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Why Your Wedding Plan Should Prioritise Photography

First kiss in front of the Manor’s keep

Why Your Wedding Plan Should Prioritise Photography

So many things happen simultaneously with wedding plans that some things simply cannot be considered a priority—but your wedding photographs should not fall into that category. As a wedding photographer I may be a little biased, but I turely believe that any wedding plan should prioritise photography for the following reasons.

Professionally shot wedding photographs will always be an investment worth planning for. Why? It’s one of the most important days in your life that you’ll want to remember in the best way possible. After all, nothing can compare to the magic that a photographer can create with their expertise.

A wedding plan should prioritise photography, but that does not mean that you have to turn your big day into one big expensive photoshoot – you just need to be smart about it.

Preserving your best memories

Say you want to take a more budget-friendly route with wedding photographers and rely on your guests to take photographs of you and your spouse. Maybe you’ve thought of asking a friend who has some experience in shooting photos to take on the task of photographing your wedding day.

Neither of these situations is ideal for capturing and preserving your memories in the best way for several reasons. While the intent is for the photos to look genuine, your guests will likely be very distracted from being in the moment just trying to take great shots of the both of you. Your photographer friend who isn’t an accredited professional may take some great photos, but they might not produce the stunning images you’re looking for due to lack of experience at weddings, or equipment.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked by people who went the ‘cheaper route’ and then asked me to ‘fix’ the photographs they recieved. It isnt really possible in the same way as I could have if I had taken the photos..

If you want to capture one of the most monumental moments of your life and not have to worry about how the pictures will turn out, hire a professional photographer.

Belair National Park wedding photo 2

Maximising your budget

You’ll be more grateful you made the decision to have your wedding immortalised more than you think. Many couples who have chosen to sacrifice their budget for wedding photographs and place elsewhere, like in the decorations or the food, often regret it later on.

This is unsurprising, as guests won’t really care to remember what decorations were used during that special day—but they will want to relive the moment the bride walked down the aisle or how much fun they had during the reception. Those captured moments are worth paying for.

When looking at your wedding budget and wondering how you’ll afford a photographer with everything else going on, remember that you don’t need to pull out all the stops and get a wedding photographer and videographer who’ll do a same-day edit or a simple highlight video if you don’t want a full-on videographer.

A single professional photographer with a partner or a small team who can capture the right moments as opposed to every single moment will be your best option. While there is some expense involved, getting a good wedding photographer can be easy to choose by looking through their portfolio and checking their pricing.

Bride and groom walking together in vineyards

Finding a photographer with the right style

Take your time when choosing a wedding photographer. It’s important that you love their work so that they can capture your wedding day exactly how you pictured it—and they might just exceed your expectations.

Viewing their portfolio is the first step, followed by a short interview or meeting to discuss your plans for the wedding, find out how to best produce a wedding plan should prioritise photography, but also not get in the way of the memories you’re going to create on your day. Once you find a photographer whose style suits you best and with whom you are comfortable, then book them right away! This is something that you want to accomplish soon after you set a date for your wedding, as the best photographers can often be booked up to one or two years in advance.

Groom picking up bride through window

Wedding photos may always seem like an extra, and a huge bulk of your wedding budget in the beginning, but couples soon come to realise that they are one of the most important investments of your special day. So many beautiful moments are shared in such a short amount of time that you’ll want to replay it in your mind’s eye again and again. Only a professional photographer can take your wedding day and make it last a lifetime, which is the main reason why your wedding plan should prioritise photography.

Are you looking for wedding photographers in Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin or Canberra? Here at SvenStudios, we take the precious moments of your wedding day and create fun, relaxed, and natural-looking photos that will have you looking back on that special time again and again. Connect with us and book a schedule today!

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How to Help Your Photographer Get Better Shots at Your Wedding

  • Bride and groom silhouette

 

Help Your Photographer Get Better Shots at Your Wedding

Every wedding photographer wants to capture their clients’ weddings perfectly. As the bride or groom, you also share the same goal. Of course, it can be tricky for you to assist them on your wedding day. That may leave you wondering whether there is anything you can do to help your photographer do their jobs as well as they can.

While your wedding photographer is in charge of producing your beautiful photos, their job requires teamwork and collaboration. This vital element is not just between them and their clients, but it also involves other vendors, suppliers, and guests.

