Five Quick Wedding Planning Tips from Suzy Clement of Suzy Clement Photographs

Today's Five Quick Wedding Planning Tips come from Suzy Clement of Suzy Clement Photographs.  Suzy is a talented photographer whose beautiful work is often featured in publications such at Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides and Style Me Pretty.  She is a joy to be around, and with her warm personality and laid back vibe she puts any bride at ease.  Much more wisdom and photography expertise from Suzy can be found in her new book, Weddings: From Snapshots to Great Shots.

Here are Suzy's Five Quick Planning Tips with a focus on her specialty of photography:

1.  First of all, chemistry counts!  When selecting your photographer, consider more than just their images.  You will be spending most of your wedding day with this person... do you genuinely like her?  Will you feel relaxed with this person in your presence on  the big day?  Think about your family and guests, also.  Is this someone you can envision having a conversation with your grandmother, or with Uncle Harry,  the amateur photographer in the family who loves to “talk shop”?  You want your wedding photographer to enhance your experience of the day (and that of your guests), not detract from it!

2.  Consider the light when timing the ceremony.  People are drawn to the idea of a sunset ceremony, but the reality is that you will get many more beautiful, natural-light shots if you schedule the ceremony a couple hours before sunset.  That way, there will still be lots of gorgeous light for the post-ceremony formals as well as cocktail hour candids and romantic portraits of the two of you.

3.  Work with your photographer during the planning process.  An experienced shooter knows the importance of planning ahead for the day’s photography and will communicate with you and your planner, if you have one, to gather the information she needs to coordinate the shot list, schedule, and so forth.  Be responsive to her requests and suggestions so that she’ll have what she needs to plan appropriately.

4.  Plan to see one another before the ceremony.  I never force this on my clients, but the reality is that the day flows much more smoothly when the couple sees one another in advance of the ceremony.  I find that my couples are so much more relaxed, and we can then get many, if not all, of the “formal” family and wedding party portraits out of the way - so that after the ceremony, everyone can simply head to cocktail hour.  I always work with clients to ensure that the moment of seeing one another is a beautiful, special one - it just happens to take place before the ceremony!

5.  Be sure you understand what happens after the wedding.  Find out about the album process, options, and costs so that there are no surprises after the fact.  There are countless decisions to be made - what album type?  What cover material?  What images to include?  It can be quite daunting, and you should make sure your photographer is willing to assist you as much as you need.  And make sure the actual design of the albums suit your taste.  Your photographer should be interested in helping you create something elegant and classic that will stand the test of time -- not look dated in ten years.

Suzy, thank you for your wonderful tips!

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