It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and blogged more wedding tips.  After an exciting 2014 wedding season, I finally have a little downtime to sit and blog more about tips to help out my brides.  One that tends to repeat itself on numerous occasions is hiring your photographer and trusting them to get the pictures you want.  This can branch off into many different subjects but for this post I want to focus on the guests at the wedding.  Picture yourself walking down the isle to your high school sweetheart, the man of your dreams, or simply your true Prince Charming.  Everyone is smiling and admiring your wedding dress, the photographer has an amazing view, and you two are gazing into each others eyes.  Without even knowing, Aunt Mary breaks out her iPad or iPhone to grab that perfect moment of you two kissing as husband and wife for the first time.  The problem here is that Aunt Mary ended up getting the best shot since she decided to be adventurous and get in front of your photographer (you know…the one you paid to get those awesome pictures).

Is your heart racing at the thought that your first kiss was captured by an iPhone rather than by the professional and their equipment?  This is something that happens with, I would say, 60% of all weddings.  Your friends and family need to understand that you brought in a wedding photographer to be the one to capture those moments.  Photographers aren’t stingy though.  They love to be able to share all the images from your wedding in a gallery for all family members and friends to see.  There are plenty of ways to avoid this scenario.  As much of a pain it is for the bride to put her foot down…this is something you might need to make sure to take a stand.  Let your guests know that their will be a professional photographer at your wedding so please avoid taking any pictures throughout the ceremony.  You can also allow the minister to make the announcement right before the ceremony begins. You want your guests to enjoy the wedding and watch you two devote your lives to one another.  Once the ceremony is over, allow your guests to treat themselves to the cocktail hour. Giving them a place to settle in while you and the photographer are getting family pictures and your couple portraits will help elevate anyone trying to get that same family shot that can result with friends and family having wandering eyes.  By having this happen the people in your photo have no clue who to focus on which can leave to having two people looking at the photographer and three looking at Aunt Mary again (man she is a real pain lol).

During the reception, if anyone other than you or your groom are needing a certain picture of their family all they need to do is pull the photographer to the side (unless they are in the middle of focusing on an event taking place) and ask if they would mind taking a picture.  Almost all photographers, like myself, would be more than happy to as long as it doesn’t interfere with the brides timeline.  The photographer is there to make the bride and groom happy BUT if he/she can make others happy along the way by grabbing a few shots for the guests then even better.

You can help those guests with wanting to be a part of snagging a special moment by having them wait until the reception.  Start a cute #hashtag on Instgram (ex: #mrandmrscouple2014) that pertains to your wedding.  This way they can post pictures while including your hashtag. At the end of the night you and the groom can look back at all the pictures everyone posted.  Keep in mind with this as well people need to remember to be respectful of your photographer by making sure they are not getting in the way. To help out guests at my couple’s wedding, I have made it a point to take the shot I need and quickly move a little so that someone can grab the same picture too.

In the end just remember who you’ve hired for your wedding.  Having a photographer there on your wedding day is a smart investment that will allow you to showcase all your images in beautiful custom album or to share your images through social media and email with all your loved ones. Every couple wants to be able to reminisce about their special day by gazing at their pictures. To be taken back to certain moments and remembering those sweet thoughts that were running through your head.  Let your wedding photographer be the one that brings back those memories…not an iPhone.