DIY Wedding Photography Tips

Handy tips to shoot your own special day.

Whether you’re an amatuer photographer, are DIYing your whole wedding or are trying to stick to a wedding budget, your wedding photos are going to be something that you cherish forever. Whatever your reason for DIY wedding photos, our DIY wedding photography tips will help ensure you have quality wedding photos that you’ll be proud to show off.

Choose a trusted family friend to take your wedding photos

Got a family friend that has a quality camera? Perfect! What better way to DIY your wedding photos than seeking help from one of your own wedding guests. Not only is there the additional element of trust but they’re also feel honoured to have been asked. It's best to choose a guest that won’t already have a role within your wedding e.g. don’t ask a bridesmaid or groomsman as they already have “job roles” on the day. Plus you want them to be in the photos not taking them.

If you choose someone who already has a high spec camera, ask to see some of the images so you can get a feel for their style of photography. Although they may not be a professional photographer its good to know that they can use the basics of their camera. Alternatively you could always hire a camera for the day.

Create a list of wedding photos you want to get on the day

Your wedding day will be the best day of your life but it will also go by really quickly. To ensure you get all the photos you want from the day, create a list and give it to your photographer. This will make sure you capture all the best memories from your wedding day and not miss any crucial moments such as doing your vows or cutting your wedding cake.

This can be especially useful when doing group shots. Put together a list of everyone's names that should appear in each photo, for example:

• Bride and Groom
• Bride, Groom, Bridesmaids & Groomsmen
• Bride and bridesmaids
• Groom and groomsmen
• Bride and groom with parents
• Group shot of brides family
• Group shot of groom's family

Practice using the camera

Once you’ve found someone willing to take your wedding photos, it's a good idea to get them to practice using the camera to make sure they know how to change the lenses and settings in different light.

Camera-shake can also be an issue, especially with all the excitement, it’s really easy to forget to hold the camera still. Whilst having a practice run might sound slightly over the top, having a solid practice run will prevent any hiccups on the day. If possible take your photographer to the wedding venue a few weeks before the wedding to get a feel for the surroundings and lighting.

It will also mean any interior shots can be mocked up and the best area for photo backgrounds inside and outside can be decided on by the bride, groom and photographer. You may also find there are some stunning outdoor spaces that you’ll want to utilise for your group shots. 

Here are some extra tips for DIY wedding photography and using the camera: 

• Make sure that their camera is up to the job (DSLR, CSC or Mirrorless system Cameras)
• Remember the contrast between very bright and very dark areas of the image mean that the camera may struggle to get a good overall exposure, so often centre weighted or spot metering will work well.
• Remember to look at the background and avoid all the pitfalls of a telegraph pole extending out of the brides head or a ‘members only’ sign sitting behind the groom.
• Try to be a fast worker, as guests get bored quickly and unless they have canapés and drink, tend to wander off.
• Being a fast worker will also help for getting natural shots. Posed shots are OK for the formal photos, but everyone likes the well taken ‘snap shot’ as they tend to speak volumes and wedding photography is all about the story of the relationship and the journey to the wedding day.

Once you’ve got your wedding photos back, be sure to present them with pride in one of our stunning wedding photo albums or photo frames.