A great wedding photographer in Austin, TX is not just a great photographer, but also a people person. This is someone who is able to take incredible photos, while also creating moments and capturing people at their best.
This is a difficult balance. Leave your guests to it and you may never create the moment you are looking to capture. You might find that the guests are simply not playing ball: that they are too focussed on having a good time to stop putting food in their mouths or running around too fast for you to capture anything!
But at the same time, you don’t want to be the kind of photographer who keeps interrupting the fun to get everyone to line up or to pose in a staged position! Not only does constantly interrupting the fun disrupt the wedding and prevent people from fully enjoying themselves, but it also prevents you from capturing those authentic moments.
How to Keep Guests Busy While You Take Wedding Photos in Austin, TX
Then there is another issue: the time to take the group shots! Now you have to force everyone into a static post while you run around them. This necessarily involves an interruption to the proceedings, and it means that everyone else who isn’t taking part in those photos is going to be left feeling bored.
In this post, we’re going to solve both these issues.
Entertaining Guests During Group Shots
If you think about the point in the day when most people will get their group shots, it will typically be shortly after arriving at the venue for the wedding breakfast.
This gives you a number of options that naturally present themselves for entertaining guests. The first is to serve up the canapés! This is a selfless option for the host of course, as it means that you might well miss out on some. That said, you can always ask a guest to save some for you!
Now your guests will be able to mingle, drink (this is a great time to provide some drinks as they enter), and eat. The food and alcohol help to facilitate the flow of conversation and prevent drops in blood sugar that can lead to impatience and irritability. Meanwhile, they will be able to talk to one another properly for the first time!
Another option is to make sure there are things to do and to hold their attention around the venue.
This is a great time to provide games for example, which could include simple things like skittles or perhaps a goal to kick a ball through.
Keep in mind though, that your photographer will be preoccupied during this time and thus may not be able to get photos of what’s going on here! You don’t want to miss out on getting memories of anything too exciting and fun!
One other thing to keep in mind during this time is that you shouldn’t spend too long getting photos. There will be a point at which guests start to get bored, and the truth is that these group shots are rarely the ones that become classics, hung on your wall! Be organized and exercise restraint when choosing what you want.
Getting the Photos
As for getting photos during the rest of the day, the best photographers need to be able to spot and set-up moments before they happen and then be ready and waiting to capture those moments.
One way we do this without getting in the way ourselves is by using the right lens. For instance, if you use a lens with a longer focal point (say 56mm), then this will allow you to get amazing quality close-ups from further away. Combine this with a powerful zoom, and you can sit on the sidelines while still getting photos that feel personal and intimate. Likewise, this focal length is very good for portraits, whereas something wider (say a 16mm) will be better suited to getting scenes with lots of things in them.
The photographer and the wedding planner together should also think about how they can create moments that will be photogenic. Everything from the way the tables are laid out, to the types of entertainment that are provided can have an impact on this.
For example, keeping the table near a natural source of light can be a great way to provide lighting for a shot – though it can present difficulties when shooting directly into that light!
Finally, it’s also important for photographers to make their subjects feel at ease with them. Spending time chatting to guests and being a guest is a great way to make this when you cruise around the tables, people don’t stop what they’re doing and smile – they carry on!
Complete Weddings + Events in Austin, TX
Our team of professional wedding photographers looks forward to capturing your special moments on this incredibly special day. Contact us by emailing Jeremy@CompleteTX.com and learn how you can experience our mission of providing extraordinary special event services that deliver joy for generations! Complete Weddings + Events, Austin’s leading provider of event and wedding photography, videography, lighting, coordination, DJ services & photo booth rental.
Kevin Paladino
Chief Vision Officer / Owner
Complete Weddings + Events: Central Texas