Meeting the bride and groom.
Meet the couple in advance to discuss there needs. It is prudent to make a note of who they want featured in there photographs. Make a note of the shots you need to take, bride arriving at the church, close up shot of the rings, the cutting of the cake etc. Ask the bride and groom if they want pictures taken during the service.

Rule of P’s.
Visit the venue’s in advance of the wedding day in order to make a note of flattering places to take some posed pictures. Make note of where the light falls and appropriate backgrounds. Some areas of a venue will not be flattering to the bride and groom at all so it is wise to be prepared and know where you want to take your pictures in advance. Forward planning prevents poor performance.

Equipment.
The wedding day is one of the most important times of a couple’s life and you are in charge of capturing the moment. Always take a spare camera with you just in case your first camera malfunctions. Take plenty of memory cards and extra fully charged batteries. You will be taking pictures of large groups so consider using a tripod with a remote shutter.

Posed shots.
When taking posed shots of the bride and groom or other key groups don’t keep them waiting to long or they will become impatient especially if it is a cold day or they are hungry. Communicate clearly and confidently. Be sure to capture them looking there best with there eyes open etc

Candid shots.
As well as posed shots try a reportage style approach to capture the atmosphere of the event. Take a wide angle and telephoto lens pre fixed to two camera bodies if you can. Having two lenses pre mounted on two camera bodies enables you to work faster. Remember to keep an eye on your camera settings you will have to change them through the day so make sure your settings are correct.

Tweaking and editing.
Shooting in Raw format instead of Jpeg enables you to capture a higher quality photo as well as greater detail. You can also crop, adjust contrast and remove objects etc in Photoshop or another software package before you print your final shots.

Please note this article is for reference only and is not exhaustive.