Hey photographers!! Are you new to shooting weddings, or maybe haven’t shot one at all and have one coming up?! Then this post is for you!!

I am so excited to share today my top 5 tips on being an AWESOME photographer shooting your first wedding as a primary photographer! :) At the end of this season (that’s very quickly coming to a close!) I will have shot around 100 weddings. 100! It’s so crazy to think I’ve been a part of so many love stories, and it’s truly an honor!! So here we go!

1. Smile (a lot)! Seriously, this is probably the most simple tip here but it is so important. Not only does it help you to stay positive, it also helps to be positive to all of those around you! On wedding days, something is always going to go wrong, even if it’s something small. Be the person who is totally confident it will be okay and smile through it all.
2. Be confident! This relates a little to the previous one, but have confidence in yourself. Remember that the couple hired YOU for a reason, because they love you and your work!! Have confidence in that and believe that you can do it!
3. Worry the most about serving your clients well. You are not going to automatically know how to shoot every part of the day seamlessly, and that is okay! As long as your couple is aware of that, your goal should be to serve them WELL than it should be about doing everything perfectly- because, let’s be honest, no one is perfect! Realize that there are probably going to be some things you’ll look back on and wish you had done differently- and that is okay! Make sure, above all, that you’re giving your clients the experience they deserve. Be the first person to fix the bride’s train, help her carry it, run to grab something, or help the bridesmaids out! Be there to make their big day go as smoothly as possible!
4. Have backup gear + a second photographer, if possible! As far as having a plan in case something goes wrong, these are two really great things to do!! If you aren’t able to purchase another body, rent one for the weekend! If you’re able to bring another photographer along with you, this automatically guarantees two more cameras that will be available if something stops working! You can even reach out to a more experienced photographer to see if they’re available to shoot with you!
5. If you have more than a month or two before the wedding, find a way to second shoot (or just assist) some weddings beforehand. Before I shot my first wedding as a primary photographer, I had photographed over 20 weddings! To say the least, I felt really prepared going into it because I knew the flow of the day and how everything generally goes. This made a world of a difference in how my first wedding went! I am still so proud of my images! However, even if you don’t have time to shoot that many weddings, definitely find a way to second shoot a few weddings beforehand (or just offer to tag along and carry bags for a wedding photographer- and expect no pay! More of my thoughts on this topic on my blog post HERE).

And BONUS TIP and MOST importantly: Serve your clients well and have FUN! :)