylens said:


> What if your camera stopped working?, What if your lens is broken?  What if your flash is dead?



I haz le' iPhone...


No, but, I have friends with Canon bodies, I'll ask one of them to borrow one for the day.


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## manaheim (Aug 28, 2012)

BTW, I also wanted to mention... on the "well lit" thing...  most people who are not photographers don't understand how much light a camera needs to expose a shot properly.  People think "lots of incandescant lights"=well lit, and it's really not.  Obviously, if you have a good camera high ISO is an option... a speedlight will help enormously... and a faster lens will also help a great deal if you go that route, but well lit is generally a lie. 

Also one tip on the speedlight... you're going to want to bounce it, but high ceilings in some of these places can play hell with that trick.  If you combine a higher ISO with the bounce it will save your butt.  I've found most situations 400-800 is fine, though I've had to go to 1200 in some extreme cases.  

Also be sure to bring lots of batteries... I STRONGLY encourage you to spring for the lithiums.  The alkalines just will NOT hold up.  You will need at least 3-4 sets for an average wedding.  Buy a ton and return what you don't use.  You DO NOT want to run out.  Also be mindful the lithiums run hot, so don't go popping the flash too fast or you'll melt it.  (you can melt the flash itself just off it firing, but the batteries make it more so)

Also recommend you learn to drag the shutter... practice before hand.  Think 1/20th second exposure, F3.5/4, flash on.  This allows the background light to fill in a bit.  Vary this based upon how much ambient light is in the room.  Do this in a genuinely bright room and it's a disaster.  Very bad idea.  Very dark room it works wonders as long as there is not too much motion.

Also a good idea to look into an external battery pack.  I live and die by mine.  Rent one if you can.  They're kinda too expensive to buy for ONE wedding.

Also make sure to bring extra memory cards.  In a typical wedding/reception I shoot about 1200-1600 images.

Think ahead on shots you want to try to take.  Be open to the bride/groom's suggestions.  Research the site ahead- even visit it if you can.

There's more, but that's a good start.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

Thanks manaheim very much, so more valid points and suggestions.

Thank you all who have been helpful thus far! I truly appreciate it!


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

I've had no luck with Lithium's in general, but I LOVE eneloops and they can be ordered on-line for a really amazing price compared to purchasing the lithium in a store locally!


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## manaheim (Aug 28, 2012)

MLeeK said:


> I've had no luck with Lithium's in general, but I LOVE eneloops and they can be ordered on-line for a really amazing price compared to purchasing the lithium in a store locally!



What has been your problem with lithiums?

Eneloops are rechargable, right?


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## 2WheelPhoto (Aug 28, 2012)

Eneloops are the bomb diggity for pocketwizards and flashes


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## Big Mike (Aug 28, 2012)

> And to answer Mike's question about expectations, they know they are not paying a pro and not getting a pro, they will be happy to have photos of decent quality.
> 
> I'm getting to know my 7D pretty well now and I'm getting pretty comfortable in knowing aperture/ISO/shutter speed and how that all correlates and affects the other so its not like I'll be spraying and praying on full auto...


We all have to start somewhere, and many wedding photographers have a similar story as their first.  So just do your best.  Under-promise and over-deliver.  

Yes, certainly make sure you are comfortable with your camera and how to get good exposures.  But that is usually the least of your problems.  It's all the excitement and confusion of a wedding that makes this job hard, but fun.  Th best thing you could, to prepare for this wedding, would be to tag along/assist another wedding photographer on a job.  That way, you can really get a feel for how it goes.  Although, no two weddings are exactly alike, and a good wedding photographer is prepared and thus ready for any situation that comes up.


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## gsgary (Aug 28, 2012)

macpro88 said:
			
		

> Care to elaborate? I was told it won't be dark, but who knows.
> 
> Wedding is also low key, not a lot of money being put into, just thought I'd throw that out there.



