July 7, 2016

Tips for wedding photography in Guatemala

Tips for weddings in guatemala // We love shooting weddings here in Guatemala, we truly think it is one of the most beautiful places on earth & a fantastic location for a destination wedding. While we would love to take all of the credit for some of the beautiful images that we have produced in the past, we must admit that at some level, the couples we are photographing are crucial to capturing the intimate, beautiful and artistic photographs that we are proud to call our ownbest wedding photography guatemala

Really, wedding photography is a two-way street. Inasmuch as the wedding photographer is required to bring certain skills to be able to fulfill their work, there are also a few tips for weddings in guatemala we want to share with our couples. Here are our biggest pieces of advice: tips for weddings in guatemala

Wedding Photographer Lake Atitlan Guatemala
1) TIMING

It’s important to understand that on any given wedding day, things can & will run late. That’s why it’s important to consider & discuss the timeline & schedule with your photographer ahead of time. No amount of planning can guarantee that everything will run exactly to the minute, which is why it’s important to consider timing for sessions and other photos that you’ll want from the final product of your wedding photography. If you have to, buffer an extra 15-30 minutes for each activity of the day, so even if one part runs late, the rest of the day’s schedule isn’t altered drastically. best wedding photography guatemala

Another thing to consider is that the perfect photographic lighting is just about an hour before sunset, which creates an even, golden glow that makes everyone look amazing. So if you have priorities for the photos during the ceremony, family formals or an intimate session as newlyweds, try to plan these photos around that particular time of day in order to guarantee some amazing images. As a rule of thumb, the best time for a ceremony to be is in terms of light here in Guatemala is between 2 and 4pm. That allows enough time for family formals & an artistic session of the two of you.

Finally, while you might think that family formals might only take 10 quick minutes, the harsh reality is that they don’t. Either one of the groomsman is in the bathroom or someone can’t find grandma, and that means that family formals can be the most chaotic moment of the day. That’s why it’s helpful to have someone who is familiar with your important family members that can help you round everyone up and organize them into groups. This can help streamline the process and get everyone on his or her way to the reception.

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2) MEET UP OR TALK WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS AHEAD OF TIME

Similarly as in tip #1, it’s so, so important to communicate with your photographer ahead of time, either via video chat or a coffee in person (we prefer the second one). That way your photographer will have exactly the vision you have in mind for your photographs. You can also clear up any concerns you might have or let them know about any surprises that might happen that you really want captured.

A short meeting can give you a chance to get to know your photographer and to feel comfortable with them. If it works out that you can also have an engagement shoot with them, even better. That way you understand how they work and you can communicate any unflattering poses or ideas that you may love or hate. Either way, it’s great to keep the communication open with your photographer throughout the entire process. Plus, we’re really nice and love having a good time, so it’s a win-win for everybody!

best wedding photography guatemala

3) DO A SMALL, INTIMATE SESSION DURING YOUR WEDDING DAY WITH JUST THE TWO OF YOU.

Photos like these don’t just come out of nowhere:

Wedding Photographer Belize Wedding

We cannot stress the importance of a short 15-30 minute photo session with you and your new husband or wife, away from your guests, enjoying the first moments of being married. This is the perfect opportunity to have a quiet, special moment with your new life partner and really enjoy being together. These are the moments during which you’re going to get that one, perfect shot that will be put up on a wall, plastered on the cover on an album and be THE photo of your wedding day.

Honestly, the more time the better, but we leave that up to you. If we have more time, we have more opportunities to take more creative, compelling images. This also means that you’ll have more of these images to choose from. If you really don’t feel like taking time away from your guests, we highly recommend either a short session the day after or another time to capture those romantic, artistic photographs that you’ll look back on for a lifetime.

4) UNCLE BOB & UNPLUGGED WEDDINGS

There’s an industry term for the family member or wedding guest that arrives with their semi-professional camera gear and plans on taking the photos for the day. We call them “Uncle Bob.” Uncle Bob might think that he’s doing you a favor by covering everything that your contracted photographer might be missing, but trust us, he is not. There have been moments where photographers’ shots are ruined (even just by an extra flash) because Uncle Bob really wanted that first kiss shot from the perfect angle. It has also happened where the paid photographer actually had to ask Uncle Bob to move out of the frame during family formal photos. So do yourself (and us) a favor and tell Uncle Bob to leave his gear at home so he can just enjoy the wedding day of his loved ones.

You can also take this even further by having an “un-plugged” weddingtips for weddings in guatemala

uncle bob

5) INTRODUCE THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY

best wedding photography guatemala

When the big day arrives and the photographer shows up to the wedding, they usually have absolutely no idea who anyone is apart from the couple (presuming you heeded the advice of #2). That means that we don’t know which of the guests is your parents, your uncles or just family friends. So if you really want to make sure we get lots of shots of your adorable grandparents or your great aunt who raised you as a child, make sure you let your photographer know who those people are. This also helps your guests get comfortable with having their photo taken, since most people are less comfortable when being photographed by a complete stranger. best wedding photography guatemala

6) If you can, keep getting ready room lights off & windows open

Sometimes the rooms where bride, groom and their loved ones get ready tend to have mixed colored lights, with blue light coming from the outside and orange lights from the inside. That doesn´t necessarily make for the best photos. Light coming from windows is more than enough to capture photos, and it actually provides with beautiful and dramatic images. If your make-up artist can´t see enough you can get close to a window. If that´s not enough we are perfectly fine with lights on as well 🙂

7) SMILE (REALLY!)

While these tips for weddings in Guatemala might be obvious, the nerves of the wedding day might prevent you from fully enjoying amazing moments during one of the most important days of your life. These nerves are often translated right into facial expressions, meaning that you might end up with more photos with serious or concerned looks than you had expected. With that in mind, try as much as you can to let go of any stresses and just enjoy the day as it happens. All weddings are different and unique in their own way, some things happen perfectly and some things don’t, and these photos are what you’ll remember of the day. Why not make them as happy as you were? best wedding photography guatemala

tips for weddings in guatemala

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I’m in love with your photography style….photographs look so lively. Just loved it!

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