Hey there y’all! I wanted to share with you a few quick tips on how to take candid shots at a wedding! Years down the road your bride and groom will cherish these moments caught in between them and their loved ones because it will transport them right back to their wedding day. Capturing the hugs, laughs, and tears will fill their heart with so much love! Below are a few tips on how to take candid shots at a wedding!

Ali + Max’s Wedding

Use a Long Lens

During a wedding, my go-to lens is the Canon 70-200 or 100mm macro! Shooting with a long lens allows me to step back and watch the guests interacting with each other. Some of the best photos are when people don’t know you’re taking a photo of them! You’re able to capture the natural interactions of your bride and grooms loved ones!

Watch for Moments

One of my favorite moments to capture is when the guests are walking into the venue. At this moment family members and friends are so excited to share this special time together! I love when everyone is walking up and their dresses are flowing in the wind! Just so pretty! I always do my best to get these shots when everyone is backlit. This creates a beautiful glow!

During the reception, make sure to focus on whoever is giving a speech. Once you’ve got a solid shot, look around at the guests. The speeches are sure to bring lots of laughter and some tears to the guests. These are sweet moments to remember forever!

Take a Back-Up Shooter
…or two. Never try to shoot a wedding alone. There are too many varying factors in an event of all sizes and you don’t want to miss the smile on the groom’s face because you were busy at shooting the flower girl’s timid little entrance, or vice versa.

Ask another photographer you trust to come along and shoot things you might miss. You’ll also need the extra help with rounding up the attendants and getting everyone into position for post-wedding photos.

Ashton + Sherwood’s Wedding

Quick Phone Moments

When your bride and groom are moving around the room greeting their guests, this is a great time to snap some photos! Family and friends are going to want to snap a few photos for their Instagram accounts and these are great moments to capture. They may be posing for a quick photo with their friends but it’s way more relaxed and silly! I like to hide and sneak in to take a photo real quick because they won’t be looking at my camera. It’s always a fun shot!

Take a Back-Up Camera
And battery, and flash, and… everything!!
This is one of the photo tips that is just as important as having a back-up shooter. You’ll want at least one more camera and extra accessories in your bag for a couple of reasons. First of all, you never know when technology will fail you. What if your camera stops working while the bride is walking down the aisle and that’s your last shot? Honestly, a nightmare. It’s good to have a different lens on the back-up camera so that instead of changing out lenses for different shots, you can just grab the other camera and never miss an important moment.

Practice in the Venue
If at possible, you’ll want to visit the venue a week or more ahead of time and practice photographing some of your own objects or models with the lighting that will be available during the event. Take all the lighting you own and experiment with setting it up in different places. You’ll want to make sure it’s set up somewhere out of the way so that it doesn’t interfere with the aesthetics of the setting.

Nicole + Zach’s Wedding

I hope these tips on how to capture candid photos at weddings will help you. Once you have more experience you’ll kind of know exactly what to expect.  If you are looking for more photography tips make sure to join The Inspired Club for access to our extensive digital library filled with Photography, Branding and Social Media tips.

Stay Inspired,

xo Jana