How to Get Pinterest-Perfect Wedding Photos, Even With a Tiny Budget
This day in age, just about every couple is looking for wedding inspiration on Pinterest. Even those who are married (me include) have boards of ideas for their perfect wedding. We all see those detail shots that photographers take, and dream about not only having a photo like that, but having whatever detail, action, or moment that the photograph shows at our wedding. So, how do you get those photos at your own wedding?
One of the first keys to achieving this is to determine what is most important to you at your wedding. Obviously having a great photographer should be one of the most important things if you want Pinterest-worthy photos. But besides that, is actually having tons of flowers important to you, or will a few well chosen flowers suffice? Is it having a huge wedding party, with all of your friends and family involved, or would you be okay with just a few of your very closest pals? Once you've decided which direction to go, step two is to pick your photographer.
You want those great Pinterest-worthy photos, right? Well, you've got to find a professional photographer. Your cousin Bob who has a really great point-and-shoot camera isn't going to know how to take photographs like a pro. You need someone who knows what lighting to use, how to compose the photos, and how to process and edit the photos. You also need a photographer who is going to work with you to capture what is most important to you. Are the photos of special moments you've pinned the most important to you? Or, is it all of the great detail shots? A combination? Look for a photographer whose portfolio most represents the type of work you're looking for. Additionally, make sure that they're going to work with you to achieve what you want. If you get a photographer who is more interested in doing their own thing than listening to you, you may get great photos, but have a terrible experience on your wedding day, and who wants that?
The third key to the equation of getting Pinterest-worthy wedding photos is simple: give your photographer the time that they need on your wedding day to create the photos that you want, and trust them to help you create a wedding day timeline to allow for the time that they need. Part of why a professional photographer costs so much is that you're paying for all of the time that they've spent learning and practicing to be able to create the photos that you want. If you've put in the time to find your perfect photographer, trust them when they tell you shooting at a certain time is what needs to happen to get you the photos you want. Trust them when they tell you it takes a certain amount of time to shoot a certain part of your wedding. Trust them when they tell you that you don't have to plan for certain moments, because if you leave enough time they just happen naturally.
So how do you do this on a tiny budget? Well, that's where you have to decide which details are important to you. Your venue, your caterer, and your photographer are going to take up the majority of your budget. But, if you've chosen carefully, your photographer will be able to make the most of your venue, your flowers, your centerpieces, your cake, and any other details that you do choose to include. And, if it's the special moments that you're most attracted to documenting, your photographer will definitely make sure to capture those!
With some research, a little bit of work, some prioritizing and decision-making, you too can have a Pinterest-worthy wedding.