ragatazz Loc: Michigan

Its obvious she's not ready, that's why she made it very clear in her statements. She was asking for constructive help, not criticism. But I'm sure she appreciates your saying she's not ready!!

Mary Kate Loc: NYC

Look in yellow pages under Photographer. Enjoy the day.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

I think that with the expertise you have shown here on the UHH, you'll do just fine. I've never been "the" wedding photographer either, but like you have taken lots of wedding photos for our kisd and those of friends and relatives.

Take some shots just before the wedding ceremony itself, both of the happy couple, Bride's Maids and groomsmen, and the land venue as shortly after the festivities start it will get very 'messed up'. A suggested a quick review of a couple of recent albums, outside venues if you can find a some (maybe some friends who have had outdoor weddings) will give you an idea of what to shoot during the wedding itself; the rest are mostly of the moment happenings--cutting the cake, toasts, throwing the bouquet, etc.

Because of the difficulty of getting digital copies of all the cell phone shots, I'd suggest putting some "disposable" digital cameras on the tables for the guests to use and collect them after the reception. I'm surprised at your description of the venue as "off the coast". Is the ceremony itself going to be on a boat? If so that introduces a whole new list of concerns, starting with shutter speed (1/500 maybe with auto ISO) as everything--you, the couple, guests and the boat-- are always moving.

Good luck.

ronz Loc: Florida

I wish you the best and will offer a couple suggestions from my 30 + years experience. Go on line and choose a good shot list, that way you will have it with you. Your lenses will be fine since it is outdoors but I hope you have at least one good speedlight and a backup camera. If you are able to capture most of the shots on the list and have shot in Raw, you should have a nice wedding set. Do be sure to go to and inspect the site before the wedding and do a mock walk through like you were teaching another photographer. It will boost your confidence and make many of the shots seem simple. I was fortunate enough to shoot as 2nd photographer one time before I did my first wedding alone. Good luck and let us know how you did.

caljr Loc: Indiana

Your 70-200 is what I would use. If you had another person shooting that would help and I would set up a video camera on the tripod and let it run. Stake out the place and hour or so before hand and take some light readings

JimG1 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

I took a class put on by the owner of www.fireheartphotography.com She specializes in weddings and uses a 70-200 f2.8 for most of her shots. Take a look at her site and you can see all she does with that lens and it might give you a few ideas for shots you want to get.

RRS Loc: Not sure

Since your family you most likely will know all the guest, however check with the couple and see if there are any special shots that they specifically want. You are right, the worst time of day for an outdoors wedding, you will need to use flash fill. One shot that could be different is to get a shot of all that attend, a group shot , with the B&G in front. You may need a step ladder, this is routinely done at weddings in England. As to the water sport shots, watch out for salt water spray on any of your equipment. One last thought, depending an how hot and humid it could be you may want to keep plenty of towels to remove any perspiration from the faces or you might be doing it in PP. Well two last thoughts, one, you really enjoyed this an soon you will be looking fore more weddings or thought #2, I'll never do that again for anyone! This from someone that shot weddings for over 25 years.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Shoot both raw and jpeg. Otherwise you will spend the next 5 years processing what you shot!

this raw business for the most part is a bunch of hooey!

As for equipment what you have is fine. Shot a wedding with just a 50mm and after the prints were made got numerous requests to shoot others but passed.

Look at some old wedding albums and you will know the standard poses to shoot. Otherwise be creative!

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

Do a web search on shot lists for wedding photography; combine the different lists and then consult with the bride and groom to be about any shots they want included. I did this when my sister-in-law got married and she (and her husband) were very happy with the results.

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

Ignore the naysayers and just go do it. You are going to make mistakes and have some nerves, but no one is going to die if you miss a shot. It's a second marriage and anything you shoot will be better than cell phones. Besides, anybody married more than 5 years hasn't looked at their wedding book in 4 and probably can't recall where the book is stored. Better a family member who will forgive you than a paying customer who will always blame you for the littlest mistake, if not want to sue you.

My dad moonlighted as a wedding photog when I was a teen. Was quite popular and had a wedding almost every weekend in season.
What I learned assisting him... Have a backup camera, and flash. Extra batteries. and most critical, leave nothing to memory. Write it all down. Shot list, shot list, shot list. and gear check list. Extra SD cards and check that you have one loaded. We had to re-stage several shots at his first wedding ever (which was a family member) because first rack of film didn't thread properly. He survived and went on to be the family go to as well as shoot several referrals professionally. He only worked by word of mouth.

It wouldn't hurt to round up a couple of friends and practice in your backyard with flash outdoors. Also, you might be surprised at the distracting backgrounds you see. Will make you more ready when posing for the real deal. Worst part for you will be that you are working and not getting to enjoy the event of a favorite niece. You will be thinking ahead and positioning for next shot the whole day and almost as tired as the bride at days end.

Good luck and try to enjoy the experience!

