What I said in 2011:  I have absolutely no desire to photograph a wedding.  That’s entirely too much pressure.  It’s just not my thing.

What I said in 2014:  Sure, I would love to photograph your wedding!  (Wait, what?!?!  Did I honestly just say that out loud?!?!).

I did it.  I photographed my first wedding this summer!  I’m a firm believer that you cannot truly know how you feel about something until you try it.  The perfect opportunity was presented, and I couldn’t say no.  It was exhilarating, emotional, and exhausting!  Driving away from the event I began to dissect the day in my mind (what worked, what didn’t, and the little things along the way that remind you of how little control you really have over things!).  After having done it once now, this is my best advice for someone photographing their first wedding.

1 | Choose the right clients.

I knew that shooting a wedding could be a daunting task.  Three things made this ceremony a good photographic fit for me.  (1) My clients are friends.  Having that built-in rapport helped me feel at ease during their intimate moments.  (2) It was a second marriage for the bride and groom.  They wanted an intimate, relaxed, and fun evening with their friends and family.  They weren’t interested in many of the standard wedding shots, which freed me up to be more aware of what was happening in the moment and less concerned about what was next on the shot list.  (3) The wedding was going to be a small event.  Based on the location, size, and style of the wedding I felt comfortable photographing it solo without feeling like they would be compromising any of their images by not having a second shooter.

2 | Be honest and upfront.

I made sure that my clients were aware that theirs would be my first wedding.  I wanted them to know that the quality of the images I would provide for them would be of the same professional quality as any other session, but I wanted to be completely transparent about my lack of wedding experience.  It was important for them to know how excited I was about their big day personally and professionally, and being open just made me feel better.

3 | Honestly consider second shooting a wedding before going it on your own.

There is a flow and rhythm to weddings, and there is an art to photographer placement, angle, lens choice, etc.  These are all things that are learned through practice and experience.  Learning by watching and doing could only offer invaluable insight.

4 | Simplify your equipment.

I was ready for anything with regards to shooting.  I had a 105mm macro, a 24-70mm, and a 70-200mm.  Everything was moving so quickly, and there was no second shooter to rely on, so the entire wedding was shot almost exclusively with my 24-70mm.  It was, in the moment, my most versatile lens.  I went into the ceremony with this lens ready, and it was nice not to second-guess the focal length of many of my shots.  The simplicity of not having to switch out lenses repeatedly allowed for my focus to remain on the moment.

5 | Assume that SOMETHING will go wrong and try to be prepared.

I desperately wanted to use my 70-200mm for the bride and groom’s portraits, and I have NEVER had an equipment failure at an event or session… until this moment.  I cleaned all of my equipment before the session, and capped each of my lenses.  I checked, then rechecked, and packed everything up for ease of accessibility.  Upon preparing my camera for the actual bridal portraits, I realized that the rear lens cap was stuck.  Three men tried to remove it.  Channel locks didn’t do the trick.  This is the only reason that even the bridal portraits were shot exclusively with my 24-70 mm lens.  It threw me for a moment, but I quickly realized that my lens meant NOTHING to my clients, while their pictures meant EVERYTHING!

6 | Have a plan and a contact on site.

I asked the bride if she would prepare a list of must-have images and an on-site contact.  The bride’s mother helped me efficiently work through my shot list and round up guests from the reception.  I’m quite certain that things would have been far more chaotic without her help!

7 | Have fun!

It’s nice to stretch yourself and do something different.  Enjoy that fact that you are taking on a challenge.  Overshoot, stay late, and enjoy yourself.  That’s the only way to find out what you love!

I hope this helps anyone considering photographing their first wedding.  What did you learn from shooting your first ceremony?  What keeps you from trying wedding photography?  I would love for you to share!