How to Help your Photographer Get Better Shots at Your Wedding

You can help your wedding photographer get better shots at your wedding using the following tips:

Before the Wedding

Invite your photographer to your venue or rehearsals

It may not be part of the service offered by your photographer, but it will not hurt to invite them when to your wedding rehearsals, or even arrange to meet up and have a walk around. It is the best way for your photographer to see the venue and check the ambient lighting. They even get the chance to meet you and your family and friends before the big day, and this can help everyone feel comfortable with each other.

Alternatively if you can view a wedding your photographer has shot at your wedding venue in the past, it can give you an idea of what can and can’t work for your own day.

What I usually do is when I meet a new couple as their prospective wedding photographer, is to show them a wedding I had shot at their venue in the past, or failing that something similar so that they get a bit of an idea of what they will look like when being captured by me.

Burbrook forest wedding ceremony

Include buffers in the schedule

Make sure you allot a time buffer for each activity listed on your wedding day, as schedule changes are common in most weddings. For example, the bride may need to have her makeup and gown checked after the ceremony, and the groom might need to take a quick break at the same time. Even finding a location for the after-ceremony wedding shots may take several minutes. Some brides will also have a difficult time walking in heels, and this can slow everything down.

I’ve found that if I allocate 1 hour per location you’d like to take photos in this provides for ample time to take plenty of shots while also keeping things relaxed and not rushed.

Ekhidna wines wedding at sunset

On Your Wedding Day

Make sure your venue is spacious, bright, and clean

You can get beautiful photos if the location is clean, well-designed, well-lit, and with a stunning backdrop or view. It will make the job of producing quality and beautiful photos easier for your wedding photographer. The same goes for your place of preparation – a clean house will always look nicer than if it looks as though a tornado had just hit.

Ask your venue to ensure that the space has been cleared and tidied before the photographer arrives. That way, you can ensure that there are no distracting items in the background.

Reception setup

Know where you should stand during the ceremony

Traditionally, brides stand on the left-hand side, but this is entirely up to the couple. Wherever you choose to stand, try to make sure that there is enough natural lighting for both you and your partner and also so that one of you isnt staring into the sun. Another thing you need to ensure is that you stand in the middle of the aisle. If not, your photographer will have a hard time taking well-balanced wide shots from the aisle.

Botanic Park wedding ceremony with trees in background

Inform the Photographer on Schedule Changes

Keeping your photographers aligned with what is about to happen will help them get better photos of the event. While they may be following a schedule that you provided beforehand, keep in mind that these events do not always go as planned.

Make sure you, or ask your MC to give a heads up to your photographer before every special highlight, such as the grand entrance, the first dance, or the speech. Your photographer might need to change batteries or their camera settings in these special cases.

first dance in blue smoke

While it is important to trust your wedding photographer, there are many factors you can help your photographer work to their highest potential. Several factors will determine the quality of their work. As the bride or groom, there are ways you can help your photographer. Once you do your part, relax and enjoy your big day.

Are you looking for a wedding photographer? Sven Studios, headed by award-winning wedding photographer Steven Duncan, captures your precious moments in a fun and relaxing experience, giving you amazing photos you can treasure forever. Get in contact as we’d love to hear more about your day!

 

 

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How to Get the Best Bridal Preparation Photos

How to Get the Best Bridal Preparation Photos

When it comes to documenting you and your partner’s big day, the photos taken during the ceremony and reception are probably the first things that come to mind. However, did you know that some of the best pictures are actually taken before the wedding?

Wedding preparation photos offer plenty of opportunities for wedding photographers to capture fun and candid shots that turely show the personalities of the two people coming together as a married couple. These also allow them to take pictures of the most dramatic highlights of the preparation, such as the moment you put on your wedding dress or veil.

With all of that said, getting your pictures taken during preparation time is not as easy as it sounds – it’s also not generally the most natural of settings having a camera clicking along while you’re getting dressed! The final moments before you head down the aisle are memorable, but they are also often filled with panic and cramming. This is especially true if you had to adjust some things in your timeline and are running late for your schedule.

Wedding Dress hanging infront of Wilpena Pound

Tips on how to Get the Best Bridal Preparation Photos

To help you ensure that you get the best bridal preparation photos on your wedding day, keep these tips on how to get the best bridal preparation photos in mind:

  1. Don’t Create a Tight Schedule

Your wedding day will naturally be filled with lots of activities here and there. However, creating a tight schedule may not give your wedding photographers enough time to take great shots.

As much as possible, think about the time you allocate for your hair and makeup. I personally try to get to the place of bridal preparation just before the makeup is complete. It would also help for you to go last. This will not only allow your makeup artists to get you ready without rushing the process but also give the photographers time to take creative shots with you as you “prepare”.