That lens will not be fast enough it may look bright to you eyes but lenses dont see as well as use


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## Big Mike (Aug 28, 2012)

> Also be sure to bring lots of batteries... I STRONGLY encourage you to spring for the lithiums. The alkalines just will NOT hold up. You will need at least 3-4 sets for an average wedding. Buy a ton and return what you don't use. You DO NOT want to run out. Also be mindful the lithiums run hot, so don't go popping the flash too fast or you'll melt it. (you can melt the flash itself just off it firing, but the batteries make it more so)


I wouldn't recommend lithiums as they are not rechargeable (bad for the environment).  
Just get a few good sets of NiMH batteries.  I've been using the newest version of NiMH from Energizer.  They hold their charge like Eneloops but have a higher capacity.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> _We all have to start somewhere, and many wedding photographers have a similar story as their first.  So just do your best.  Under-promise and over-deliver._
> 
> Yes, certainly make sure you are comfortable with your camera and how to get good exposures.  But that is usually the least of your problems.  It's all the excitement and confusion of a wedding that makes this job hard, but fun.  Th best thing you could, to prepare for this wedding, would be to tag along/assist another wedding photographer on a job.  That way, you can really get a feel for how it goes.  Although, no two weddings are exactly alike, and a good wedding photographer is prepared and thus ready for any situation that comes up.



Exactly, why I'm trying not to put too much money into this so I don't end up having to charge them too much. I know my skill limitations and I am humbly aware I'm going into this not knowing a damn thing, which is why I am asking, and that I will make known to them that I will do my best but don't expect pro quality. You get what you pay for. And I will do my absolute best to over-deliver. Seriously will give it all I've got to get great shots.

I will prepare for this the best I can. And I do have a few contacts to do weddings. I'll see about tagging along sometime just to get a feel for it.

Thanks again Mike!


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> > Also be sure to bring lots of batteries... I STRONGLY encourage you to spring for the lithiums. The alkalines just will NOT hold up. You will need at least 3-4 sets for an average wedding. Buy a ton and return what you don't use. You DO NOT want to run out. Also be mindful the lithiums run hot, so don't go popping the flash too fast or you'll melt it. (you can melt the flash itself just off it firing, but the batteries make it more so)
> 
> 
> I wouldn't recommend lithiums as they are not rechargeable (bad for the environment).
> Just get a few good sets of NiMH batteries.  I've been using the newest version of NiMH from Energizer.  They hold their charge like Eneloops but have a higher capacity.



Mike-How is the recovery time with them? Are they as good as the ULD Eneloops for that?


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## manaheim (Aug 28, 2012)

MLeeK said:


> Big Mike said:
> 
> 
> > > Also be sure to bring lots of batteries... I STRONGLY encourage you to spring for the lithiums. The alkalines just will NOT hold up. You will need at least 3-4 sets for an average wedding. Buy a ton and return what you don't use. You DO NOT want to run out. Also be mindful the lithiums run hot, so don't go popping the flash too fast or you'll melt it. (you can melt the flash itself just off it firing, but the batteries make it more so)
> ...


 
This is why I like the lithiums... the recovery rate is insanely fast.  Though these days I only use them as backup as I have the external battery pack and I get about 1000 flashes out of that.


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## jwbryson1 (Aug 28, 2012)

I'm an amateur and I've never shot a wedding, probably never will, but it seems to me that if this was MY first wedding, I'd want to see the place and get very familiar with it WELL BEFORE the wedding date.  I'd stop by with a friend, look around, bring my gear and take some photos of said friend in different lighting conditions.  It makes no sense to me to rely on what you are being told about the place by others as to lighting, etc.  Are the people telling you there is "good lighting" professional photographers themselves?  How would a lay person have the first clue about "sufficient" lighting for wedding photos?

What about a bag of rocks to weigh down a tripod and to support a soft box in case of wind?

Just my $0.02.  Hope it helps...


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

manaheim said:


> MLeeK said:
> 
> 
> > Big Mike said:
> ...


See, I didn't have the greatest luck with the recovery on the Lithiums. That's where I switched to ULD/Eneloops. I need to get a battery pack, but so far? I have other uses for my equipment budget. It'll wait while I keep recharging!


