Chelsea Lane Photography

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How to Get the Best Wedding Guest Candids

Most of my clients work with me because they want beautiful candid photos from their wedding day.

Here’s what you can do to help make that happen!

When planning your wedding timeline and noting your favorite photo ops, make sure there’s enough time for your photographer to get candids of your guest enjoying themselves!

All these folks dressed up, bought gifts, possibly travelled and are excited to support you, you'll want to look back and remember how much fun they had! Candids are my most requested type of images from my couples! And it takes the right kind of photographer to capture those fleeting moments before they're gone. It requires patience, discretion and speed.

Your guests are pretty cute, let's include them in the story of your wedding. Below are my top 3 tips for getting wedding candids.

Timeline

Pad your timeline so your photographer has time to simply be a fly on the wall! Your cocktail hour is one of the best times for a photographer to capture those unexpected, joyous moments so be sure to plan it well. If you have 1 photographer booked and they’re taking couple portraits or group photos during cocktail hour, there won't be anyone to snap pics of your guests enjoying cocktail hour. You have the option to tailor your timeline or discuss second shooter options with your photographer.

Second Shooter

Second shooters capture the wedding day with your main photographer. The main photographer (who you hired) hires a 2nd photographer for part of or all of the wedding. The main photographer will edit all the images together so the collection is cohesive! This is a great approach if you want a photographer in 2 places at once.

Welcome Party Coverage

Invite your photographer to your welcome party the night before the wedding day! This is a wonderful way for your guests to get to know them (me!) during a relaxed evening - no timeline, no suits.

Want to talk to me about capturing your wedding?