Finally, try to be in the venue earlier than scheduled, then if you plan to be just that little fashionably late you can be without the stress. This will give your photographer enough time to capture a good amount of final shots before you walk down the aisle.

Bridal approach at Lot 100
  1. Prepare All the Wedding Details

Your wedding details are also an essential element of your preparation photos. Considering this, try to have your shoes, bouquet, wedding rings, and other details ready for your photographer to take creative shots of, and dont put them on until they are done with them.

This is also a great way to save time, especially if there has been a delay in your schedule. Whilst you are still not ready to have your photos taken, the photographers can work on these as they wait for you.

Engagement ring
  1. Bring the Girls With You

Aside from your solo shots, getting pictures of you with your bridesmaids is also a lovely idea. It can be a candid shot of you and your girlfriends getting ready, or a lovely snap of the whole group in your matching dressing gowns.

These photos can also serve as a souvenir you can give your bridesmaids afterwards to thank them for being a special part of your big day.

Bridal party on bed
  1. Let the Boys Shine, Too

When it comes to preparation photos, you should also give your groom and his crew a chance in the spotlight. However, it’s best to have the guys’ preparation photos done first. This will leave your wedding photographers to be with the bridal party up to the final moments before the actual ceremony.

If you and your partner are getting ready in different places, make sure to coordinate with your photographer on how to schedule the photography sessions best. I usually spend about an hour with boys, then 90 odd minutes with girls before heading to the ceremony venue. If it’s a same sex wedding then I generally allocate the same amount of time with both.

Groom adjusting tie in window 2

You will never again experience the thrill and excitement of getting ready for your big day. Nor will you get to see your closest friends get their makeup done with you and go through that feeling of finally putting on your wedding gown for the ceremony. Imagine your wedding album as a story book telling the story of the coming together of two beautiful people. The Preparation photos are the biginning of that story!

As these are all once-in-a-lifetime moments, make sure to follow the tips mentioned above to ensure you get the best bridal preparation photos possible. Above all of these, however, don’t forget to savour each moment and remember the reason for the occasion!

If you are looking for experienced and reliable wedding photographers in Adelaide, SA, we’re the ones to call! At SvenStudios, we offer you professional photography services to capture your big day in the most natural way. Get in touch today to learn more about our wedding photography packages.

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6 Tips to Plan the Best Summer Wedding Photoshoot

Summer Wedding Photoshoot

While weddings can take place at any time of the year, planning a wedding in the Summer months and surrounds will always be the most common. Choosing this season for your special day comes with several benefits: The warmer months allows for beautiful tree foliage, more reliable weather, you have more options for venues, and you have extra hours of daylight perfect for capturing your wedding photos at your summer wedding photoshoot.

More daylight means more opportunities for great wedding photography, but it also comes with a unique problem. Wedding receptions usually take place during the early evening, which means the photo session will likely occur from early to mid-afternoon, missing out of the sunset and golden hour! While this time gives you bright light to capture the best wedding photos, there is also the problem of excessive heat that may leave couples and guests sweaty and thirsty.

Bride and Groom on Maslin beach

6 Tips to Plan the Best Summer Wedding Photoshoot

There is no need to worry, though, because there are steps you can take to prepare for this beautiful yet sweltering weather to make the most of your summer wedding photoshoot.

#1 Prepare your family shot list

You may already know in your heart all the people who need to be part of the shot list, but it is always better to put it on paper so that you do not forget. Plan this together with your photographer, as they know how to make it more efficient. They can recommend the best sequence and the best combinations to ensure that no time is wasted.

Bride’s family

#2 Have a plan

A well-planned timeline will make sure that everyone’s photo is taken and that you have all the shots you need. It is also a sure way to minimize the time people get exposed to the sun. With a planned timeline in hand, you gain more control over how the shoot will take place. The less time you spend outside in the sun, the better it is for everyone.

Bride and groom walking about Burbrook forest

#3 Specify your locations

Apart from having a schedule to follow, you should also identify the specific spots in the venue where you will take your photos. Variety is always helpful in making your photos memorable. Having locations in mind is also beneficial when scheduling the shot sequence, allowing you to advise people on where they should go.

For example, if you are taking portraits or family photos, choose a location with open shade. Since family photos are usually taken around mid-day, selecting the right location will prevent exposing people to too much glare and heat.

