Ray Anthony Photography

4 TIPS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING YOUR WINTER WEDDING PHOTOS

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The festive season, romantic vibes, and picture-perfect environment are only a few of the reasons why couples love winter weddings. If you fall into this category, don’t let the opportunity winter offers pass you by! Take advantage of all that winter gives you for the perfect wedding ceremony.

To preserve the memories of your beautiful winter wedding, you will need fantastic wedding photos you can happily look back at in years to come, and Ray Anthony Photography would be delighted to be your photographers. Here are some tips to consider when planning your winter wedding photos.

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   Consider The Time Of Day For Your Ceremony And Whether The Lighting Provided Will Enhance Or Detract From The Mood That Will Permeate

When having your wedding during the winter, consider the differences between having a late morning or early afternoon ceremony compared to a late afternoon or early evening ceremony. Having your ceremony early in the day will allow you to take advantage of the daylight so that the images your photographer captures are naturally-lit. This only would be true if the location has lots of windows to provide bright light from the outdoor sunlight. Larger, older church interiors are sometimes very dark inside due to a lack of windows or dominated by dark stained-windows that minimize the brightness from the outdoor light. In this latter situation, it would require the same lighting augmentation you would need to consider for an evening ceremony.

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Because natural lighting is greatly diminished as it gets darker earlier than normal and the sunsetting shortly after 5pm for the early winter months in Michigan, your photographer will be challenged to find ways to enhance how to properly light the ceremony. He may need to use on-camera flash, off-camera strobes or take advantage of the LED lighting provided by the video team. Using this additional lighting will definitely affect the ‘look” and “feel” of your wedding ceremony photographs.

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So give this some thought. Natural lighting always provides optimal lighting conditions for your photographer. If the ceremony is decorated lavishly with expensive floral arrangements, and it’s important to you that your photos are bright and airy, and your guests are clearly recognized in the background, an early, brightly lit ceremony is what you should consider. On the other hand, if you love moody, romantic, contrasty photos, consult with your photographer in advance. A little bit of planning is all a great photographer will need so that he or she can anticipate finding wonderful lighting during your ceremony if it is in a dark location or takes place after sunset. Having candles or stringed lights line the processional aisle way or surround the alter can provide unbelievable opportunities for your wedding photographer. If your wedding happens to fall near the Christmas season, festive lights and Christmas trees provided by the church or venue where the ceremony takes place will also give your photographer incredible opportunities.

   Take Advantage Of The Festive Vibes During the Winter

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Winter weddings are undoubtedly great for pictures, which is one reason why couples opt for them. Christmas trees and lights, warm colors, hot chocolate, mulled wine, candles, etc., are all excellent backdrops. Getting ready photos might take place in couple’s home or the home of their parents who might decorate lavishly with stringed lights and decorations, beautifully and colorfully wrapped gifts, decorated entry ways, fireplaces and living rooms that are vibrant and festive. Neighborhood homes and trees light up with colorful lights for photos as the couple leaves the neighborhood or hotel on the way to the ceremony .

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The various quaint downtowns around Metro Detroit, like Birmingham, Royal Oak, Plymouth, Northville, Rochestor, Ann Arbor and Grosse Pointe will be decorated vibrantly. Your creative wedding photographer can skillfully take advantage of the endless opportunities surrounding you that produce beautiful wedding photos. December weddings are always so bright since everyone is already in a festive mood, and your wedding gives them even more reason to celebrate.

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   Dress Appropriately And Be Prepared For The Worst Weather Conditions

Putting on the appropriate dresses and accessories during your winter wedding will let you stay warm and keep you relaxed. That also means you’re in comfort, which is the perfect recipe for great wedding pictures. You don’t worry about shivering through your entire wedding ceremony.

Make sure you come along with a warm jacket that matches your wedding dress, velvet or tweed suits, additional flats if it gets muddy outside, etc. In the end, all these will help your wedding photographer capture the perfect winter wedding pictures. Think about adding matching or custom umbrellas for your wedding party and family members in case its not quite cold enough for snow and you need to get from your transportation to the church or venue in the midst of sleet or snow! If your wedding photographer is a story teller, like Ray Anthony Photography, he will see the unique opportunity and the beauty in the continuity of the moment to capture a once in a lifetime photograph.

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   Incorporate Candles Into Your Décor

Incorporating candles into your décor makes your wedding venue beautiful, warm, romantic, and cozy; these also make for the perfect backdrop for winter wedding photographs. Get your wedding decorator to add enough candles to your wedding décor, and you will be sure to love the result.

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If there is lots of candles burning, lining the aisle or surrounding the ceremony alter, a skilled photographer could really thrive and capture stunning, romantic and softly lit imagery. Candles also do a magical job of providing a romantic and festive glow to the ambience of any room.

Is your Detroit wedding merely a few weeks, a month or even a year away? And do you need a professional Detroit wedding photographer to capture your beautiful winter wedding? Ray Anthony Photography is ready, and so are our cameras!

Click here for a free consultation with us or give us a call at 866-UNPOSED (867-6733). We’re no strangers to winter weddings, and we’ve captured amazing photographs at a multitude of winter weddings in prestigious venues around Detroit. Be rest assured that your winter wedding photographs will be some of the most unique and lovely pictures you’ll ever see!