Welcome to the world of "wedding photography" - the following parts await you in this tutorial series:
Part 01: The basics
Part 02: Preparations
Part 03: Equipment and gear
Part 04: Wedding preparations
Part 05: The wedding ceremony (registry office/church etc.)
Part 06: Family and guest photos
Part 07: Celebrations
Part 08: Portraits of the couple
Part 09: Inspiration and choice of location
Part 10: Attention to detail
Part 11: Image editing
Part 12: Save the Date/Trash the Dress 
Introduction:
Of course, it's up to you which wedding-related services you would like to offer your clients. I offer an optional shoot for the invitation cards, garden design and a subsequent "Trash the Dress". With the exception of the first point, demand is very limited for me, probably because I don't advertise it that much. You may also want to include such points in an all-inclusive package or offer them separately, so I would like to give you a few tips here that could be useful to you.
This tutorial is structured as follows:
- Save the date/invitation and thank you cards
- Trash the Dress
- Revival shoot
- Card design
1. save the date/invitation and thank you cards
Many couples are now sending out a "Save the Date" before the "normal" invitation cards to their wedding. I have combined the two, as this is handled very differently and sometimes the terms merge. Sometimes, however, the couple would like to use a photo of themselves for their save-the-date cards or even their normal invitation cards. This is exactly where the photographer comes into play. Because this has many advantages for you and, of course, for the bride and groom.
First of all, you can get a feel for the couple in this step and show them what a shoot with you feels like. Many couples want a short pre-shoot before their big day for this very reason, for example because they have never been in front of the camera before and are a little worried that they won't really know how to act in front of the camera on their big day. This will play into your hands, as you can not only reassure your bride and groom that they are in the right place with you, but also convince them that it can feel great to be in front of the camera. So there's another thing the bride and groom can look forward to on the day - the shoot with you.
It also has the advantage for you that you can get to know your bridal couple in this respect and find out how to get natural and informal pictures in a playful way. This way, you're well prepared for the day and already know what your couple might struggle with or how you can best animate them.
I approach the planning of such photos as follows:
In a personal conversation with the couple, I find out what suits them. Are they more romantically inclined or do more modern shots suit them, are there typical places, events and hobbies for the couple or do they have a certain motto, a great place to get to know each other or similar? I use this to plan the shoot and how to set it up. Before the shoot, I also need to know what the cards should look like, which formats I need to photograph and how many pictures I need - please also refer to point 4 of the tutorial.
Once I have all of this ready, I can think about what I can implement and how. I never approach a shoot too quickly, regardless of the type. If I think too much in advance, I only get annoyed if the location or weather don't play along, if any external influences interfere or if I can't realize the couple according to my wishes. That's why I stay spontaneous as far as possible, only the approximate route is mapped out. Of course, I don't work too headlessly. Your bridal couple would notice that too.
Unfortunately, I don't have publication rights for many shootings, but I think you'll quickly find ideas. For example, in addition to the ideas illustrated here, I once shot a couple who met on an ice rink at this very location! A couple who like to travel can be photographed at a lake or river with a vacation feeling. Of course, it always depends on the time of year! There are so many things that can be used symbolically to make the cards more personal. The invited guests will immediately say: "Typical these two!" And you've shone again!
Of course, you can also make the whole thing neutral. Here are a few photos that could appear on a card as a "threesome combination", for example. Of course, details and cut-outs are also possible. Your creativity is required here!
Very briefly, of course, about the thank you cards! I always have a few accessories with me, as you can see here in the pictures. Once incorporated into the couple reportage, your couples will have a motif for the cards later on!
2. trash the dress
The demand for a "Trash the Dress" is limited for us AFTER the wedding, it is often mentioned during the preliminary talks. There are simple reasons for this, because the bride, who is initially in good spirits about "destroying" her dress AFTER the wedding, is often more emotionally attached to it after the big day than expected. Sometimes dresses are bought that are so expensive that they have to be resold. Only very few couples "trash the dress" in their real wedding attire and it is usually a softer version that can be made unrecognizable by the cleaning that is necessary anyway.
Image source: Fotolia
In my career as a wedding photographer, I have therefore taken very few "Trash the Dress" photos and since I don't have the rights here, we unfortunately had to limit ourselves to Fotolia images for this part, because it's enough for the idea! Of course, there are a few points that you should also bear in mind here and that I would like to share with you.
