Assuming a booking is secured the next step is to arrange a pre-wedding photo session. These are offered to all couples as one of the most common things I have to overcome is people’s self-consciousness in front of camera. This session helps people see how relaxed and informal photography can be; how it’s meant to fun and what to expect in terms of posing and receiving direction on the day. During these sessions I learn more about the couple and observe how they interact with one another. This all contributes to being able capture perfect moments on the big day.

I’ll meet up with the couple seven to ten days later to share the images from their pre-wedding shoot. This usually takes the excitement levels up a notch or two now and the couple are totally relaxed about their wedding photos.

Our next meeting will be a month before the wedding. It’s at this meeting I run through the timeline of the day, double-check formal groups and work through any other last minute amends and changes to the day’s plans.

Between then and the big day I’ll go to the venue at the same time of day as the celebrations, allowing me to be aware of the sort of lighting conditions I may be working in.

The night before I get all the required equipment together, clean it and ensure batteries are charged and cards are formatted. Camera bodies are also time-synchronised – this saves time in post-process.

So, the big day has arrived and it’s an early start. The car gets loaded with equipment, along with water, snacks, cereal bars – not forgetting hayfever and headache tablets. I have some breakfast and head off at around 9.00am to meet the bride and record her and her party preparing for the day.

On arrival I’ll chat with the family rather than start shooting immediately – it’s important that people are at their ease and I find this approach works for me. In addition to the candid moments I ensure I get great images of the dress, shoes, accessories, flowers and lots of acts of preparation. I finish up with bridal portraits and then head off to meet the groom – often at the ceremony venue for the ceremony. If a groom is getting ready at the same place or is very close by I’ll often shoot his preparations before meeting up with the bride.

Once I arrive at the church (or other venue) I introduce myself to the celebrant or official and discuss their ground rules for the day’s shooting. That done, I photograph details, flower arrangements and general scenesetting images that help to build a story of the day. I look for the kinds of details that the bride has meticulously planned but won’t have a chance of appreciating on the day itself.

During the ceremony (especially in church) I’ll be looking to work quietly and respectfully so not to disturb the sanctity of the ceremony whilst capturing key moments  – vows being exchanged and first kiss, for example. During this time, I also look for special moments amongst the attendees – tears of joy or other moments of emotion.

Once the ceremony is done and the register is signed I often have a few formal shots to get out of the way. These can make or break the wedding photographer. Working quickly, efficiently and in a friendly manner will get you a lot of cooperation – but only for so long.

Once the formal images are in the bag I go into candid mode – looking to capture images that layer-up the story of the couple’s day. After grabbing details of the breakfast room and cake I will often take a break during the wedding breakfast itself to grab some food and backup images taken so far. It’s typically about 4.00pm in the afternoon now so it’s important to stock up on fluid levels – it’s so easy to get a headache by not staying hydrated.

At speech time I’m back on duty looking for key moments, tears, laughter and maybe the odd bit of embarrassment. Following the speeches I take the bride and groom off for their portraiture session. This will typically require 15 – 30 minutes and is a great chance for them to relax take a breath and reflect on the day so far. With minimal direction this reflective mood lends itself to the intimacy and closeness I’ll be looking to portray. This done all that generally remains is to capture the first dance and I can finally head home – usually  around 9.00-10.00pm.

Back at base, all the cards are uploaded to my computer where they are then added to the (hourly) back-up. At this point I have four copies of the files – the memory cards, my laptop, my main machine and the backup. This being done, it’s time for a beer and food.

I’ll typically try to blog three or four images the next day but then will leave the images for a few days. I like to take a break from them to allow me to view them with fresh eyes. Before the couple get back from honeymoon I will process the images, prepare them for viewing and pre-design the wedding album. I can shoot anywhere between 600 and 2,500 images on the day dependent on whether I work alone or with a second photographer. I whittle these down to between 250 and 400 for the client. These are then presented to the couple when they return from honeymoon. After this there are the print and book orders to handle.

All told there’s typically 40 hours or so of work involved in all the elements that a wedding photographer does with regards to a wedding. It’s a great way to earn money, but you do really earn it!

More of Mark’s wedding photography can be viewed on his website.