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Archive 2014 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?

  
 
Nathan Padgett
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


What do you do if a bride ask for suggestions for locations to shoot the bridal party photos? Personally, I feel in most situations there isn't any need to go somewhere different. Traveling to a location other than the church or reception area is often bigger time killer than brides expect, and I don't take very much time shooting bridal partys anyway. But I always feel as I'm coming off negative explaining this and/or not suggesting a location.


Aug 03, 2014 at 05:36 PM
rondphoto
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


I usually say something like this:

"Absolutely! I have this really great spot in mind that's right over here. It's going to look great for the photos and we won't have to spend time traveling to another location. Let's see what our timeline looks like after we're done here and we'll go from there."

After I do the photos at the spot I want, I'll show the bride one shot on the back of my camera and say:

"I got some really great stuff here and really want to spend some quality time with you and your husband for photos. We only have XX minutes left before I have to get you back to bustle your dress and get you two ready for your grand entrance. We can totally go to the spot you want to, but I think it may be overkill....and I think the bridesmaid's feet are beginning to hurt."

That works for me 98% of the time. The other 2%, I'll go along with it but let them know that may mean less photos of them as a couple.



Aug 03, 2014 at 06:20 PM
IrishDino
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


I make location suggestions. But the majority of the time, the bridal party is at least 10min late for each location.

I've actually found that the more locations the bride wants to go, the slower the bridal party is (arriving, getting out the cars, walking, etc.).



Aug 03, 2014 at 07:01 PM
Nathan Padgett
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


rondphoto wrote:
I usually say something like this:

"Absolutely! I have this really great spot in mind that's right over here. It's going to look great for the photos and we won't have to spend time traveling to another location. Let's see what our timeline looks like after we're done here and we'll go from there."

After I do the photos at the spot I want, I'll show the bride one shot on the back of my camera and say:

"I got some really great stuff here and really want to spend some quality time with you and your husband for photos. We only have
...Show more

That's good for the day of, but how about before that.




Aug 03, 2014 at 07:48 PM
SGallant
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


If my couples ask for suggestions on locations I absolutely provide them. I have a better understanding as to where good photos can be taken than most of my couples. And if I don't think there is a reason to go anywhere else, I would clarify if the venue they have represents the type of photos THEY want, and if it is I will tell them there is no need for another location.

I also plan the timing out for the day with my couples. I don't like stressful days, stressful days make for no fun for me and poor photos. And if I leave the planning of the day up to my clients, 9 times out of 10 we will have a stressful day. People tend to think in terms of minimal/optimistic times.

As an example I have a bride that put 1 hour for travel from the church to venue. When I googled it, it was 1 hour 3 minutes. So now I have to remind her about moving a wedding party to and from the limo, and the possibility of traffic. If I don't do this now, I get to deal with the outcome on the wedding day. No thanks, I don't like days like that. I also don't do unlimited days, so if they add an hour on for travel or multiple locations, they pay for it.





Aug 03, 2014 at 08:31 PM
Syracuse
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


We will absolutely suggest a nearby the church location for the bridal party and family photos as well. Anything to get away from shooting the bridal party at the altar area and having to set up,lighting!


Aug 04, 2014 at 12:15 AM
glort
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?



I reckon I could count on one hand in 30 years the times I haven't suggested or shot at another location OTHER than if it were a garden or location wedding not at a church.
In those cases you are already there but I still get the bridal party away from the guests AKA distractions.

People pretty much always ask about locations and I actualy look at my knowledge of places as an asset to the couple and securing bookings in this regard. I'm always on the lookout for places. I pride myself on making unusual and unknown locations work so they are unique and not what 3000 other brides all have.

I avoid the popular spots for the exact same reason. Parkings a hassel, there are people going everywhere in the backgrounds, Your pics look exactly the same as the ones that have been in the bridal mags for the last 10 years taken in the same spot...uggh!
If I don't know a location and it sounds interesting enough, I'll usually recce it if practical before hand so I can go straight to the best spots on the day.

For me the location and formal shots are where I make my money. I start with a base coverage and then rely on selling add ons. The bulk of those add ons come fromt the Location / formal shots. It's also where I can get creative and get the wow factor shots. You can probably put Churches and receptions into about 5 catergorised looks. There's just not that much different to them here anyways. They are churches or reception places built with a specific purpose in mind.

Getting bridal parties in out of cars can be time consuming, IF you let it and don't manage things. They would all be late to church as well if I wasn't watching the clock for most of them and organising them. This is where being a photographer rather than a button pusher and retoucher comes into play.

I forwarn the B&G when I see them we need to move fast, prewarn your bridal party we don't have time to waste, we need to do things efficently and the faster they get the pics done the faster they are back in the cars drinking beer and champange again.
Very rare for me to have any real problems with it.

Anything to get away from shooting the bridal party at the altar area and having to set up,lighting!

This may answer something I have been wondering about with all these shooters talking about setting up lighting in church. I'm always wondering " WTF for??"
I have managed for 30 years without it and done perfectly well with nothing more than on camera fill the same as everyone else here pretty much does.

It's not usual for us to do those group firing line shots of the bridal party and parents in the church. Often the Priest is trying to move you on ASAP particularly in the more popular churches where they can be knocking over 6 weddings a day. So many times I have waited outside the church or round the corner with my couple because the previous wedding is still there and the cars can't even get in. $ times now we have had to go to other nearby churches because the one booked was running an hour or more behind. Subsititue priest and church but better than an hours wait and the associated drama and frustration. Once got sent to another church because there had been a massive punch up between the 2 families of a previous wedding and the police were sorting it out.

Here the style is far more natural and laid back and formal posed shots are kept to a minimum and just to please the parents mainly. I find its more of an effort to get shots of the entire bridal party together than the couple. In any case, If I am running short of time I'll do more of the bridal party and then shoot the couple after the reception as night shots. Most couples where I am go Into the city to one of the big hotels so I can shoot them there or go to another location, ( maybe the one that was too crowded through the day) and do shots there before going back to the hotel.

I have done a lot of Night shots outside old pubs and bars and in restaurants which are always very accomodating to photo requests. Even parked my Harley IN a restaurant one time to get a good background with it and the place itself.

I'd really be lost just shooting round the church or reception. Here people always allow to go to another location anyway so it's just a matter of keeping the travel time manageable and getting the bridal Party moving.



Aug 04, 2014 at 01:31 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


For formal bridal party photos I've never done them anywhere other than at/near the ceremony or reception location. Time constraint is one reason, but it's just not something any of my clients would have the desire to do. It's often a family-pleaser, or for the sake of tradition, and they're never the couples or parents favourite images. We do them in a very simple and efficient fashion. To be honest, couples rarely even see such examples beforehand, but I almost always walk through where they'll be taken when we talk through the schedule. If they have any requests or suggestions I work with them but also show them why their idea might not be so photographic. I show the benefits to how I'd do it. It's simple and no one ever makes a big deal about it (ignoring a couple of examples from when I was first starting out).

These days if people won't take on simple pieces of advice after genuine reasoning and care, I try to discover this way before the wedding and any contract.



Aug 04, 2014 at 05:12 AM
swoop
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Do you suggest locations for bridal party photos?


I do not offer suggestions. I ask during negotiations that they think of locations where they would like to be photographed if they would like somewhere other than the church or reception venue and to factor travel time into their schedule.

Once at the location, whether it be the church, reception or a suggested location, I'll scout and tell them the best place there to actually take the photos.



Aug 04, 2014 at 07:51 AM





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