Tips for a successful summer wedding photo shoot
- At this time of year it is better to take pictures in nature, but you can also get great pictures in the city if you approach the matter with imagination. In any case, leave the room, do not do it within four walls.
- Have a plan B in case of bad weather. You may be in hot and stuffy weather or torrential rain. Decide in advance where you will go with the photographer if you have to.
- Think about your looks - will you be photographed in your main wedding dress or will you wear a separate one specifically for the photo shoot? Should the groom change his clothes? Do you have cute umbrellas in case of rain?
- Opt for the famous "golden hour" with soft, pouring light, which occurs around 5pm. In addition, sunrise or sunset will suit you, especially at sea. If the sun is shining brightly, then taking pictures at the wrong time (such as midday) will not flatter you. Verified.
Zoe Steindl Photo
Entertainment for guests
There are so many options for entertaining guests at a summer wedding! We invite you to consider the most unusual and interesting solutions.
Entertainment at a summer wedding:
- boat trip (for a sea wedding);
- a foam party;
- team games and outdoor quests;
- you can invite gypsies with balalaikas or circus performers, magicians, etc. to the wedding.
An experienced host will help you create an entertainment plan for your wedding guests.
Ideas for a photo shoot in the city
If you want nature even within the city, look for a park, a botanical garden or a small artificial pond. For interesting photos, have a picnic, feed the birds and squirrels, play games (badminton, Jenga, petanque) and lie on the grass.
Take a fresh look at familiar city buildings and landmarks – which ones will look different in photographs? Is it possible that for a wedding photo shoot in the summer it is worth looking at them from a different angle, going from a new angle, or just coming closer to see the barely noticeable details?
Rachel Photographs
Le Secret d'Audrey
Stroll through the streets of the city, choosing the most picturesque ones. It is better to do this early in the morning so that there are no strangers in the frame. Hold hands, sing, dance, kiss, enjoy this day! Pose for a photographer against the backdrop of shop windows and walls that you like, pet cats passing by, drink coffee and eat ice cream.
Carina Skrobecki
Stop at a cafe with cute tables and chairs outside. Relax and, of course, pose. Order coffee in photogenic coffee cups or a delicious-looking dessert - these will serve as good props.
Greg Finck
Nastia Vesna
Transport can also be considered a prop, so if you have the opportunity to use it, don’t miss it. When boarding an old tram, take a photo on the step or inside. Ride around the city on a moped or bicycle. Even a scooter with a hoverboard will bring your photos to life.
An abandoned area of the city will be an unusual place for photographs - such buildings and unused railway lines often look picturesque. But keep in mind that these places are not always safe. In addition, it is often dirty there, take care of your clothes.
Couple of Prague
The most romantic idea for a summer wedding photo shoot in your city is a rooftop at sunset. The two of you, the setting sun and a breathtaking view of the city. Check which rooftops you can go to and take escorts who know them.
Ideas for an outdoor photo shoot
The obvious choice is what nature itself offers. The forest produces magical photographs if the light falls correctly. Take a walk in the forest, pick mushrooms and berries, sit on fallen trees.
JBM Weddings
The shore of a river or lake is usually spectacular on its own; you don't need any additional props. If you wish, you can find a boat and even decorate it. Don't forget about taking pictures with your reflections in the water.
An idea for a summer wedding photo shoot is a field with flowers or wheat. Here you can place and decorate a small table or do without it.
Megan Robinson
When organizing a wedding outdoors, choose a site where you can conduct part of the photo shoot. It’s good if there is a well-groomed clearing, gazebo, landscape design or a small artificial lake. The garden on the site or next to it should also attract attention and encourage you to go into it for a couple of bright photographs in which you are collecting apples in a wicker basket or admiring scarlet roses.
Many couples use a rural theme, arranging a photo shoot on village streets or on a farm. Be careful not to overdo it with realism. Photos by a haystack will look impressive, but a bride pretending to be a milkmaid or climbing onto a cart in her boots is overkill.
Autumn Nicole Photography
Another idea for a summer wedding photo shoot is to involve your pets. If you have a favorite dog or cat, take them with you. Or perhaps there is a horse stable near you?
Dreamers & Lovers/Christine Ta
Ideas for a photo shoot at sea
Are you going to a wedding in warm countries and planning to take a walk there with a photographer? Make sure that in the end you get not only standard photos on the beach at the edge of the surf, but something more interesting. A few ideas for a wedding photo shoot in the summer, breaking out of the usual sea-sand pattern:
- on or under a boardwalk pier
- near fallen trees
- next to a pile of boulders
- on a motor boat or yacht
- on decent looking sunbeds and umbrellas
- underwater photo shoot
Chelsea Erwin Photography
San Diego
Think about your clothes too - a bride in a fluffy wedding dress and a groom in a black suit look ridiculous in a tropical climate under palm trees, it’s painful to look at them. For yourself, choose a light, light outfit that would be appropriate at sea, and for the groom, choose cotton or linen trousers with a shirt. Take a set of beautiful swimsuits/swimming trunks to take photos in.
Menu and wedding cake for a summer banquet
It is recommended to include light dishes and snacks, vegetable salads, and fruit slices in the summer wedding menu. It is better to replace fatty meat with chicken or other poultry. You can serve seafood, sushi, rolls on the table. Refreshments are required - juices, lemonade, iced cocktails and light alcohol.
What products are not recommended for a summer wedding:
- fatty meat, lard;
- salads with mayonnaise;
- various pickles.
The main holiday dessert - a wedding cake - can be decorated with berries and fruits. Better yet, skip the traditional dessert with shortbread and buttercream in favor of cheesecake or ice cream cake.
Props for a photo shoot in summer
With the right location and well-thought-out images, there is no need for props. But if you want, think about food - cups of coffee, photogenic cakes, ice cream, lemonade in steamy glasses. Accessories that help you keep your hands occupied and relax if you get nervous are also suitable - soap bubbles, flowers, balls, colorful crayons, colored smoke or even Holi colors. Cool sunglasses will decorate more than one shot, and a large hat will be the hit of the shoot. And don't forget matching umbrellas in case of rain!
Olivia the wolf
Header photo by Megan Robinson.
Fun accessories for photography
For a beautiful wedding album, you can simply choose the background you like, stand in beautiful natural poses and smile. Such photos will look simple, but no less romantic. And to create a more fun atmosphere, use interesting accessories. They will create a cheerful mood and a positive attitude.
The most interesting things you can choose from are:
- Sunglasses. Fun, identical glasses that can be matched to all the bridesmaids and the newlyweds themselves will add fun to the look. This accessory looks very beautiful against the backdrop of the sea.
- Umbrellas . A beautiful patterned umbrella will create a gentle and romantic image for the newlyweds. You can take several umbrellas of different colors and sizes. Besides, if it rains, an umbrella will be your salvation from the rain.
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- Air balloons. This attribute always creates a festive mood. Only their color should be chosen according to the style of your wedding.
- Other accessories. There are many options for choosing an additional holiday attribute for a beautiful photo shoot. These can be pinwheels on a stick, funny mustaches, hats and much more. Ideas on this topic can be very different, but they must necessarily suit the theme of the wedding.
