Chris and Julie St. James recently tied the knot. I had the pleasure of photographing their special day. They knew it was a first for me and still trusted me with such an important job. I’m so thankful for their faith in me. They’re a lovely couple so I feel blessed that theirs was my first wedding.

I decided that while sharing these beautiful images with you I’d also like to share 10 things I learned while shooting my first wedding.

Believe it or not… I’ve been actively avoiding wedding photography for a while. I’ve been so nervous about the idea of shooting weddings for several reasons. It’s one of the most important days in someone’s life and there are so many crucial moments. I didn’t want to miss something special and disappoint a couple or their family. Also, I have a bit of social anxiety which makes the idea of dealing with all that comes along with shooting a wedding a little scary. I know it can be a high pressure job as well.

Lately, however, I’ve been trying to shoot whenever I have the opportunity. How can I say for sure weddings aren’t for me until I have the experience for myself? When Julie asked, I ended up taking the job because I know her and her then fiancé Chris from church. I also knew it was going to be a small wedding. These things made it less scary, so it was time to see if I was cut out for it!

10 Things I Learned Shooting My First Wedding

There are many blog posts out there by experienced photographers giving lots of practical advice. I love the perspective of someone who has done 100+ weddings. I definitely read many of those before their big day. What I haven’t seen as much of, is the perspective of a first timer. We are all going to have different experiences. What I learned may help you out if you’re about to do your first wedding or if you’re on the fence about doing them, like I was. It’s hard to remember exactly what it’s like being new at something when you’re seasoned at it. I like to think this will also be nice to look back on later.

1 – Arriving early is helpful.

When we spoke before the wedding, I knew I needed to be there by 4pm because that was when they planned to start the ceremony. Of course, I knew arriving before that was important. I arrived at 3:15pm and those 45 minutes flew by in the blink of an eye. If I had it to do over again, I would’ve arrived even earlier.

2 – Organization is key.

If I were to do another wedding in the future I would insist on a meeting, or possibly even 2, before the wedding. An initial one to discuss the plan for the day and what their vision was for their wedding photos. I’d write down all the little details I could. A second meeting right before the wedding would be great, as well, so that I can find out if changes have been made and get a schedule of the day. Organization is important so things run well and it’s not chaotic.

3 – Time management is very important.

I know I’ve already touched on time, but I felt this deserved a spot on my list because that saying “time flies” is so real. There are so many things I wanted to cover and there is an unavoidable element of unpredictability. I took a few photos while she was getting ready and time started to run short. We then did first look photos before the ceremony. Without realizing it, that took a lot more time than expected. A schedule would’ve helped a lot there. This was a small intimate wedding with no bridesmaids or groomsmen, so no one was bothered by the delay but if it were a larger scale wedding it might’ve been frustrating to a wedding party and guests.

4 – Some of the most beautiful photos come from moments that happened organically.

I knew there were extremely important shots I had to get. Details, the kiss, cutting the cake, the first dance, etc. Those things are traditional beautiful moments couples and their families will look back on for years to come. However, don’t just put that camera down in between because there are so many special moments happening. For example, I caught one after the ceremony, of the bride hugging her husband’s teenage daughter who was overcome with happiness and emotion. That’s something I didn’t know would happen but I’m so glad I got those photos for them. It’s a big day where families are joined together. I thought of the chaos which made me nervous, but I somehow forgot how special it is to be a part of a day like that.

5 – Having an assistant is very helpful.

My husband is amazing. He’s so supportive and really enjoys coming along with me on what we call “photography adventures”. It’s amazing having his help. Thankfully he was there with me. I’ve heard many people talk about having a second shooter, which I know would be great at any wedding but especially larger ones since one photographer can’t be everywhere. I’m here to tell you that having an assistant is also great. I was able to just focus on getting great shots.

6 – Don’t be afraid to be a little bossy.

The word bossy sounds rude I’m sure, but I don’t mean it in that way. There’s so much going on at a wedding and something I didn’t really think about is, while you are trying to take those important photos, every wedding guest is trying to talk to the bride and groom. It makes sense, this is their big day and congratulations are in order, but if you are afraid to speak up, you are going to be doing the bride and groom a disservice. I had to be bossy so that I could get things done in a timely manner and so their pictures would turn out great. During first look we had to clear the courtyard and I ended up having to get someone to stand on each side and not allow anyone to walk through. When they cut the cake, I moved things off the counter and asked people standing behind them to move. When I took photos in front of the food truck, I had to ask the people in line if they could step back and wait for just a minute while I got my shots. I managed to do all these things kindly and no one seemed to mind. Being confident about speaking up is important because I was hired to do this job. I believe everyone understands that.

7 – Even when it gets hectic, try to slow down and think about angles and composition.

I can’t be the only one who starts culling through images and thinks, “If I would’ve taken 2 steps left and 1 step back this picture would be perfect!”. Even though your brain is overloaded with all the things you have to remember as a photographer, try to remind yourself to slow down and think about the whole photo instead of just the subject. I love the photos I got of the couple eating in front of the food truck they rented for the reception. I just wish I had asked everyone to step back just a couple steps and that I’d stepped over to the right a bit. It would’ve turned the photos from great to amazing! I wish I hadn’t gotten the vehicle pulling the food truck in the photo. It’s worth it to take an extra few seconds to think about composition.

8 – Take test shots before the ceremony gets started so your settings are ready to go.

I was very concerned about getting my settings just right because I knew the ceremony was taking place in front of a lake. The couple, all the guests, and I were standing in the shade on a large back porch. I wanted to make sure I didn’t blow out the highlights in background. Taking test shots before the ceremony started, gave me peace of mind and also ensured I wasn’t fumbling around with the settings during those important moments. I also personally shoot everything in RAW so as long as I don’t miss focus, I still have a chance to change things while editing.

9 – No amount of reading up on this subject will fully prepare you.

I’m the type of person who wants to do all the research and studying I can when I’m doing something new. I love Pinterest and YouTube! Before this wedding I did lots of reading and watched several videos. I definitely learned a lot by doing this. It’s not a bad way to prepare but it’s no substitute for hands on experience. Each wedding is different, I’m sure, and every photographer is different. If you’re on the fence about weddings, I’d say just jump in there and give it a try. I would like to do some second or third shooting for bigger weddings before jumping in as the lead photographer, but those opportunities are there. Even assisting a photographer could give you a lot of perspective on shooting a wedding.

10 – Surprise! I enjoyed the whole experience and I’m doing another wedding soon.

As nervous as I was about the idea of shooting a wedding, I’m glad I decided to give it a shot. I feel confident in my ability to do another wedding in the future. I think smaller weddings are more my speed, but I’d like to be a second shooter for a larger wedding. The fact that I feel confident about second shooting a large wedding is pretty big. I’m trying not to let the fear of failure hold me back from trying new things. Taking opportunities that come my way continues to pay off.

Let me know in the comments below if you found all this info helpful. If you’ve never photographed a wedding and there are details I didn’t cover please feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I’ll post updates about future blog posts on my social media so be sure to go follow me there if you enjoyed this. There are some buttons at the bottom of the page that’ll take you over to my Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.