Top 5 Things I Learned @ Wedding #1

last weekend i had the amazing opportunity to shadow a local wedding photographer whom i very much admire and look up to, Kristi Fontamillas!

i cannot even begin to tell you how much i learned just by being able to be present that day.  honestly, i think it helps that i’ve been married and had a wedding.  it does make you sensitive to and aware of a lot of things that i probably would have never thought of before.  however, that’s a post for another day =)

today i wanted to share the Top 5 Things i learned at last weekend’s beautiful wedding:

1.  bring the right lens – now, i love my 24-70mm just as much as the next person but, when it comes to 2nd shooting a wedding, a 70-200mm is a must have!  and, unfortunately, i didn’t have one.  so, even if you need to rent one for the day, i highly recommend making sure you have one.  i still got some great shots of the details of the day, and even of the bride and groom when they were within close proximity.  but when you’re trying to stay out of the principle photographer’s way and you’re still wanting to get those great close-up shots, you need a 70-200mm.

2.  create an emergency kit – this includes necessities not only for yourself, but for the bride as well.  our poor bride had a little mishap with her dress, where the piece of fabric that they added in the back didn’t quite cover up her backside when the dress was laced up.  luckily, someone had a safety pin.  there were a couple of other things that came up throughout the day as well, so here are some of my suggestions for your kit:

• safety pins
• bobby pins
• gum/mints
• advil
• tums
• dental floss
• tissue
• tampons
• hairspray
• bandaids
• clear nail polish
• sunscreen (if it’s an outside wedding)
• snacks/water (protein bar or something comparable)
• travel sewing kit w/scissors

3.  watch out for your reflection! – in my case, we were shooting in a part of the yacht where there were a couple of mirrors and i didn’t even realize that i was in Kristi’s shot until she said something.  mirrors obviously aren’t the only reflective surfaces though, so just be aware of those things and do your best to not make a cameo appearance in the client’s photos =)

4.  you’re not too good to hold the shoes – as i’m sure most of you know, this day is all about the bride…sorry boys!  it’s part of your job as the photographer, principle or 2nd, to make sure that the bride is comfortable and feels as beautiful as she looks.  i absolutely loved observing Kristi with not only the bride, but the rest of the guests and staff on the yacht, as well.  she has such a servant’s heart and was so sweet and calming with everyone.  anything the bride requested, she was willing to try and accomplish.  and this included small things, such as us holding her powder, gum and lip gloss for her so that she had it whenever she needed it!  on this particular day, the bride and groom set up a post-wedding photo shoot at the Newport Pier.  as we walked down to the beach and made the decision to take some photos in the water, the bride and groom realized that they needed to take their shoes off =)  Kristi’s sister, Betsy, was shooting 2nd and offered to sit and watch the newlyweds’ belongings while we continued with the shoot.  i learned that as the 2nd, a huge part of your job is paying attention to all of these details, and being willing to help out wherever you’re needed.

5.  network with the vendors – it’s always a good rule of thumb to get to the event site early.  you don’t want to risk getting lost, plus it helps you feel more relaxed when you get there and allows you to be able to take the time to meet people.  as we walked onto the yacht, one of the first things Kristi did was introduce herself to the other vendors on her way to meet the bride.  i immediately made a mental note of that and talked to her more about it later.  she always keeps some of her business cards on her and exchanges cards with the vendors on her way out, when appropriate.  if you meet someone you really like, you can recommend them in the future if you ever have the opportunity.  Kristi shared that there was one DJ that she had run into at three different weddings, i believe, and he actually helped her book another wedding down the road!

i hope this was helpful for some of you.  i just want to thank Kristi again for this awesome opportunity to learn so much =)  i could never contain it all in a list!  you can see some of her beautiful work here: Kristi Fontamillas Photography

i’m officially addicted to photographing weddings now and can’t wait for the next one!

xoxo

jess