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I'd go with a "snoot" on the flash to spread the light on fill flash. It limits the range so a large group might require direct flash. For TTL flash work, start with Manual mode, ISO 400, f4, and 1/200. Set your camera to allow high speed sync so,you can go to high shutter speeds to darken the ambient light. This is a great technique indoors or out. The TTL flash will control exposure on the subject as you change the other settings. A higher ISO can help extend the range of the flash and of course a higher f stop for increased DoF. I like to zoom in for candids in groups like this. Don't have to worry much about camera shake.

edazz Loc: Florida via New York

With over 800 weddings under my belt, The strongest advice I can give you is to make sure you have a back up camera and back up flash. I can't tell you how many times I've had to resort to my back ups. The other important thing is to make a list of the "must have shots", that is, B&G formals, BP group shots, family shots, tables, cake cutting posed/unposed, bouquet throw, exchanging rings etc.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Buy one of those folding scrim/reflectors...at least 42 inch...and have someone hold it for you so you can be sure to get shots of their faces out of direct sun. You can get them for about $20. They work great.

If you are lucky it will be overcast and you won't need it. But then you could try some using the gold reflector.

tdonaldp

Try Creative Live - look up their programs - or try Kelby one - or Lynda.com - they have wedding shooting programs that teach techniques --But have confidence in your self and over rather than under shoot as you will need to sort through many before you see the ones you feel are "good enough". Think of it as your wedding - what pictures would you have wanted. I shot a friend's wedding and got a shot of the groom arguing - graphically with the mother in law --not then - but now they love it - You will need a wide angle, a fast 35 or 50 and a 70-200 range - do scout the area-- go to a wedding beforehand-- offer to be a second shooter ?

Best of luck

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

As the moderator of the Wedding Section, I agree, it's a good place to look for tips, especially from our own wedding guru, Ed.

Here are a few that come off the top of my head. (In no particular order)
1. Ask bride if she has a pinterest board of her favorite wedding photos, then link to that so you see the style she wants.
2. Rent, borrow, steal an identical camera body to what you have. Things can, and do happen.
3. Use several memory cards, and change often. If you lose some photos, it's better than losing them all, because of a bad card, or some other failure.
4. Meet ahead of time, and get a written list of all "important guests" that they will want in formal photos... and make sure you have a contact person that knows almost everyone, to help you go through that list.
5. This is a different list, but at your first few weddings (even now, I use one, because so much is going on) keep a list of important shots that are "must haves" for weddings. You can find them all over the web. ie. getting ready, mother seeing bride for first time, Father seeing bride in gown for first time, clear through cake cutting, and bouquet toss. You may end up being the wedding planner, and have to "move things along" and talk to the DJ about what to do next. Depending on if they hire a professional, or a friend, they may not know what to do next, or what to announce.
6. Have at least one more person assisting. They can take photos, but also help keep track of lists, spot things like an untucked shirt, or crooked train that you may miss while trying to do formals.
7. Prepare an "emergency bag" I like to have things like safety pins, extra buttons, needles and thread, and even chalk to cover up marks/stains on a wedding dress. Granola bars, and a bottle of water or gatoraid may be good too. I had a bride almost pass out because she hadn't eaten in over 24 hours before the ceremony, too nervous. By the time we got to the formals, she was just about to go down. We took her to a pew, got her some "quick energy" food and drink, and after a few minutes of taking groomsmen photos, and other things, she was back at it for her shots. I've had torn dresses that I had to "whip stitch" bustles get broken, etc. Safety pins, needle and thread and buttons have saved several "disasters" It also is a good way to get new business. Bail someone out with some cheap safety pins, and they will tell everyone how WONDERFUL you are. I need to get more before this weekend, but something else that has been handy in the "emergency bag" is dental wax for braces. Ring shots go so much better when you can get them to "stick in place" It comes off quickly and cleanly, and if you don't use much, you can completely hide the secret on how you can get the rings to sit like that.
8. Your attitude will reflect in the other people's faces. If you are having fun and being upbeat, they will look the same. If you look confused and bored, so will the people in your shots. Wedding photography is as much about psychology as anything. Your job is to connect, and make everyone think you are someone they want to pose for, not hide their faces.
9. For the love of Pete (whoever that is) during the reception, don't take photos of people while eating.
10. Speaking of reception photos. Don't just walk around and grab random snapshots of people at their tables. Walk up to them, ask them if they know everyone at the table. If not, have them introduce themselves, then get them all together as a posed group. some sitting in their seats, while the others stand behind them, bending in close to their "new best friends" click, everyone is smiling and looks like they are thrilled to be there.
11. Keep an eye out for people interacting with kids and get those shots, those are money. Also, if someone is laughing, even if the light isn't perfect, or the angle isn't what you want, get it. a few laughing shots will set the tone for the wedding album to show that their wedding was the most fun of any wedding ever.
12. Told you I was jumping around. If you have a second shooter during the ceremony, their main job should be to catch shots of anyone (expecially parents) crying, or wiping a tear from their eye. Emotion is the name of the game. Last wedding, nobody cried, but the groom, and he completely fell apart. I'm not sure if it was because he was so happy, or what... but it made for an awesome album addition.