Wedding Photography you might not have known about (but you should)

Your wedding, although its one of the biggest events in your life, literally life changing, passes by in just a matter of hours. There are so many ways to capture more of everything that your wedding means to you through photography. So I called up one of our Wise Bride experts, Audrey Snow to explain all the different wedding photography options that there are. Audrey and her photography partner & fiance Michael are based out of Sarasota.
Looking back, I very much wish I'd had the opportunity to do a few of these, especially the Bridal Portrait. And even more so, I wish I had some of these of my parents. So often we forget to think of the future.
Here are all the various types of wedding photography we could list. The descriptions are all Audreys words- thank you so much Audrey! Check out more of Audreys words and images on her blog

Engagement: The engagement session is a more casual reflection of the bride and groom. While sometimes dressy, it's usually not as formal as the wedding day look. More often the engaged couple will be in jeans or other more casual looks. Another great chance to play around with different locations and styles. With these images, many couples will make fantastic guest books for the wedding, or submit one to the local paper for the engagement announcement. We love engagement sessions so much we include them in all our packages. It gives us a chance to get to know our couples before the big day and all work together.
Pre-wedding Celebration coverage: How much thought and planning goes into the events leading up to the wedding? Engagement parties, showers, rehearsal dinners? Why not round out your wedding image collection by including your pre-wedding events in your coverage? Tell the whole story! This image is from an engagement party/ceremony that took place months before the wedding. Images from this day will likely be included in their wedding album along with images from other events surrounding their wedding.

Boudoir: A sexy photo shoot of the bride done just for her groom (she's likely to be in gorgeous lingerie), the boudoir session is typically done anytime in the months leading up to the wedding, sometimes even on the day of. Smaller coffee table books and fine art prints are wonderful finished products for presentation. Could there be a better gift? Nope, but the truth is it ends up being just as much a gift for a woman to herself. Playing supermodel and having amazing images of yourself to show for it is so much fun.
Bridal Portrait: A bridal session is all about just the bride alone in her dress. Somewhat like the boudoir shoot, the bridal session takes place in the months before the wedding or at the very least, earlier the day of. If the session is planned for an earlier day it can be a fun opportunity to get images in a different location than the wedding/reception location. Some of a woman's most beautiful moments are in her wedding dress, she deserves a little extra press in it! As a photographer I could photograph just the bride all day long. Many of my favorite images are brides alone where they can really shine and take the attention solo for a bit.
Day before/Day after: Concerned about not having enough time to get all your favorite wedding images on your wedding day? A shoot in your wedding clothes the day before or after the wedding can be the perfect solution. This couple did most of their wedding photos the day before to be able to spend more time with their guests they day of rather than spending the time on photos. They were relaxed and had a great time shooting all over town. Important note: If you choose to do the pictures the day after, I still recommend shooting on the actual wedding day everything you would if you didn't have the extra shoot planned. Just to be on the safe side. Think of the day after shoot as bonus images rather than replacement images. And consider changing up your look just a little. Had a tough time deciding on the veil, or his tie, etc? Try this shoot with the runner up goods and enjoy some variety in your images.

Wedding Day:Wedding day coverage usually begins with getting ready moments, and continues to include ceremony coverage, formal photo sessions of family, bridal party, and of course just the bride and groom (all of which may actually happen before the wedding ceremony rather than after), as well as reception coverage. It is likely anywhere from 6 to 12 hours of coverage on the day of the wedding and is combination of true photojournalistic moments and more loosely posed, stylized shots as well as lots of images of the details that make your day unique to you. These are the images to remind you exactly how your wedding day looked and felt for years to come.Trash the dress: A session done sometime after the wedding where you don't worry about getting a little wet or dirty or messing up the dress. Locations might include in the water at the beach or in a swamp. Activities might include anything you wouldn't expect to see someone dressed up participating in. Painting, auto repair... you get the idea. It's about creating fun, daring, unexpected, dramatic images. You don't even have to use your actual wedding dress. Check out a local bridal shop's clearance rack. This gem came from the off the rack sale from a local bridal boutique. We spiced it up a bit with a corset and accessories and had a ball!

Quite a list isn't it? You can catch Audrey and Mike on twitter for more wedding photography tips and tidbits
Quick Tip: Many of these images taken prior to the wedding can be used in your wedding videos and slideshows. Check with your videographer on how you can incorporate them.