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## leeroix (Aug 28, 2012)

care to provide an example of a proper contract? or where to get one? or what you guys use? how its worded etc...


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## tirediron (Aug 28, 2012)

MLeeK said:


> manaheim said:
> 
> 
> > Big Mike said:
> ...


To add on:  a kit with white & black thread, shoelaces and safety pins as well as band-aids, some Pepto pills and so forth.  If something important is going to let go, it's going to do it at the wors possible time, and as one of the few sane people there, you can gain a HUGE amount of good karma (and word of mouth) if you can simply reach into your gadget bag and pull out something that will save the day.


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## Big Mike (Aug 28, 2012)

> Mike-How is the recovery time with them? Are they as good as the ULD Eneloops for that?


I've never used actual Eneloops.  I've used Alkaline and several brands of NiMH.  

The old Energizers/Duracells (& some other brands that I have) work well, as long as you charge them up before the wedding.  I'm likely going to do this anyway, so it was never an issue that they will self discharge.  I looked at the Eneloops, but they had a lower capacity and cost more.  Sure, the Ultra Low Discharge is great, but for a wedding photographer's flash, you're going to want them fully charged anyway.  But for things like remotes, meters or anything that won't typically run dry in a days shooting, they are great.

In the last year, I've picked up some new Energizers.  They don't actually say ULD on the package, so I wasn't sure what I was getting.  But I've found that they hold a charge much better/longer than the old ones.  

The recharge rate with all the NiMH batteries I've tried, has been very good.  The big benefit is that they maintain a pretty consistent recharge, until they are down to 10-20% (almost dead)....then they slow down, so I know to change them right away.  With Alkaline, the recharge rate slows down gradually, which is a PITA.  Back when I used them, I would use them in a flash until I noticed the slow down, then I'd put them in remote controls or kids toys and they would last another year.  Plus, they usually end up in a landfill, which doesn't sit well with me.

The one thing about lithium, is that they are light.  In the odd case that I had to measure every ounce I carried, lithium might be an option...but again, not rechargeable.  
Too bad they can't make lithium Ion batteries in a AA format.


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## Big Mike (Aug 28, 2012)

> To add on: a kit with white & black thread, shoelaces and safety pins as well as band-aids, some Pepto pills and so forth. If something important is going to let go, it's going to do it at the wors possible time, and as one of the few sane people there, you can gain a HUGE amount of good karma (and word of mouth) if you can simply reach into your gadget bag and pull out something that will save the day.


Good point.  I always have a 'kit' like that too.


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## tirediron (Aug 28, 2012)

Something else I thought would have been posted by now, but I didn't see (if I'm duplicating someone, sorry).  As soon as you can before the event, at the time of day the wedding will happen, scout the location.  Bring your camera/light-meter and meet with the Rector/Deacon.  Find out where you can stand, and where you can't stand and what the churches 'dos and don'ts' list is.  Find out where the guests are going to be, what the route of the processional and recessional will be, as well as where the register signing will take place.   KNOW WHAT YOUR CAMERA'S MAX USABLE ISO IS!  

Find out where & when the bride will arrive and be waiting.  You do NOT want to be sitting on a back pew waiting and hear "Here comes the bride" start up.  Know where you're going to park, have change for the meter if required.  What about formals?  Do they want/are you doingformals and if so where?  Do plans change if it rains?  Are you shooting the reception, if so do you know where it is, where you will park and how to get there.  Talk to the couple and find out if there are 'must have' shots, when & where the boquet toss & cake cutting will be.

Plus a bunch more stuff I can't remember right now.


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

leeroix said:


> care to provide an example of a proper contract? or where to get one? or what you guys use? how its worded etc...


Try looking here


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## leeroix (Aug 28, 2012)

hahaha yeah i know... just wondering if anybody with extensive wedding experience had a less generic, more polished version or some other info or insight to provide but now that i think about it, that pretty much sums it up...

CYA right?


