In my role as a wedding photographer, I document genuine moments rather than orchestrate them. A wedding is a real-life experience, not just a photoshoot. I preserve it with sensitivity and respect, prioritizing genuine connections and unscripted moments. My work is driven by preserving the beauty, the mess, and the love that is present in each moment. I create wedding photographs that transport you back.

You will invest a significant portion of your wedding budget in your wedding photographs, which raises a crucial question: How can you ensure your photographs meet your expectations? How do you guarantee they preserve your unscripted experience of your wedding day and transport you back? It all starts by selecting a photographer whose work, approach, and personality resonates with you, followed by opening your heart, sharing it all, and remaining present.

Open your heart and share it all with your photographer

Your wedding day is going to be emotional for so many reasons. It is a day that you’ve been thinking about and anticipating since you first realized you wanted to share your whole life with your partner. It’s a rare gathering where cherished family and friends unite in celebration, yet it may also evoke feelings of longing for those who cannot be present. Amidst the meticulous planning and overflowing love, your wedding day signals the dawn of a new chapter in your love story, brimming with expectations and significance. Standing before your loved ones can feel daunting, especially if you shy away from the spotlight. 

All of these realities will trigger a range of emotions, from excitement and joy to some nervousness and anticipation! You may even feel a ligger hanger if you skip lunch or tension when your good-intention aunt comes around for a sneak peek of your wedding dress even after you ask her not to. 

Embrace it all and let your photographer see it. Whether it’s a hearty belly laugh or a toothy smile, an ugly cry, or a moment of frustration. Feel it without reservation. Your genuine experience and these candid moments are what your photographer aims to capture so you can be transported back to this once-in-a-lifetime day. But we need you to share it all with us.

Emotions are good and fuel your photographer’s creativity

Emotions are the lifeblood of creativity for wedding photographers. We thrive on capturing genuine moments, so please don’t conceal your true selves from us. We’re particularly drawn to those raw, unfiltered displays of love, pride, and affection, especially when it’s the groom expressing his adoration for his partner. These are the moments that make wedding photography truly special—they capture the essence of your relationship alongside the traditional portraits and ceremony highlights.

It’s disheartening when we witness beautiful, tender moments unfolding, only to have them stifled by the desire to maintain a composed, picture-perfect facade. Your wedding day isn’t about putting on a show; it’s about authentically experiencing and expressing your emotions, even if it means shedding a few tears or sharing a quiet, intimate moment.

Remember, your photographs are meant to evoke the emotions you felt on your wedding day that transport you back, not just showcase how everything looked. These candid, heartfelt moments are what we strive to deliver to our couples—the images that tell the complete story of the day your journey as a married couple began. So, don’t hold back; let your emotions flow freely, and trust that we’ll capture every precious moment with authenticity and care.

Encourage your guests to remain unplugged

Your wedding day isn’t just about you and your partner. You’ve carefully chosen the family members and friends to share this day with you. Many of them will be with you during your more intimate and emotional moments, supporting you as you prepare for the magic of the day. You want your photographs to document the genuine moments they experience as well.

Therefore, I kindly urge you to ask your close friends and family to stow away their phones and devices for your wedding day. The use of phones can impede your photographer’s ability to creatively and quickly capture the genuine joy of moments of your final preparations, aisle walk,  and heartfelt speech to his parents. Moreover, it can prevent your favorite people from feeling the full range of emotions they might experience that your photographer wants to document for you. 

The immersion of phones prevents your photographer from preserving the true essence of the moment. And it will prevent you from receiving images of your most important people experiencing these moments of genuine joy. Instead, you’ll receive images with a sea of phones—some covering your loved one’s smiles and expressions of happiness. 

During key moments like final preparations, the ceremony, speeches, and even on the dance floor—encourage your loved ones to be fully present. Remind them that you’ve entrusted your photographer to immortalize these moments, and their undivided attention will enhance your shared experience and the lasting memories they preserve for you.

Epilogue: your wedding isn’t about the photographs

I often emphasize that a wedding isn’t about the photographs themselves. Instead, they serve to preserve the genuine, unscripted experience of your special day. They allow you to revisit the moments shared with your partner and the people you carefully selected to celebrate with you. Therefore, my guidance is grounded in the belief that doing these things sets the stage for your photographer to excel, ensuring your day is documented exactly as hoped. It’s not about achieving picture-perfect images, but rather about capturing the essence of your wedding day and receiving wedding photographs that transport you back.

To learn more about my work, please visit my website: www.shannonmayphotography.com