Being a wedding photographer on the bride and grooms big day is a huge responsibility.  Heres some tips on making it go well.

1) Make sure you have a pre-defined list of pictures you are going to take. Check out the location ibeforehand and know where you want to position people for the best shots. Involve the bride and groom and ask their opinions on where they might like their photos taken and in what syle.

2) Speak to the best man. Weddings can deviate from the pre-agreed arrangements and its important therefore to have a point of contact with the best man or wedding co-ordinator to help arrange groups and keep things in order. The last thing you should do is ask the bride and groom to help round people up for group shots.

3) Be prepared, very prepared. So much can go wrong so make sure you have a spare camera, batteries, SD cards etc. Request a detailed itinerary from the best man and if possible attend any rehearsals.

4) Remember the little things. Pictures of the rings, the order of service, flowers etc can often be as appreciated as the usual portrait shots.

5) Pre plan the group shots. It can be difficult to take a group shot of large numbers of people. Know in advance where and how this will be done and if you need ladders for example.

6) Be original. It can be all too easy to take the expected portrait and group shots and the end results can be dull. Take informal shots, mix with the wedding guests and be alert for interesting opportunities that present themselves.

7) Dont automatically delete mistakes. With digital cameras the temptation exists to delete everything that wasnt a perfect shot. Very often you may be deleting some of the most interesting pictures.

Consider using an additional photographer. This can take the pressure off and sometimes 2 different perspectives will make for a more varied and interesting set of results.

9) Practise shooting in different lighting conditions. You may be shooting in a dark church where flash photography isn’t allowed or at a reception room that has no natural light. Make sure you know how to bounce a flash or diffuse it to get great results.

10) Be confident. At some point in the day you will be running the show and being able to communicate calmly and effectively is important. Being shy isnt an option.

Written by Marten Holmes, a professional wedding photographer in Cornwall.