OMs - what are your wedding regrets?

What's even better than a list is communicating with your photographer and talking to them about what you want before the wedding. Making sure you invest time and thought into who you book and why you book them as opposed to just booking who's cheapest or was on your venues recommended list. Looking through their full galleries and seeing with your own eyes that they take the kind of shots you like consistently.

By all means make that list and share it with your photographer (we always ask for one) but please don't expect them to be running around ticking things off all day or for a member of the wedding party to be doing it. That would have a complete negative impact on the photography. Simply asking your photographer to double check the list before they leave to make sure they have everything would be fine.

Building a proper relationship with your photographer is the key- we make sure we do this and have never had a problem with this kind of thing.

Cool! ?

Thanks, they look great x

Can I play it the other way around......Over recent years, there has been a trend towards reportage photography. The ethos of this in its prime form is no interaction that affects the flow of the day. Some don't even do formal shots. Reportage has become such a buzz word that many couples "say" they want reportage and no posing, although then get disappointed when certain images aren't captured. That said, I have seen dozens of photographers who say they are reportage, although their work obviously isn't........Talk to any prospective photographer and say exactly what you want. All photographers are not the same and not all will shoot in the style you want.

My own take is that the required shots should be gained for the client, although to prevent this taking too long, break up the "formal" shots with others after the couple have eaten......Often at this stage people are more relaxed.(with a little bit of wine mellowing them down). A blend of structured shots that are relaxed IMHO gives a far better balance coverage. I am neither a formal or reportage photographer. My style aims to fuse the best of both, often by creating environments where natural things happen.

Below is an example.......and why do women applying lippy to another????

Peter

Seems this is the attitude of my TOG, he doesn't necesarily want to go round ticking stuff off but was honest with us in that he has 2 other weddings before ours and whilst what we discussed in our meeting yesterday will be fresh in his mind this weekend, he can't guarantee to remember every little bit. So if it's written down he can read up on it before he leaves the house in the morning so it's fresh again.

Our one regret was not getting a proper, more experienced photographer. My uncle offered to do our photos for us as he used to do photography on the side, professionally. He is only used to proper cameras and not digital. Most of the 400+ photos he took, were not great, I or other people had blinked, the photo's were quite random, people's backs, side's had not thought or meaning and were mainly all of my family, very few or no pictures of OH's family. If in a few years, we re-new our vow's we will use someone more professional in.

I know what you mean although that might have come out differently to what you intended......some brides might worry that digital cameras are not "proper" cameras.....

The learning curve from film to digital is not always an easy path for some people.....If he didn't use a camera with a full frame sensor, then the camera would handle differently to a 35mm film camera.....(that doesn't explain the pictorial content, although it might the technical aspects)

Peter

Not getting my bits done earlier so I could have slept more in the week before and not had bags! - stupid work got in the way so i was not as organised as I wanted

Set my expectations with the ushers more - I wanted them to sort people for the photos but they were to busy chatting, so I ended up shouting who I wanted (even though I had put it in the program)

I do not regret the little bits I did - so many people have mentioned my baskets and all the little things

ahhh don't agree with tbis at all - some of the best weddig photos I've seen are those dad seeing daughter for the first time. Here was mine. My photographers were fantastic.

That is a fantastic picture. Thanks for sharing

I also don't agree. One if my fave pictures is that of my dad seeing me got the first time, makes me well up when I look at it. Can't flash from my phone but it's in my report below

yey - they are the best. Plus I don't think the whole day I noticed anyone taking a photo of me at all (apart from the couple shots of course, but even then...)

Let's everyone flash their dad/daughter photos!

Plus my dad broke down crying when he saw it*

*but he is a bit of a crybaby

Bugger. Tried to flash from my phone and it diddnt work! Have a nosy at my report if you want too see it.

I regret having a Toastmaster. Got very irritating!

Oh bless him. They are one of my favourite to capture. This was a Mum's first look...