Money shot of Crozier st

#4 Include breaks in your schedule

There is a chance that you will try to keep everything on a tight schedule to finish on time. However, keep in mind that breaks are necessary, especially under the scorching heat. You also need to have time for makeup retouches or refreshments to ensure that you look fresh and glowy in your photos. Your guests also need to do the same.

Moreover, taking short breaks can make you feel less pressured. Having extra time is also useful in case something unexpected happens.

Veale Gardens Wedding

#5 Assign an organiser

Of course, you cannot do everything on your own. It is your wedding, after all, so do not even attempt it. If you do not have a wedding coordinator, ask a close friend to take charge of keeping the photoshoot as scheduled. I’m generally pretty good at this as a wedding photographer, but it always helps to have someone also looking out for the time.

Any event needs to have someone who will oversee everything, ensure that the schedule is followed, and the photos of everyone on the list are taken. This is a huge responsibility you cannot do by yourself. No matter how much you want to, you cannot keep on worrying and going back and forth to call on people on your big day.

Under the jetty

#6 Make sure to capture the magical summer light

A summer wedding will not be complete without the summer sunset shot. Check ahead what time and where the sun will set on your wedding day, and make sure to go to that place at least one hour before the schedule. Take as many photos and videos as you can during the golden hours and try to capture a dreamy wedding photo you can treasure forever.

Glenelg sunset

A summer wedding photoshoot is a dream time for many. Minimize the stress by following our tips above. On the day of your wedding, your only concern should be to look and feel your best in front of that beautiful sunset backdrop.

If you need wedding photographers for a smooth wedding photoshoot session, give us a call. Sven Studios is your professional wedding photography solution. We make sure that our lenses capture your wedding and that our photos make you smile.

 

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Wedding Albums – The Best Way to Commemorate Your Big Day

 

 

Why a Wedding Album is the Best Way to Commemorate Your Big Day

You’re planning to tie the knot with the most awesome person in the world, and you’ve found your perfect wedding photographer and are about to select your ideal package. A wedding album isn’t part of the bundle, and you’re debating whether your budget can shoulder one.

The short answer is: it should. The short reason is: your wedding photographs deserve a place to call home. Here are five other reasons why an album is the perfect choice of wedding memorabilia to commemorate your big day.

10x10 deluxe album

Seeing your wedding day come to an end is a bittersweet moment. You’re now married, which is great but also aching to relive your favourite moments – how many can you honesty remember?

Scrolling through photos on your phone, tablet, or desktop doesn’t do the essence of your Big Day any justice. While handy, there’s something a little disconnected about accessing memories through a USB drive or logging into an online gallery.

On the other hand, there is something unique about the high-quality feel, look, and scent of a freshly-printed wedding album. A book is unique only to you and your partner, and something you can fondly reminisce about page by page.

There is nothing quite like the heart of a leather, wood, or vinyl-bound album that captures some of your most significant life events.

A3 custom album

Commemorate Your Big Day with an album

Reason 1 – You’ll Have Something to Share with Family and Friends

While you can look back on memories with friends and family through a digital slideshow, there is something homey about being able to lay an album flat on the table, crowding over your favourite moments.

Thick album

Reason 2 – It Tells a Story

You can put the “fairy tale” in “fairy tale wedding” with a storybook of your best memories. From knotting your hair into an updo and slathering on layers of waterproof makeup to survive an inevitable waterfall of tears to walking down the aisle and dipping a cheeky finger into cake icing, you can relive your Big Day as if it were right in front of you.

While you can arrange and print a photo book yourself, your photographer should be more than equipped to position and layout your photographs with a thoughtful eye. Not to mention, there is nothing more magical than the surprise that comes with turning every page.

The quality of photobook developers available to professionals also blow the cheaper options out of the water.

Album cover

Reason 3 – It’s Something to Treasure

Something about having to keep a wedding remembrance safe and secure is what makes it precious. It’ll travel with you throughout generations and can even make for a heartwarming display over your fireplace mantle or bedside table. You can pass the book onto your children, much like a visual memoir.

Inside book

Reason 4 – It Makes for a Unique Wedding Gift

If you have room in your budget to print miniature albums for friends and family, it’ll be an excellent way for them to relive their cherished moments with you and your partner.

Guests enjoying themselves

From saying yes to the dress to the ring on your finger, planning a wedding takes months—or years!—and in the blink of an eye, it’s over. With a wedding album, you can  commemorate your big day and revisit every minute as if it were only yesterday.

Document your joy with Sven Studios, the best Australian wedding photographer. Our photography packages are entirely customisable and make their way home to you in the form of high-quality art prints and coffee table albums.