Top 15 ideas that make great wedding photos

15. Bring a photobooth

Okay, I’m biased. My husband and I started one of the first photobooth companies in New York City, though it no longer exists. I know you’ve been in 5,000 booths to date. But I ask you this: Is it ever not fun? Plus then I can take a photo of you being in a photo, which is so meta. 

14. Include your pet

Bring along the perfect accessory who also happens to mean the world to you. 

13. Make time for portraits

If you like that kind of thing! Some people want more portraits, some less. In the end, it’s up to you. I’m all about candid photos and not about to pressure you into doing more than you want. However, if you’re up for it, carving out time and scouting cool locations beforehand can help create some pretty great images, maybe the ones you’ll be framing later on. 

12. Host an after-party at a hipster bar

Or host an after-party around a campfire and roast s’mores. Either way, the vibe is different when the crowd whittles down to your diehard friends, and maybe you’ve even gone for an outfit change and can take a breather with your newly betrothed. 

11. Screen a film

Alright, so Farihah and Jeff (wedding below) were film people. They screened a real film. Not all of us are Farihah and Jeff. But everyone loves a compilation of your childhood pictures and more recent memories, playing either at a designated time or on a loop. 

10. Take your living room furniture outside

Go ahead, stage a photo shoot on the sidewalk while you relax at the same time. It’s tons of fun and can yield some pretty cute images, as evidenced here by Amy and Jenn, though they would be cute just about anywhere. 

9. Play sports

Okay, so you can’t bowl at every wedding. You can at the North Branch Inn in North Branch, NY. Which is one reason I love this venue. More commonly, I see people playing cornhole, which is definitely a game and not a sport, and maybe that’s also true of bowling, but you get the idea. Sports are fun, games are fun. 

8. Celebrate culture

I’m not sure how I would go about this as an American with European mutt heritage. But for those of you with culture to celebrate, including traditional festivities somehow links you with the generations that have come before and always seems to deepen a sense of shared community. Plus, who doesn’t love the spirit and vibrancy that so many cultures bring to the wedding day?

7. Embrace the elements

Since we can’t control the weather, we might as well embrace it. Let your veil blow, and prepare with accessories for the rain or cold.

6. Interact with locals

Everyone loves a wedding couple. It’s your day. Passersby will wave, congratulate and applaud you, and it’s all part of the fun. Sometimes they walk through your picture and make it even better than it was before. 

5. Parade through town

I’m tempted to make this #1. All you need to do is scroll through the photos below to get the idea. I’m not sure that any wedding guests in all of history have ever had so much fun as on this walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with Alexis and Derek.

4. Host your own fireworks

Lauren and Alfred hired some artists for what was quite definitely the best fireworks display I have ever seen. If this is not an incredible send off into married life, I’m not sure what is. 

3. Have a sparkler finale

Maybe it’s a little more common to have sparklers than fireworks and parades, but that doesn’t make it any less fun or visually compelling.

2. Be conscious of light

You know how in real estate, they say, “location, location, location?” Well in photography, it’s all about light, light, light. That means, try to time your wedding for the best light. What one considers the best light may be a little different for everyone, and some weddings have to start after sundown for religious reasons. Just remember that the nicest natural light happens about an hour before sunset, which is when you might want to have your cocktail hour if it’s outside. 

If you’re choosing where you’re getting ready, window light can add an element of beauty that tungsten room light or flash can’t quite equal. If your wedding is in a dark venue with only candlelight, consider putting up some string lights or lanterns. 

And if all else fails, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. That’s why I have the fancy equipment, and flash can be balanced in various ways depending on your aesthetic preferences. But pictures like this one of Kathleen and Peter, well, the magic in that photo comes in large part from the good old sunset behind them. I’m also a big sucker for glowy window light as shown below…and wallpaper, but that’s another topic.

1. HAVE FUN!

Give your cell phone to a friend. Assign people tasks so that no burden is on you. Try to eat and hydrate. Your job is to be present in the love that surrounds you and enjoy every second. Your joy, and all that love, is the real magic behind every photo.