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## MLeeK (Aug 28, 2012)

You really have to have an extensive contract reviewed by an attorney and that has a lot to do with why we don't share them. Legalities vary by state, etc. That and it costs us quite a bit in legal fees to get our stuff to that perfect point... Kind of something I am not gonna give away, KWIM? There are some really great ones on the internet that you can purchase and tweak from there very cheap and if you really dig with google you'll find some great ones free that you can use and tweak.


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## macpro88 (Aug 28, 2012)

again thanks everyone for the continued notes and suggestions  It means a lot. I am deff learning and gaining knowledge from you guys that I never knew existed haha


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## DiskoJoe (Aug 28, 2012)

Do a shoot with couple before the wedding so they get used to you pointing the camera at them. You want them loose and comfortable around you. 

Dont screw up the ceremony. 

Tell them to hold the kiss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You need flash for the party and may need to rent an extra.


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## joshhuntnm (Aug 28, 2012)

get comfortable shoes.


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## manaheim (Aug 28, 2012)

joshhuntnm said:


> get comfortable shoes.



omg yes.  Good point.  You can be on your feet for like 12-14 hours, easily... with maybe 2-3 breaks.  Get some shoes that will allow you to stand for a long time without too much pain.

DON'T WEAR FRIGGIN' SNEAKERS.

For that matter, don't wear anything casual.  You should be dressed in at LEAST business casual.  For most of my weddings, I wear suit pants, a white shirt, dress shoes and a tie.  If it's a dressier wedding I will wear a suit coat as well, but I try to avoid it as it is restrictive and photography is hot work.

And yes, I've seen photographers and videographers show up in jeans, sneakers... and one guy even had a bag that said RUSH 2112 on the side in giant letters.  UNACCEPTABLE.


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## bratkinson (Aug 29, 2012)

How's your white balance skills? My first/last/only/never again wedding shoot with my DSLR was 5 months ago, as 'family', rather than 'photographer'. I didn't know snot about white balance at the point. I left my 60D in Auto White Balance and fired away. The incandescent lighting turned the shoot into a complete disaster...especially the wall sconce lights I hadn't notice when taking pictures. Fortunately, I had learned to shoot in RAW+JPG, so I managed to sort-of salvage what I shot with Lightroom...which was also completely new to me a month earlier. Learning about white balance and Lightroom "under fire" is *=NOT=* the way to do it!


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## macpro88 (Aug 29, 2012)

More excellent points, thanks guys. And yeah, I know to wear to appropriate dress attire lol I wear business casual for work everyday so no biggie there.

AND HOLD THE KISS. Got it. DO NOT WANT TO FORGET THAT! haha




bratkinson said:


> How's your white balance skills? My first/last/only/never again wedding shoot with my DSLR was 5 months ago, as 'family', rather than 'photographer'. I didn't know snot about white balance at the point. I left my 60D in Auto White Balance and fired away. The incandescent lighting turned the shoot into a complete disaster...especially the wall sconce lights I hadn't notice when taking pictures. Fortunately, I had learned to shoot in RAW+JPG, so I managed to sort-of salvage what I shot with Lightroom...which was also completely new to me a month earlier. Learning about white balance and Lightroom "under fire" is *=NOT=* the way to do it!



I will deff check my WB for sure. I only shoot RAW though and with CS6+ACR7 I'll be able to fix the WB. I've screwed up WB several times and ACR has saved those images big time.



Thanks again everyone!


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## 12sndsgood (Aug 29, 2012)

I'm going to throw in some of my tips from what I learned at my first wedding a few months ago. I know the feeling. youlle start feeling like you can handle it and get excited about doing it, then when it gets close youlle start freaking out a bit lol. A lot of good information has been passed out by people with way more experience then me. but this is what I did and learned from.


1. I would look at contacting the couple themselves now. ask to meet with them. find out what is most important to them. find out what they would like to see they may only expect so much but that doesnt mean you can't try blow them away. I went into my wedding not even wanting to do weddings, but after I was done I realised it is something i could possibly do in the future if i needed to. and starting off with a happy couple is a great way to go. Just get to know them. who they are, how they act. mabye even offer to do a engagement shoot to get more time with them. 

