In my experience, no matter how much you plan for your wedding day, something will invariably not go as planned. It’s very hard to maintain perspective when you have been planning so long for one day, but keep reminding yourself that this day is about marrying the love of your life, and don’t let the little things get to you. No one will notice if the favors don’t arrive, the dress gets dirty, or the flowers aren’t the right color. But they will notice if you are upset and that will show in your photos.

Style
Make sure the photographer you hire is someone whose work, style, and personality you connect with. Not many realize that they will spend more time with the photographer on their wedding than almost any other single person. It’s essential that you get along with your photographer, since that will definitely affect the photos.

If you have any specific photos you want, communicate your wishes with your photographer before the wedding. This will help you both be on the same page and ensure that the photos that you expect are the photos that you will get. Keep in mind the reason why you hired the photographer (for example, if you hired a photographer that is known for a very candid look, don’t expect the photographer to spend hours taking posed pictures).

Timing
The time of day, season, and location will have an enormous impact on your photos. Be sure to consult with your photographer and make sure you create a wedding day schedule that will allow you to take advantage of the best light of the day. The best light for photos is usually around sunrise and sunset, which photographers like to call “magic light.” Also keep in mind the climate – posing indoors could make for better pictures than outside, if it’s 100 degrees outside.

Unless you want your wedding day to be remembered as one long photo shoot, try to limit the number of posed group shots. The more groups you want photographed, the less time your photographer(s) will have capturing moments, candid shots of you and your guests, and you as a couple.

To ensure that the formal photo session runs as smoothly as possible, communicate before the wedding to everyone involved about where and when you’ll have the posed photographs.

Makeup and Hair
Do a trial run with your hair and makeup and have photos taken to make sure you’re happy with your appearance. Check out your makeup both in natural light and indoors to be sure it’s not too heavy. I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure your makeup looks light, clean and natural. Even though your wedding is a very special day, keep in mind that you still want to look like you.

One last thing
Remember that the goal of your wedding photos is to capture beautiful pictures of you and your day! Even though you’ll want everything to be perfect, your photographer will be looking for great expressions—and those usually come when everyone involved is relaxed and having a great time.