Behind the Lens: Why we don’t always photograph the groom getting ready
A WAY OF WORKING THAT SUITS US BEST
Every wedding photographer in Northern Ireland will have their own way of doing things. We certainly have ours. Getting ready photographs of the bride is included in all of our standard wedding photography packages but we don’t always photograph the groom getting ready.
Because we are a husband and wife team and there is the two of us at every wedding, couples sometimes expect that we split up and do separate things on the wedding day, but we are an actual team that do our best work when we work together.
Photographing the bride getting ready is a lot more involved and takes a lot more time than photographing the groom getting ready. At most weddings we are with the bride for at least a couple of hours for getting ready. This is because we need to both photograph all the details as well as the bride’s hair and make-up applications plus everything else that is going on as well. Photographing the groom getting ready usually takes around 10-15 minutes as there is a lot less involved and usually photos of details etc. aren’t needed either. When photographing the groom getting ready most wedding photographers will grab some photos of the groom finishing getting dressed and maybe a quick photo of him and the rest of the guys before heading off.
One of the main advantages of not photographing the groom getting ready we have found is that it allows us both to photograph the bride getting ready. This means that we are able to capture more photos from this part of the day. It also allows us to photograph things that we may not have otherwise been able too.
As just one example, in the case of a hotel wedding the bride will often stay at the hotel the night before. As we are both there it allows us the option of one of us staying with the bride while the other goes to the ceremony room to photograph details. This means that nothing gets missed. Having two of us with the bride also means that it’s much easier for us to photograph details like the dresses, shoes, flowers and jewellery without taking up too much time.
Most of all though we just prefer to work together, we both have different strengths and we just feel that we are always at our best when we work together.
ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR US AND YOU
If one of us was to photograph the bride getting ready on our their own while the other went to the groom for getting ready on the morning of a wedding, there would be cost implications.
Photographing both the bride and the groom getting ready would add additional expenses for us. We would have to cover the costs of bringing both of our cars and insuring them both for business use. We would then have to add those additional costs to our current prices making every wedding we photographed that bit more expensive for our clients.
As well as the additional costs for us bringing along an extra car to every wedding it also adds additional hassle. For example with parking and ensuring that we are both arriving at the places we need too on time. Having done it before, this is something we absolutely want to avoid.
NOT EVERY GROOM WANTS GETTING READY PHOTOGRAPHS
When we first started photographing weddings, we did split up on every wedding morning and one of us would go to the bride and one of us would go to the groom, but we stopped doing this several years ago.
We often found when we arrived with the groom that most of the time, they weren’t really that keen on having us there. We found that a lot of the time that the groom had agreed to having us there because it was something that the bride had wanted rather than what he had wanted. Groom’s often deal with pre wedding stress and nerves differently than brides and many we found, preferred some time chilling with their mates on the morning of the wedding and not being photographed.
We feel that a large part of delivering awesome photos to our clients is building a good relationship with them on their wedding day. That relationship really helps in terms of making our clients relaxed and comfortable around us when it comes to later on in the day, so this wasn’t always the best start to the day.
EXTRA HASSLE FOR THE COUPLE AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES
If you want us to photograph both the bride and the groom getting ready additional planning will be needed on the morning of the wedding. If you aren’t getting ready close to each to each other you will need to account for the travelling time needed for us to get to both the bride and the groom. We would go to the bride first and as usual photograph the details and try to get some photos of the brides make-up application etc. However, we would need to leave earlier than we normally would to get to the groom so this may mean that somethings with the bride might be missed.
This may mean missing out on things like the bride putting her dress on and the reaction from her family and bridesmaids when they see her for the first time ready for the wedding or not being able to get photos with the bride and the bridesmaids together before we leave for the ceremony. We usually like to get to the ceremony well before the bride arrives so that we can get photographs of the ceremony set up, photos of guests arriving and also to have a chat with whoever is performing the ceremony to find out if there are any restrictions on wedding photography as there can often be, with religious ceremonies in particular.
BUT SOMETIMES YOU DO PHOTOGRAPH THE GROOM GETTING READY
Yes, it’s true. Sometimes we do photograph the groom getting ready if that is something that the couple want us to do and there is time to do both on the morning of the wedding. At some weddings the bride and the groom will both get ready from the same location. For example, at venues that offer accommodation sometimes both the bride and the groom will stay at the venue the night before. Sometimes the groom and bride are getting ready close by to each other as well so if there is time available to photograph both, we will always offer the option and leave it up to the couple to decide what they want to do.
ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE DECIDING ON GROOM GETTING READY PHOTOGRAPHS
Does the groom really feel comfortable having this part of the day photographed?
Is there going to be time on the morning of the wedding to photograph you both?
Are you happy to potentially miss out on other photo opportunities so that the groom can be photographed getting ready?
ALTERNATIVE TO PHOTOGRAPHING THE GROOM GETTING READY
At every wedding we usually aim to leave the bride around 30-45 minutes before she is due to leave. As mentioned earlier we like to get to the ceremony early to capture details and to capture guests arriving etc. This usually means that we also get to document both the bride and the groom’s arrival. We would always encourage the groom to get there nice and early so that we can grab him and the rest of the guys for 5-10 minutes for some photos before the actual ceremony, even if its just to grab a few photos of the guys chilling at the bar.
By the time they arrive for the ceremony most grooms feel less stressed and nervous than they do on the morning of the wedding so this is a great time for us to spend a little bit of time with them and capture some of their pre-wedding excitement.
WHAT ABOUT A FIRST LOOK?
We are always happy to photograph a “first look”. This allows you to have photographs of you both together before the ceremony. A “first look” can be one of the best times to photograph you both together because it can be one of the most emotional parts of your wedding day. We have covered “first look” in more detail here. First look on the wedding day
TIP FOR COUPLES CHOOSING A HUSBAND AND WIFE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM
A few weeks back we met with a couple who where interested in us photographing their wedding. We had been right in the middle of a really busy time so had to arrange to give them a call a couple of weeks after they had first contacted us. By the time we had spoken with them, they had already chatted with a few other wedding photographers including other wedding photography businesses who advertised as being a husband and wife team. One of the first questions they asked us was if we both took photographs during the wedding day. This was because some of the other photographers they had spoke with, while advertising as being a husband and wife team, only one of them actually used a camera during the wedding day while the other assisted, carried equipment etc.
We were surprised by this but as it turns out after chatting to a few of our wedding photographer friends that there are quite a few wedding photographers that say they are husband and wife teams that work this way. Another couple we met with just last week asked us the same question, we didn’t get into details about why they asked but we assume it was for the same reason. We both take photographs during all of our weddings. There will be times during the day while one of us takes lead and the other takes candid photos or assists but you will always have two photographers.
There are a lot of talented photographers around and every couple should be able to find wedding photographers that suit what they want most. If photos of the groom getting ready are really important to you and you are not getting ready from the same location, or can’t find a way to have both of you photographed into your timeline, we maybe won’t be the right wedding photographers for you. It should be easy to find other photographers who can offer what you want. Before booking a photographer for your wedding though its always a good idea to ask them for a run through on how they work. Not all of this information will be available online.
We usually don’t get to meet with our couples before the wedding day as most seem to prefer to handle all the booking side of things by email but we offer to call them and give a run through of how we do things to make sure that we are a good fit for what they are looking for before they decide if they want to book us.
If you are in the middle of planning your wedding you might also find these articles helpful.
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TIPS FOR A STRESS FREE WEDDING DAY
5 APPS THAT WILL MAKE PLANNING YOUR WEDDING A WHOLE LOT EASIER
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THE AVERAGE COST OF A U.K WEDDING
HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
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