2. contract. I know its been said a few times. but its important. They may not be expecting much, but what about there parents? will there parents accept the fact your a rookie doing it for free if something happens? cover your ass no matter what.

3. equipment. for our church i walked in and thought, okay this lighting is pretty good. then when i pulled the camera out and started taking test shots before you know it, im sitting at iso 3200 at 1/50th a sec at 3.0 and i go "okay, maybe the light isnt as great as i thought.

4. benefit of getting to know the couple is possibly asking them if you can be there for the rehearsal. this gave me a chance to get to the church, get shots of them on the alfter and find out ahead of time what sort of light i was looking at. gave me a chance to realiase my D3000 for backup was going to be about worthless. but at least i new ahead of time.

5. when your talking with the bride and groom get the families figured out for the portraits so you know who is getting photos and the groupings. and letting them know that they are in charge and if there are any issues you will come to them. work on the time frame. that was a big thing for us. figuring out at what time we were getting what shots how much time we thought we would have and so on. if you dont talk to them about it, they may not think about it and when the day comes you dont have a good feelign for what is happening and when you have time for things. and be willing to adjust on the fly because no wedding runs according to plan.

6. maybe see if you can find a friend who wants some wedding experience to come along as a 2nd shooter for experience. just someone else to help cover the action and possibly cover your butt. I hired my buddy to 2nd shoot with me and he caught some action i missed. for instance, coming out of the church I was finishing some shots and was rushing out to beat the bride and groom coming out where everyone throws the birdseed at them. in my rush my hand hit my setting adjustment and nocked into user settign instead of manual and my half a dozen shots of that for me were total junk. blurred mess. my buddy had been out there and ready so he got those shots. just added protection.


7 If you get to the church before hand look around find out some nice shots you'd like to get and write them down because you will forget about them when the day comes. write down the important shots as well. I forgot to get the rings. Yep doesn't seem like something you'd forget. but when you up in the morning and running nonstop all day long things can get forgotten. so write them down. and have the list with you to run thru.


8 talk to the person performing the ceremony. relying on flash won't work if the officient forbids flash during the ceremony. introduce yoruself. let him know who you are. ask him if he has any requirements, find out what is okay and what is off limits. 

9 know your path so your not getting in the way during the ceremony or after. the advantage of going to the rehearsal we got to see how they were running things and me and my buddy started figuring out where we wanted to be at certain times of the ceremony. esp when it comes to the kiss. you dont want to be off to the side and miss a good shot because you didnt realise it was to that point yet.

10. batteries were mentioned and that was one thing that got me. at the reception I had 20' high ceilings so i was heating my flash up quickly and overheating it. having to wait for it to cool down to continue shots. I had never been in situations where i was firing a lot of shots off and even coming close to overheating my flash. at the reception i probalby put it into cooldown mode 4 or 5 times. so something to think about.


hopefully most of that makes sence and thats just some of what I had picked up at my first wedding, definatly not an expert by any means.


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## Designer (Aug 29, 2012)

macpro88 said:


> will be indoors with what was said to be adequate lighting (we shall see...)



The term "adequate lighting" does not translate to photography.  Usually that means people won't trip over small children on the way to the food table, but you should plan on bounced flash indoors (off camera if you have a bracket) and a softbox attachment for outdoors.


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## pgriz (Aug 29, 2012)

As I mentioned in another thread, I've been to many weddings.  The most professional teams (yes, there were always at least two) had pretty much all the key shots scripted and pre-planned, with the location(s) scouted out in advance.  In THOSE weddings, the photography went smooth, the key parties knew what they had to do, where and when.  In the others, the "pros" were trying to do the photo-ops on the fly, or they had really poor crowd-handling skills, as those shoots were chaotic (again, from a photography point-of-view).


