Photos on thumbnail courtesy of Ivan Garcia Studio.
When it comes to all of the different components of a wedding celebration, it’s safe to say the photographer serves an important role! After all, who doesn’t want to share all of those beautiful wedding photos on social media after the big day? This is a major reason why we recommend taking your time to evaluate potential wedding photographers and truly book one that you feel confident in. You’ll want to select a photographer that has plenty of experience working weddings and has the ability to create an amazing wedding photo album! Luckily for engaged couples, particularly in bigger cities like Houston, there are plenty of talented wedding photographers capable of doing just that.
Here at Madera Estates, our team has had the opportunity to work with several photographers over the years. Having seen more than a few stunning photo albums from past weddings at our venue, we’re always more than happy to provide recommendations for local wedding photographers if you’re trying to find one for your big day. That brings us to what we’ll be discussing in this week’s blog post. We will be taking a deeper look at the different photo opportunities you’ll want to capture for your wedding album. While this isn’t necessarily a comprehensive list by any means, it will give you an overview of a few of the must-haves.
Curious which qualities you should look for in a wedding photographer? Click the link HERE to check out our previous blog post for a few tips on finding the perfect photographer for your big day!
Getting Ready Moments – Without a doubt, you’re going to want to make sure your photographer snaps a few pics during those memorable getting ready moments. Whether it be during the hair and makeup stages, photos with your bridesmaids or groomsmen, or even just a pic standing by your wedding dress, there are so many opportunities early on that you’ll want to capture!
First Look/First Touch – This one is obviously not going to be at every wedding, but the couples that do choose to have a first look or first touch will want to make sure those moments are photographed. Based on our experiences at past weddings, we can confidently say that each of these always seem to create the most adorable moments. Not to mention, don’t forget about potential first looks with parents, siblings or bridesmaids! Those are all possibilities worth considering!
Ceremony – As you can likely guess, the ceremony is one of the key events on your wedding day. This is when you actually exchange your vows and tie the knot, so no surprise there! With that in mind, most experienced photographers are going to have a thought-out plan on how to capture each of the individual moments throughout the ceremony. From when you see your spouse-to-be on the walk down the aisle and the exchange of vows to the kiss and then leaving as a married couple, wedding photographers will be busy during the ceremony!
Reception – After you’ve said your “I Do’s,” it will officially be time for the celebrating to begin! Just as the ceremony is filled with moments that you’ll want captured by your photographer, the same can undoubtedly be said about the reception too. Weddings have evolved significantly over the years and nowadays, your options are seemingly endless when it comes to wedding receptions. Nonetheless, here are a few of the more popular moments that could find a place in your wedding photo album. Wedding party and newlyweds entrance, first dance, cake cutting, parent dances, toasts and of course, plenty of photos of that packed dance floor too!
However, as I just mentioned, this is only scratching the surface of possible photo opportunities at a wedding reception. There could be pics of guests enjoying the photo booth, alpacas on-site, live wedding painting and more!
Details – While most of your wedding photos will actually have people in there, it is worth it for your photographer to capture several detail photos as well. Typically, the best time for these is before the ceremony gets underway, as your photographer will definitely be busy from that time on. What do we mean by “detail” photos? These could include a number of different things. It could be a classic shot showing the wedding rings or even the invitation suite. It could be a photo of the wedding cake on display. It could even be a picture of the empty ballroom with all of the tables and chairs, as well as decor, set up for the reception. Long story short, having these types of photos in your wedding album will likely be something that you’re glad you had taken!
Before we continue, we did want to provide a little insight into a few of the areas where couples usually capture these detailed shots at Madera Estates. Two of the main areas where you can capture some moments before everything begins is in front of the Grand Fireplace outside and the Hacienda inside.
Formal Photos – While the detail shots are important, you obviously want plenty of photos with smiling faces too, right? At some point during your wedding day, you’ll want to have your photographer take all of the formal photos. These will likely feature ones with family members, close friends, wedding party and anyone else that you would prefer to be included. Additionally, you’ll also want to capture more than a few photos of you and your husband/wife. It’s not uncommon for there to also be several different backdrops of the couple.
Another key variable to mention in regards to the formal photos is tied to when these photos will be taken. Well, in terms of the pictures where the couples will be photographed together, this is going to come down to whether or not you have a first look. If there is a first look, then you may be able to get some of these knocked out before the ceremony. On the flip side, if you’re doing a first touch or waiting to see your soon-to-be spouse on the walk down the aisle, then they’ll need to be completed during the cocktail hour that takes place between the ceremony and reception. In any case, you’ll want to make sure to think about who all you’ll want included in these formal photos and have a plan in-place for getting everyone together for these photos! Remember, even if you have an extremely talented photographer, they likely won’t know each of your aunts, uncles or family members that will be involved. As such, it’s usually a good idea to delegate this responsibility to a family member or friend to take care of on the wedding day!
Send-Off – The last moment that you’ll want to capture is the final send-off. At our venue, Madera Estates, a popular option for this is a sparkler send-off outside. While your guests line up with the sparklers, the newlyweds are able to enjoy one final dance inside the Hacienda (add this dance to the must-have reception photos!). After that, with their guests lined up, they do the final sparkler send-off to tie a bow on the best day ever! To sum it up, it’s a must-have for the wedding photo album. As a side note, another popular component that’s similar to a sparkler send-off involves a full firework display. This obviously creates some magical photos, but you’ll want to make sure your photographer is well aware of when and where this will take place, so they can make sure they’re in the perfect spot!
Tie the Knot at Madera Estates!
In the end, there are quite a few different moments that you’ll want captured as you look back on this big day! Considering each wedding day is unique, it’s important to remember that the list above doesn’t include every single moment that you’ll want photographed. However, it does include several that most would consider to be must-haves!
Our team at Madera Estates has been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to work with a number of talented wedding photographers. If you’re looking for recommendations, don’t hesitate to reach out and we would be happy to steer you in the right direction! Likewise, if you’re still searching for the perfect wedding venue near Houston or The Woodlands, you’re always welcome to schedule a free tour of our wedding venue HERE.