Although some couples choose to hire a professional wedding photographer for their sand ceremony, others opt to save money by using a friend or family member. Keep in mind that outdoor photography has drastically different requirements than taking pictures in an indoor facility. To ensure that your photos effectively capture your magical day, keep the following considerations in mind:

• Have a written plan. Don’t assume that your designated photographer will know where and when to point and click. Make a list of all of the people, poses, and events you want to immortalize on film. This will help make sure that important guests, like the father of the bride, and significant milestones, like the exchanging of the rings, aren’t absent from your beach wedding album. One idea is to group the shot list by specific event, starting with the rehearsal and continuing through the reception.
• To prevent the subjects from getting dwarfed by the expansive surroundings, make sure the camera zooms in as close as possible (without blurring). For a majority of the shots, have the photographer stand in front of the sun to minimize the shadows and silhouettes that can detract from the subjects. If you do want a couple of silhouette shots (which can be very romantic), do the opposite.
• Make sure pictures are taken throughout the course of the day and evening, as different lighting options will afford different photographic opportunities.
• While you’ll want some formal posed shots of the bride, groom, and wedding party, the laid-back, relaxed nature of a beach wedding also calls for some fun candid shots. Often, it’s the unplanned photos that best capture the spirit of the event.
• Plan on taking double the amount of photos you would normally. With outdoor beach wedding photography, there are more factors that can potentially compromise the quality of the photos. The more shots you have, the better the chances that you’ll wind up with some terrific images of your sand ceremony!