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## TCampbell (Aug 29, 2012)

pgriz said:


> As I mentioned in another thread, I've been to many weddings.  The most professional teams (yes, there were always at least two) had pretty much all the key shots scripted and pre-planned, with the location(s) scouted out in advance.  In THOSE weddings, the photography went smooth, the key parties knew what they had to do, where and when.  In the others, the "pros" were trying to do the photo-ops on the fly, or they had really poor crowd-handling skills, as those shoots were chaotic (again, from a photography point-of-view).




I worked for many years doing wedding photography for a studio.  We always had a photographer and a side-lighter.  The flow of the wedding and the shots involved was well understood.  Having a side-light creates some shadow to provide some dimensionality to the photos so they don't look flat but the two flashes wash out each other's "strong" shadows.  Diffusers are pointless for shots taken from a distance.  Only use them close-up.  I personally used a "shoot through" umbrella that I would hold in front of the flash -- a proper softbox large enough to work well can also be cumbersome to use, so a shoot-through gives you the nice broad fabric to diffuse and the umbrella form-factor means you can pop it up and take it down quickly.  I used a medium format (Hasselblad 500CM) camera with a prime lens -- no zooms (pre-digital days).  Today zooms are popular -- just make sure the lenses are up to the task.

There was always a conversation with the bride & groom well in advance of the wedding so they knew what to expect, when we would show up, and what we'd be doing.  The day can vary based on what the couple wants.  Some brides want us to come to the house prior to the wedding.  Others want us to go straight to the church.  

In advance, we always knew things such as:

Where will be initial go and what time will we arrive (the house?  the church? etc.)

What key guests will be present (e.g. both parents of the bride?  both parents of the groom?  grandparents?  etc.)  That's for planning the formal shots.  There can be some "delicate" situations that need to be handed (e.g. for example... suppose the "parents" of the bride are actually divorced and don't really get along.  Normally you'd take a photo of the bride & groom with the parents, but sometimes they divorced couples don't want to be in the same photo with each other... a mess yes, but these things happen in real life, and you need to know how to handle it.  By discussing everything up front you'll call for the shots which are appropriate and that way there are no surprises.

Will there be a reception line?  If so will it be at the church or at the hall?

Will there be a limo or any special transportation for the bride & groom?

Will the reception immediately follow the wedding or will their be a break in between?

Will there be a father/daughter dance?

Will there be a bouquet toss, garter toss, etc.

Often, YOU will be invited to eat with the guests... but not always.

You will ALSO frequently be invited to partake of the bar.  Politely decline that... as it may adversely impact the quality of your results.

Discuss the location of the reception and scout it.  If it's in a beautiful setting, you may have an opportunity to "borrow" the bride & groom for about 15 minutes for a quick shoot.  This should be pre-planned up front (not on the fly.)  

When you shoot the formals, start with the shots which include the parents and grandparents.  The parents are the hosts of the reception and if the reception immediately follows the wedding, they need to be able to leave to head to the hall quickly.  Thus... get their shots out of the way.  

The more you know in advance, the easier it is to plan.  

You generally may NOT use a flash "during" the "ceremony".  The "ceremony" beings AFTER the question "Who gives this woman?" and the father of the bride replies "Her mother and I."  At that point you are IN the ceremony... no flash.  When the priest/minister/rabbi/officiant announces at the end that they would like to present "Mr. and Mrs. _____" and the couple is about to leave the alter, the ceremony is OVER.  You may resume the use of your flash.

This means that during the ceremony you will need a nice LOW FOCAL RATIO lens (preferably an f/2.8... I have 70-200, and I also have a 135 f/2.)  The rest of the time I have a 24-70 f/2.8. (but a full-frame camera so 24mm really is a wide angle).  

You will need to be able to handle the guests who may get in your way.  Be polite.  I handled this by asking everyone to wait until they saw my flash go off TWICE (I take two shots) before they shoot.  There are a number of reasons for this... everyone in the formals should be looking at YOUR camera and not at some guest.  If the party doesn't know who to look at than everybody's photo will be bad.  Also if your flash is triggered via light-slave you want to make sure nobody else's flash is going to trigger your flash and then your flash hasn't had time to cycle before you take the shot -- resulting in ruined shot for you.  If the guests know that once you've taken your two shots that THEY will get their chance (and you'll wait) then they'll be a lot less likely to try to shoot while you're shooting.  Just remember that the bride and groom are actually counting on YOUR photos turning out.  They're not counting on anyone else.  If a guests ruins the photos you're taking, they're really ruining the bride & grooms shots... these are their memories.

