Following our insightful event, The Wedding Collective, with Jenny Morgan,  professional photographer, we sat down with Jenny to bring further insight into her work.

1. How far in advance do you advise booking with you? 

Couples book me quite far in advance. While there are certain months of the year that are more popular than others, there are some months at the beginning of the year that are not so busy. Once a couple has their date booked, I recommend to get in touch straight away. I would have a lot of couples who try to make sure I am available before they secure their date with the wedding venue! Booking your wedding photographer is super important! You need to make sure you love their work as your photos are the memories you will cherish forever from your wedding day.

2. Are there any specific questions couples should ask during the initial consultation with a wedding photographer? 

Yes there are several specific questions a couple should ask! If you are speaking with the photographer, this means you have seen their work and you are interested in booking them. 

Q1. How long does the photographer stay on the wedding day? What time do they arrive in the morning and what time do they leave in the evening? Is there an option within their package to stay until the first dance?– this is normally an extra fee.

Q2. Do they travel outside of the area where they are based? Do they charge a travel fee if the journey is over a certain distance?

Q3. Do they work alone or is there an assistant with them?

Q4. Is there an option to cover both sides of preparation places on the morning of the wedding?

Q5. Do they provide a wedding album? Is there a Digital only package?

Q6. How long will the couple have to wait to view their wedding images after their wedding date?

• Daddy seeing his little girl in her wedding dress for the first time! 
• Preparations in the morning. Shots of details
• Bride being handed away at the top of the aisle.
• Family photos – parents/siblings/grandparents
• Bridal party photos
• Couple shots
• Documentation of guests enjoying themselves

4. What advice do you have for couples to prepare for their wedding day photography? 
It is really important to communicate with your photographer in the lead up to the big day! I have so many couples who come into my studio with their newborn babies and chat to me about the disasters they had on their wedding day with missing photos! Don’t assume your photographer will take all of the family scenarios, you will need to let them know exactly what you would like captured. Once you make them aware of who is who in the family & bridal party, perhaps let them capture the rest of your day with their own creative eye. I always suggest to couples that they don’t give the photographer another huge list of extra photos to document as this will only eat into the wedding day and leave no time for the couple to enjoy their drinks reception.
You will also need to speak to the photographer about the logistics of the day, timing and discussing with family/bridal parties where and when they are needed for photos! 

5. What advice do you have to help couples feel comfortable and natural in front of the camera?
It is your wedding day and it is probably going to be one of the happiest days of your lives. You will not take the smile from your face throughout the day so your photographer will capture amazing portraits of you when you are not aware the camera is on you. For your couple shots, I always recommend that my couples get close to each other and try to imagine the camera is not on them. If you are hugging each other, do it naturally and forget about your photographer. Walking shots are generally beautiful as the couple just chat away to each other, smiling and laughing, which is always what the photographer wants!  

6. Can you share some tips on how to organise group photos quickly and efficiently?
I always suggest that we have 2-3 different people on the wedding day – I call them go-getters! These are people who are really familiar with who we need for photos and where we need them! Everyone due to be in photos has already been forewarned by the couple too.

7. What are the particular challenges of outdoor weddings and how do you overcome them?
The perfect weather is a warm/dry overcast day. This ensures that there is no squinting! If the sun is shining and there is no cloud cover, I usually face the guests towards me with their backs to the sun. This light is usually really nice. For my couple shots, I look for shaded areas if it is a really bright day.  If the rain is against us, I will pick a dry area outside that is sheltered from the rain or a nice room within the wedding venue.

8. How do you manage post-production and how long does it typically take to receive the final photos?
The wedding day itself is the easiest part! Post-production takes the longest part. Usually my couples get to see their wedding photos between 12-16 weeks prior to the wedding day.