Hiring That Second Photographer

The decisions that come down to the wire are often the ones that are overlooked-- that extra detail in the flower arrangement, the last-minute recollection that your uncle Toby once said he was allergic, not devoted, to mushrooms, and that a more thorough Google search this time reveals that the DJ you hired was actually banned from his last middle school dance gig and has an active restraining order to stay 500 meters from the premises at all times. It’s a stressful time, to be sure, but you’ll have made it by the end of the road, and what awaits you is a beautiful, thoughtfully prepared ceremony, in honour of and for your friends and loved ones, who in return have all gathered to celebrate you and the your future and the life ahead, with the person you’ve found.

It’s coming, and it’s going to make your mother cry, and you’re going to want to have it captured. And the choice of photographer execution is the step that, bar none, is one of those critical ones to make. It’s how you’re going to always remember this Big Day.

But how to capture it all?

The Ward wedding was a perfect example of being able to do just that, and we were fortunate enough to be called upon to deliver. Every carefully thought of detail, every smiling face that came out and enjoyed themselves amidst the fairytale-like scenery while waiting for the beautiful ceremony and riotous reception afterwards. Can we just say, the Wards-- Natika and Steward, that is-- know how to throw one hell of a party. And thanks to our second photographer working the premises, we were able to capture every moment worth looking back on and remembering.

The day of the wedding ceremony took place on Saturday, September 22nd, 2018. It was a brisk, gorgeous, classic Australian sunny day, and ideal for an outdoor ceremony being held at the Meadow Springs Golf & Country Club. Unexpectedly so, as the morning had started out overcast-- but the clouds had burnt themselves out and couldn’t withstand the heat of the sun peering down to attend the wedding event of the year.

Our main photographer stayed with the couple, able to get up and move at ease to take the best shots and find the right angles, appropriately subdued and in the background but equally as much part of the day’s events and nervous, jubilant energy in the air. The bride and groom preparation is a traditional passage on the day of a wedding, and to not be able to capture the splay of emotions occurring at every button done (and cufflink cinched, and hair, done!) would be a real miss for our photographers if they had to sacrifice the energy and time-- and the time to do it right, of course- to shoot the guest arrivals, the gradual swell in the outside air that was buzzing in anticipation, and of course the cute flower girls and ring bearers, in lieu of these important, intimate moments. The second photographer was truly the right call for the Ward wedding, in terms of scope and needs-- the venue was large, to be sure, but all of the action and energy could hardly be contained, or obtained even, by a single shooter for the event. The second photographer is always a good option to seriously consider, particularly if you have a large guest list and a formidable assortment of characters in your family that absolutely need to be captured, lest you miss out on knowing what exactly was going on all out there while you had to hoist yourself into those heels and figure out how to redo this ridiculous tie knot your Dad did on your neck.

For an outdoor wedding especially, daylight hours are precious, and the best lighting conditions, even moreso. Twenty minutes passing between the bride and groom prep alone was enough to make the sun come out, for one: just in time to honour everyone with the grace of the bride, her spectacular dress and makeup, and all of those tiny, lovingly rendered embellishments in between. One wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on all of the details and minutiae of the preparations and preparers, and not be able to capture the wedding party and everyone being able to celebrate with the guests!

The wedding itself was gorgeous, with Natika and Steward wed underneath a beautiful, simple canopy arch that was both bohemian and classically understated. A final flourish, a well-loved detail, and a dance party that followed that we simply wouldn’t have been able to keep up with with only one guy on the scene. Best wishes to the Wards and regards to a wonderful wedding that will always be remembered-- from all angles.