Image source: Fotolia
For this shoot, you need to think carefully beforehand about what exactly the aim of the shoot should be and what may happen to the dress. I have always tried to get several motifs in the box for a "trash the dress" shoot. This is no problem if it's planned properly. So if the bride gives her blessing to totally destroy the dress, you can be much more creative than if it has to go to the next bride after professional cleaning. Sometimes you are lucky and a replacement dress is available. You should always discuss this beforehand and show the couple the options.
Then it's time to get down to business: Which motifs should be used and can there really be more than one idea? For example, I once sent a bridal couple into a shallow lake in summer for some wonderful shots before they had a color battle! Again, it's all about the right order - and why not give them more choice?
Well, the right implementation is also important in the end. Once the two of them have started throwing cakes at each other, you shouldn't wait until afterwards to realize that your camera was set up incorrectly. Joking aside, please really look twice here and take one or two shots and test shots beforehand. It's like saying "I do" - not so important, but difficult to repeat! I always do "dry runs" with the couple if they have to get it right first time. See what the couple might be doing wrong, whether the hand needs to go up or down, whether the angle is right, etc. Then you'll get everything right straight away. To be honest, I do this super rarely, but in moments like this you should really save yourself the trouble of thinking "if only I had..." later! It would be annoying and completely wasted!
Image source: Fotolia
After this photo (above) you could capture one or the other motif with paint or similar!
Image source: Fotolia
Yes, why not go totally crazy for once. Maybe there is something typical for the couple that could be incorporated here.
Image source: Fotolia
And there it is, the cake fight - would be great if it's perfect the first time!
Image source: Fotolia
What bride doesn't enjoy that?
Image source: Fotolia
Water always looks great ... A highlight, especially late in the evening, not just for a "Trash the Dress"!
3rd revival shoot
It's really unbelievable, but this is exactly what is often booked! And not necessarily because there was no photographer present on the wedding day, but for reasons such as:
- "We didn't take any family photos." (And yes, I really have had eight people who were styled for the shoot in exactly the same way as on the day of the wedding, from the shoes to the finished hairstyle)
- "We didn't feel like taking couple photos on the day itself."
- "We had bad weather on the day of the wedding."
- And so on ...
Sadly, I also experience from time to time that the bride and groom don't want to keep their guests waiting on the day of the wedding and put me off with my pictures. "Let's do it properly again sometime with more time." - sad, because this is of course the centerpiece and the most beautiful part of my wedding support. All these reasons occasionally lead to a revival shoot. Everything back to the beginning as it was on the most beautiful day. The make-up, the clothes, the bouquet, everything is brought back to life. That's why this shoot is also on my list of offers. I do it two to three times a year with couples on a small or large scale!
The personal touch is also nice here, i.e. it should be possible to incorporate the season and possibly even the location - just like on the wedding day. Perhaps the whole thing can be called up a little more spontaneously, so that you can check the weather three to four days beforehand to make sure that there is no constant rain in the forecast. There's usually not much more you can do.
A little tip: A revival shoot like this is also a nice idea for some couples to get dressed up again. It is very popular!
4. card design
For a long time, I worked with a local print shop when I needed a few wedding cards. Small order quantities, special requests and sample cards were always possible without any problems. I didn't earn anything from this, I usually only took a small fee for creating the graphics. I'm sure there are more enterprising photographers out there! As there are so many great online services in this area nowadays, I am rarely asked to do it anymore. Most of the time I just take the photos for the cards!
However, if you like designing cards yourself, which is a very nice thing to do, I would recommend either finding a good print shop or working with a regular online provider. I rely on personal contact and the ability to spontaneously implement special requests. Only a few large online providers offer this.
TIP: I always give couples the idea of having their guests photographed in pairs and as a family if I'm accompanying them for a longer period of time and to include these photos in the thank-you notes. Just make sure that the photo format you order matches the dimensions of the card and envelope. The guests will be delighted with this personal gift, which costs just a few pennies and is always a nice memento of the wedding day.
Sample cards from www.sendmoments.de
Sample cards from www.sendmoments.de
I really hope you enjoyed this tutorial and - if you haven't seen all the parts of this series yet - that it has also made you curious about the previous tutorials. I'm sure there will be plenty of variety in your everyday wedding photography if you try out a few things, especially in the "Trash the Dress" area. If you want to take pictures of your HP here, there are always cheap wedding dresses to buy on the Internet, then all you need is a model couple, which is certainly easy to find and off you go! Sometimes it just takes a little incentive to persuade couples to give it a try!
Thank you very much for reading the tutorial.
Nicole
