top 5 photography mistakes

It seems that the same mistakes happen over and over again when it comes to wedding pics. Here are the most common photography faux-pas made by couples, and how to avoid them!

1. Meet the fridges

You may be a couple who have gone through thick and thin together, and have just bound yourselves to each other for life, but that doesn't mean you put on public displays of affection. It seems to be a very Scottish trait; a chaste peck on the cheek is all your groom is going to get, despite the photographer not so subtly encouraging you to stand a little closer together. You are both in your 'Sunday best' and are sitting stiffly on a bench, or trying to look as if you stand under a tree every day of the week. Short of slipping some Viagra into your champers, your photographer gives up, wishing you weren't acting like two people who had just met each other on a bus.

how to avoid: This is easy. If you're nervous before a lens, then let the photographer know. Any photographer worth his pixels will ensure that you're relaxed enough before the event and are used to the camera on the wedding day. No one's asking for Gone With The Wind, but being able to relax and enjoy the photographs helps the real you, as a couple, blossom. This is true for any style of photography.

2. The friendly photographer

'What a strange man', you think, as you emerge blinking into the sunlight from the basement studio. The photographer certainly had all the equipment and computers, but his assistant Egor didn't bode well; and his remark about the groom's broken nose could have been handled better. Still, his images were lovely, so you both decide to book him, despite the gnawing fear in your stomach.

how to avoid: Photographers, like many creative people, can be eccentric or even a little shy. Some come alive on the day of a wedding (not literally, of course) and some are very sociable to begin with. Whatever their personality, you must be able to relax with them, and trust that they can deliver what you want. The most successful images stem from a degree of trust between the photographer and their subjects, so establish a rapport with them.

3. The groundhog portfolio

As you are leafing through the photographer's portfolio, you notice that all the pictures look fantastic - yet they may all have similar content. In fact, you notice that they look exactly the same. Photographers have their own favourite pictures according to taste, and they love the creative shots that show off their skills. Most experienced photographers will have a back-catalogue of weddings they have shot. Without a rounded idea of what they can do, that bride-on-the-grass shot will soon be you.

how to avoid: Make sure that you see some complete weddings that the photographer has taken so that you can see their range. To be honest, if a photographer is this good, they'll have excellent family shots too. Remember that a wedding should capture the story of the day and that every good wedding photographer will be happy to show you previous complete albums.

4. Ka-ching!

This is still an issue that has the potential to get under the skin of parents, bride or groom: money. The cry of 'how much?' is often heard when it's up to someone else to fund the photography or even if it's up to the bride and groom. So, regardless of whether the photographer's portfolio is everything they've ever wanted, they'll go for a cheaper option somewhere else. Yet, when asked, most will admit that the photography is important to them. Skimping on the photography is like taking sandwiches out of the picnic, removing icing from the cake or throwing away your 3D glasses halfway through the movie. In short, you lose a dimension.

how to avoid: Prioritise the photography, and be clear to whoever's paying about how much it costs. While money isn't a good marker of how brilliant a photographer is, when you find someone whose work you love and who you get on with, pull out the stops to afford them. You won't regret it.

5. Computer-duper

It's been a fabulous day, you've hired the best photographer in the country to capture it, and the pictures are fantastic. They've been uploaded onto a website and you have begged the photographer for a disc; why bother with reprints when you can print them off yourself? Your cousin Bill can do it, or Alec at work has a good printer. If only you could remember to ask them. Six months later, the disc the photographer sent you is languishing in a back drawer. The only reminder you end up with of your wedding is the occasional enquiry from parents and friends, who wanted to see glossy pictures, not two-inch thumbnails on a website. If only you'd gone for an album, you wouldn't have had this hassle. Popping down to your local Boots for prints is the final option - and no wedding will ever look its best from the conveyor-belt lab that deals with holiday snaps. Then your friend gets married, and when you see her album, you realise what you've missed.

how to avoid: It may sound obvious, but in this digital age it's all too easy to forget quite how stunning a high-quality printed photograph is. If you are really strapped for cash, get a basic album from your professional photographer and go back for extra high quality prints later when you're more flush. The result will be an accessible, fabulous record of the wedding day, with images fit to frame on your wall.