Your wedding reception is filled with all of the design details that you dreamt up and worked on for months. Beautiful reception photos are so important for your album and memories. Here are some tips to ensure your photographer can capture them well.

Three Tips on How to Get the Best Reception Detail Photos on Your Wedding Day

1. Do a first look. A first look will allow your photographer to have enough time to capture your reception photos without feeling rushed. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy cocktail hour with your guests!
2. Keep guests away from the reception space if possible. Generally a planner can help out with this – but we want to avoid guests putting their coats and purses all over the chairs. Your planner has probably spent a lot of time ensuring the chairs line up perfectly, and we want to keep it that way for your photos and the guests!
3. Communicate with your photographer if you’re having an escort display or if you’re having a seating chart. Escort displays are filled with individual pieces of paper (or other items) that indicate where each guest should take their seat. Guests often take their name out of the display and make their way to the reception. Seating charts are static pieces of decor that can’t be altered. If you are having an escort display, it is essential that you communicate that to your photographer ahead of time so they can photograph it as soon as possible – before the guests start removing their name cards.

And if you’re the photographer… here are a few tips for you!

1. Get wide shots, “medium” shots, and tight shots. Try to get a variety of vertical and horizontal images for the vendors.
2. If the chairs aren’t straight, spend the time to line them up properly. You will thank yourself later.
3. Remove salt and pepper from the tables (unless the salt and pepper shakers are adorable and a part of the design).
4. Don’t be afraid to pull florals closer to plates for tighter overhead shots.
5. Move the cake to a less distracting location if you need to. Some photographers even bring styling boards to place behind the cake so the background is clean.

See more from this “get the best photos” series here:

• Wedding Detail Photos
• Getting Ready Photos
• Ceremony Photos
• First Look Photos
• Couple Portraits
• Wedding Party Photos
• Family Photos
• Cake Cutting Photos
• Send Off Photos

We are a husband and wife Bay area wedding photography team. We strive to capture joyful moments. We use film and digital cameras to capture your wedding with a timeless, fine art approach.