Instead of leaving your couple to figure out all of the details that have a giant impact on how the photos will look, making things more stressful than they need to be for the couple and for you. Hands up if you’ve ever been in a stressful situation trying to herd guests into group shots without a helper from the bridal party. Or had to try and take beautiful shots during the glaring midday sun… yep, we thought so. Us too.

That’s why so many photographers are now opting to support their couples with a wedding magazine.

This guide is usually filled with tons of advice on all the details that help to make a wedding day as stress-free as possible. Of course – the day will still have a lot of moving parts, and no one can predict everything that might go wrong. But having a few pointers, hints and tips about what to expect can seriously smooth the road for nervous couples.

As a professional wedding photographer, your insight on what to expect during a wedding is invaluable. You’ve probably seen it all before and can use this experience to help your couples through this special time.

Gifting a wedding magazine to your wedding photography clients is a lovely touch. But with so many aspects to cover, what exactly should your wedding photography guide include?

The most important thing for your guide to cover is a comprehensive exploration of the wedding planning process. That’s why every wedding photography magazine should provide a step-by-step look at the planning process, highlighting what to keep in mind, what to plan for, and what to avoid.

You’ll want to include things like what to invest in, how to get inspiration, all the things you need to do to make it legal, and how best to find the perfect wedding vendors. Providing a full checklist of everything a couple needs to do before the wedding day can be a really useful part of a wedding planning guide, giving them a handy tool to keep looking back on.

More creatively speaking, you’ll want to give your advice and insight on what will look great in photos, and maybe even what your guests won’t remember… Your ideas about working with vendors, themes, flowers, locations and timings (specifically when it comes to light) can really help to set your couple up for success!

Perhaps just as vital as the planning checklist, is a timeline. As the wedding photographer you are going to be around for all the important events of the day, so your couple will find your insights incredibly valuable.

Set out a suggested timeline for the bride and groom. Give them a rundown of what they can expect, how much time portraits will take, or family photos if they’re having them, and what they need to do to prepare for each moment. Explaining why they ought to think about choosing a cute Airbnb for getting ready photos might not have crossed their minds, but you can bet it’ll make for beautiful getting ready shots, which leads us to…

You should also include tips on what you’ll need to get perfect shots of the ceremony. This includes things like lighting considerations and how long different types of shoots will take during the day. Remember: your couple will not have any insight on these factors, so the more you can do to support them, the better! Even having a sample timeline in your wedding photography magazine could be super beneficial for your couple when they’re planning. That way you don’t end up with only a few precious minutes with your couple!

One suggestion you might like to incorporate into your wedding guide is for the couple to think about having an unplugged wedding. These are more and more popular, as taking time away from smartphones is a lovely show of respect and love for the couple. It also helps you to take beautiful photos without tons of phone screens in the way.

Even if couples don’t want to ban smartphones altogether, keeping them out of the ceremony itself allows you to capture some elegant, classic photos of the most important moments of the wedding. It also means that these moments will be reserved for the couple alone to share, making them even more special.

A good wedding guide gives you the opportunity to tell the couple how you like to work, and what you need to create the best images.

Let your couple know things like when they should plan breaks for you, when you’d like to eat, and when you prefer taking certain types of shots. For example: if you want to do couple shots during golden hour, be sure to let them know so that they can plan it into their schedule.

There are so many unknowns about the actual process of wedding photography. Many couples expect to receive their final images a few days after the event, not fully understanding all the work that’s involved for you.

This is why it’s key that your wedding guide clearly explains what your process is, and how long they should expect everything to take. Give some firm deadlines on when you can deliver a wedding gallery, how long ordering prints will take, and anything else that you offer as part of your wedding package. Plus, this gives you a chance to under promise and overdeliver, making them even happier clients!

It’s also useful to remind them what is included in the package you offer, and if there are add-ons they might like to buy like day after wedding portraits or anniversary shoots.

Letting your couple know what to expect post-wedding, and particularly how long things will take, can really help to reassure couples. It’ll also avoid any unnecessary conflicts down the line.

A wedding guide is an invaluable tool for helping a couple get through the planning process and the big day itself. It’s also a lovely touch that will set you apart from other wedding photographers and remind your couple that you’re thinking of them during the whole process.

However, we hear ya: wedding guides are nice and all… but they can be time-consuming to put together. When you already have so many other demands, when are you supposed to find the time to create one?

If this sounds like you… guess what?! DBMH has designed a wedding guide template just for you. It’s written and designed by photographers, for photographers, and can be customized and tweaked to your heart’s content. We’ve spent months writing and designing a template that’s filled with all the essential info your wedding guide should definitely cover. If you’d like to find out more, you can take a look here.

If you’re creating your own and need a little help crafting the brand for your wedding guide, check out these 6 simple branding tips. Enjoy!