One of the questions that we hear a lot is about bride and groom portraits! You’ve planned every little detail about your day! Your cake, the shoes you’ll wear, even the sparklers that you’ll exit to at the end of the night! But have you thought about the photos that you will take with your soon to be husband or wife? I believe that the couple’s portraits are some of the most important photos of the day! If you’re anything like Brian and I, you can’t wait to change your profile picture on Facebook to one of you and your new husband or wife as well as hang some of your favorite portraits of you two in your home!

There are a few things that you can do to help prepare for your bride and groom portraits! Here are my top 2 tips for creating beautiful bride and groom portraits and memories as newlyweds on your big day!

Make Time

One of the most important things that you can do when it comes to the bride and groom portraits is to make time in your day! I always suggest that our couples allow 1 1/2 hours for cocktail hour! Yes, it sounds a little long, but I promise you’ll be so happy that you did! Plus your guest will be so busy chatting, eating and drinking at your cocktail hour during that time! I promise you that they will be okay! I like to think about the formal portrait time of your day in different parts! 30 minutes or so for family portraits. 20-25 minutes for your wedding party portraits and at least 30 minutes for the two of you! Sometimes things go a little quicker and we don’t end up needing all of this time, but it’s best to have it accounted for so that you don’t feel rushed during portraits!

Be Open to Suggestions

One of the great things about hiring a professional wedding photographer is that they know what they’re doing! Trust that your photographer will help you to look amazing and choose some of the best locations based on their shooting style! I know for myself, I try to take as many of the formal photographs outdoors! I love when our couples plan their ceremony at a time that allows us to be outdoors for portraits just before sunset! Not only is this a great time of day for outdoor lighting but it also allows us to have lots of beautiful locations at our disposal! I think it’s great when our couples tell us which locations caught their eye, but I definitely suggest that you be open to suggestions from your photographer as well!!