I love the dad ones too! Excuse the multiflash!

Gorgeous pics girls!

**Love** them!!! I so want one!!! x

Ahhh love them all. Nothing beats it. Mini - had a look at your one - look of pure joy on your dad's face!

Kharv & DW - brilliant.

I'm really surprised you feel that way Bill. Capturing mum or dad as they see their daughter as a bride for the first time is something our clients usually make a point of asking about when we're chatting to them and finding out what photos (aside from the formals) are really important to them.

They're also the shots that seem to evoke the most emotion and always come highly praised. I'd like to think that by the time a wedding rolls around we have such a relationship with our couples that it's not like having an idiot standing there with a camera at all- maybe that's wishful thinking on our part though ?

I definitely want a tog there when it's my turn. That's not a moment i'd want missed for the world.

Thanks to everyone else for posting theirs, they're lovely & I really enjoyed looking at them.

Lovely mother/father daughter photos!!

I really want my dads first glipse captured but i'll be in a hotel room so not sure if there is somewhere the photographer can be where he isnt right behind me snapping.

x

I don't think I really have any. I have been reading this thread and thinking about if for a while but I can't really think of anything that would help. but..................

I am glad I didn't have a VOG. We got a friend to video bits and I have never watched it. Would have been such a waste.

I am glad I didn't get married until later in the day, it meant the wedding was smooth with no gaps.

I am glad I had my make up done professionally. It took the stress away and looked great on the pics

I am glad I listened to what my bridesmaids wanted to wear so they looked and felt comfortable

I am glad I ignored everyone who said the evening would be bad without a buffet. The money was better spent on the band and no one mentioned the lack of buffet

Not being big headed but I really don't regret anything at all.

This has been a really interesting topic for me as a supplier. There are so many good ideas here that I'll be creating a list on my blog for all my brides to read, then hopefully they'll have no regrets about anything!

In one way I'm pleased to see that not having a videographer is one of the most common regrets but I'm sorry to hear it too because of all those lost memories that can't be recovered. I keep saying this and people don't believe me but having your wedding professionally filmed should be a priority - after choosing your partner of course!

Finally on the PC, I love this picture of my Dad, this is his face as I walked in the room in my dress;

I don't have a picture of it, but my Dad's reaction was nothing like the ones photographed here. Emotional range of a teaspoon *humph*

Feel like I shouldn't 'lol' as it's a shame.... But your phrasing is great haha! My dad generally doesn't show particular emotion.... Seldom have I seen him express excitement, disappointment or anger. And yet, I somehow think he'll be a bit of a wreck when the time comes. I may be nearly 39 but I'm still his little girl :0)

I

Pavone - I'm sorry but I am going to tally disagree with your comment. If I am paying out a lot of money for a service (on average £1000 for a TOG) and I specify exactly what I want on a list, I fully expect the supplier to provide it. If I was your customer and you said "don't expect me to be running around ticking things off a list" to me, I would be quite annoyed with you for saying that. I also don't think its very fair to make people feel bad/guilty about someone double checking the shots that have been taken.

NUTELLA - I wouldn't care a jot if the photographer had two other weddings before yours - why on earth should this impact on the level service he provides for you and why can't he take the list with him?? That doesn't make any sense. If you are worried, make sure one of your friends / wedding party has a second copy of the list to hand just to make sure you don't lose out.

Look guys, I'm not saying this to be picky, I am basing this on my experience and just trying to pass on advice. As a customer, you should protect the money you spend.

Sadly not my own words - JK Rowling in Harry Potter and (I think) the Goblet of Fire!

My Dad is fab, we get on really well and he was great on my wedding day. But I don't think he had a "wow" moment when I walked through and saw him - possibly because there were about 5 people milling round me, and everyone was trying to sort out taxis etc!

This is us just before we left for the wedding. I think his grin makes up for the lack of surprise when I walked in:

Edit: Argh, Hitched, why do you keep squashing my photos?

Very nicely put PP.