This is a fairy-tale day.  Brides fantasize about this day from when they were little girls.  Keep that in mind.

(hopefully I didn't typo too much... I wrote this in a hurry.)


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## manaheim (Aug 29, 2012)

Wow.... NICE writeup.


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## CCericola (Aug 29, 2012)

Buy the creative live class that Joe Buissink (sp) just did. He shoots mostly with just a speedlight and bounces off of walls, pillars or fat people wearing white shirts. He did J-Lo's last wedding.


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## IByte (Aug 29, 2012)

macpro88 said:
			
		

> Tis a good idea, don't wanna charge since it is my first wedding, but will keep this in mind and see what prices are like.
> 
> I'm confident I'll end up with decent and usable images they will like, but not to the caliber of a hired pro obviously.
> 
> Should I really consider renting a fast 2.8 24-70? What about the softbox for flash?



Glassandgear.com prices seem fair.


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## pgriz (Aug 29, 2012)

:hail:  Hoo boy... this thread should be a sticky for wanna-be wedding photographers - I am seriously impressed by the quantity of high quality input and real-world experience. In fact, macpro88 - maybe you'll like to smoosh all of this together and write a TPF manual (or at least checklist).:thumbsup:


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## macpro88 (Aug 29, 2012)

Man, I must have asked the right question the right way cause wow, these responses are golden.

Thank you so so so much guys and gals, and Campbell, in a hurry? I can't imagine a full length detailed write up but holy cow thank you so much.

Granted, the wedding isn't until November, so a lot of time to read up and really absorb and memorize all the great info provided here and to practice shooting.



And with all this great info... I kinda wish the date was a little sooner haha

again, thank you. thank you very much. this thread has exceeded my expectations in responses.


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## bratkinson (Aug 30, 2012)

Somebody produced and/or linked to a great "wedding photo list" shots on this site about 2 months ago...maybe 3. When I was at my ex-stepdaughters' wedding 5 months ago, it was obvious to me that the real shooters had a checklist of what shots to get, who to have in the picture with B&G at the reception, etc. 

As I'm of that age where I am slowly losing everything, including my memory, I'd probably forget to bring the checklist! Although I'll never (willingly) shoot another wedding, on a couple of trips I've taken and shot, I DO remember to print a list of what to do beforehand and what to take with me. Like: Charge all batteries, wipe all memory cards, check out/mount/test each lens, etc. Check off on the list as I pack each item, etc. At least I know I have with me everything (hopefully) that I'll need while I'm out shooting.


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## chuasam (Aug 30, 2012)

Muck it up but warn them in writing that if you get rubbish pictures, it aint your fault


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## 12sndsgood (Aug 30, 2012)

macpro88 said:


> Man, I must have asked the right question the right way cause wow, these responses are golden.
> 
> Thank you so so so much guys and gals, and Campbell, in a hurry? I can't imagine a full length detailed write up but holy cow thank you so much.
> 
> ...




no, take the time you have and just soak in as much information as you can. it will be here before you know it lol.


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## sactown024 (Aug 30, 2012)

TCCampbell, what a great write up, well done. I am shooting a wedding september 22nd as an assistant and I will be sure to use this info and relay it to the main photographer!


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## kokonut (Dec 22, 2012)

Hi,
My husband was invited to a wedding to take some photos. He is not a pro wedding photographer but his friends had a low budget for the wedding and they liked a lot his pictures. So at the end they were really happy and they gave him a gift. I believe it is a good way to learn if people appreciate and like your pictures. If it is you first time it is OK if you go fir free but you need to stay professional and do your best best as you understand it it a very important day for your friends!


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