My Favourite Shots As A South Wales Wedding Photographer

As a South Wales wedding photographer, I like to make sure I capture all the key moments from your big day. These classic wedding images ensure you can look back in years to come and bring back memories of your friends and family.

Whether you're getting married in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport or Bridgend, my approach means you get to enjoy a relaxed and stress-free experience with an experienced and qualified wedding photographer. Whether it is capturing the bride and groom's preparation or taking photographs of the wedding day, I take photos in a natural, candid style and interact with the guests to ensure natural and authentic pictures.

Here are some of my favourite photographs that I would like to take on a wedding day when I am working in South Wales:

Getting Ready

One of the most important parts of your day is the Bride and/or Groom getting ready. You will want to capture these moments so that you can relive the excitement of that special day forever. Getting ready is a stressful time for any bride, but your photographer can make the day as relaxed as possible. I take the time to document every moment and detail from the wedding dress and shoes to the groom's buttonhole and cuff links.

Walking Down The Aisle

The moment when the bride walks down the aisle and is first seen by the groom is a special moment (or bride and bride or groom and groom of course). There is normally a big build-up to any wedding and this marks the exciting start of the wedding ceremony. This is also a time when a tear or two is shared by the parents, bridesmaids, relatives and very often the groom as well.

Exchanging Rings

An ancient tradition that goes back to Roman times has the exchange of rings. Did used to be bone or rope or wooden rings but now are normally made from gold. The rings are normally given to the bride and groom by the best man who has been looking after them up until now. This is a great opportunity for a special photograph during the wedding ceremony.

First Kiss

Of all the classic wedding photographs this is probably the most well-known. The first kiss takes place after the vows and once the wedding has been legally contracted. The symbolic first kiss marks the start of a life together for the newlywed couple.

Group Shots

Traditional wedding photography would normally feature a large number of group shots. This and because photographers normally just took photos of the ceremony and immediately afterwards. Photos were the only way to ensure you got photos of everyone on the day. The modern style of wedding photography means many more candid photos from throughout the day meaning less reliance on group shots to get photos of particular individuals. However, some group shots are still a very good idea. I normally recommend photos of the entire wedding party, with both sets of parents and individually, photos of the groom and groomsmen, bride and bridesmaids and some with the immediate families.

Couple Portraits

The couple's portrait is an essential image to take for the wedding photos. Whilst some couples prefer to go for more candid pictures throughout the day, allowing time for portraits of you together is important. It's a time to spend time alone and to get some photos of you as a couple. The wedding day is so busy normally, but there's often really another time when you can be together like this. These photos are ideal for social media, your wedding album or to be printed on a canvas at a later date.

For couple portraits, an experienced wedding photographer will first check the location to see if it is a good idea to shoot indoors or outdoors. The perfect time to take couple portrait photographs is during the golden hour, which happens about 45 minutes before sunset during the summer. Another good time is immediately after the wedding breakfast when couples can slip out for some photos.

Wedding Speeches

When photographing a wedding breakfast and speeches, it's great to take photos of the speakers and also the reactions to the jokes and stories that are normally shared.

Cutting The Cake

The reception is the place to let your hair down and celebrate your new life as husband and wife. That normally starts with the cutting of the cake. This is another traditional feature of a wedding day and symbolises the start of your new life together.

First Dance

The first dance is arguably the most exciting part of a wedding, as it shows true love between the couple. Once the party gets started and other couples join the dance floor, I like to capture more moments as they unfold - as well as some of the amusing dancing that normally takes place after a glass or two of wine!

Summary

There are lots of wedding photography trends. While trends come and go, memories last much longer. This is especially true of your wedding photographs and some of the classic images I have mentioned above. If you want to make the most of your special day, be sure to choose me as your South Wales wedding photographer to capture every important moment for you.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about wedding photography or getting married in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bridgend or further afield in South Wales, then get in touch!