Winter weddings…how do I really feel about them? As a guest, I love them because it gives people something to look forward to in the cold winter months but as a photographer, winter weddings are a bit of a sore spot for me. Here’s why:

1. Lighting

The main reason that I dislike shooting winter weddings is because it gets dark outside earlier in the evenings. Depending on the month, it could be dark by 4:30pm. When you think of a typical wedding day, most of the photos are done after the ceremony which is usually at 3:00pm. This leave an incredibly short window to capture family photos and bridal party photos. That’s assuming that the bride and groom did a first look.

So if you are a bride or photographer of an upcoming winter wedding, I would highly recommend doing a first look prior to the wedding ceremony and if possible, make time for bridal party photos right before the ceremony as well. Then you only need about 30-40 minutes after the ceremony for family photos which allows the ceremony to be the latest time possible.

2. Weather

Another reason why I don’t love shooting winter weddings is due to the unpredictability of the weather. Yes, summer weddings have these same issues but it is usually just some rain whereas winter weddings can come with winter storms, freezing rain, or heavy snowfall. This can make for a stressful day for the bride and have a lot of people on edge.

3. Snap Snap

When taking photos at a winter wedding, chances are it’s cold outside. Most brides still want their photos taken outdoors because it’s beautiful having snow on the ground however, you need to work FAST! Even if the bridesmaids and bride have a long sleeve dress, it’s still very cold out so you need to work fast and efficiently because everyone will start to get red, splotchy, and shiver.

These are the three main reasons why I don’t enjoy photographing winter weddings so when you go to book your next winter wedding or as a bride, decide to have one, please take these three things into consideration. If you do, the day will go by smoothly!

If you’d like to see this full winter wedding post, click here!

Keep snappin’,
Nicole xoxo

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