Wedding photography is a waiting game.

Waiting for the light… waiting for the moment… there’s a lot of waiting.

But like everything, waiting is worth it in the long run. Delayed gratification for the win!

When it comes to shooting grooms and their groomsmen, I’m not one for forced smiles, cheesy matching sock shots or formally posed nonsense.

I don’t insist we take shots of the groom before the wedding because, well, there’s other more pressing issues usually, like how to tie a bow tie, or where the cufflinks are, or how to pin the flower to a lapel (just ask me though, seriously, I can pin buttonholes on in seconds, I do this stuff every weekend man!).

My cool grooms shots are usually done when the moment is right… whenever that is…

Yeah sometimes it will be an orchestrated cool group shot, sometimes it will be something I’ve grabbed on the fly as the groom passes through on his way to the bar. I go where the light is good and wait…

Some of my favourite groom shots happen in seconds… no massive posing, just a quick shot and we’re done.

It’s just a matter of waiting til the time is right.

But morning prep is for capturing the craziness. The quick round of whisky to steady the nerves… the flurry of activity trying to get everyone organised. Your mum stressing about your shirt that needs ironing. And the inevitable panic as you realise you can’t tie a double windsor and you must now watch a Youtube tutorial five minutes before you run out the door. 

Stress not tho, this is all part and parcel of the wedding day. So yeah, it’s nice to have all those moments covered, but not essential if you’re the kind of guy who gets anxiety the second someone points a camera at you. But at the same time, if you don’t have me there to shoot the morning, you’re gonna miss all the emotional moments, your mum beaming like the sun, your best mate wondering when it’s time to crack open the rum.

Whatever you decide, you only need an hour tops. Enough time to put your shoes on, hunt down the missing cufflinks, and make sure you’ve got your hanky.