The first step to achieve amazing photos is to hire a talented photographer with the right equipment. Discuss these five tips with your photographer and you’re sure to get awesome shots for an indoor ceremony or reception.

1. Creative Poses
Do you think your bridesmaids might be willing to jump off a table in unison? Would your groomsmen hold a chair carrying a smiling grandmother? Anything goes if you have a photographer with creative ideas and the persuasive skills to entice subjects into fun poses.

“It depends on what style [the bride and groom] are looking for,” says Sacramento-based photographer Beth Baugher of True Love Photo. “You can have the whole bridal do ‘Zoolander’ model shots, or have the party running.”

2. Adequate Light
Ask almost any photographer and they will tell you that you can’t capture inviting indoor light without the right camera equipment. Baugher says that a photographer needs an external strobe to shoot an indoor wedding. At the very least, she says, a photographer should have a bracket that holds the flash above the camera.

Baugher also recommends looking for a church or indoor site that has plenty of ambient light. Then it is up to the photographer to balance ambient light with the flash.

Sarah Maren, a Sacramento-based photographer with Sarah Maren Photography, reminds brides and grooms to check with the church where they are getting married to ensure that a flash can be used indoors. If not, is it possible to have other sorts of inviting lighting such as candles?

Maren says she often recommends that brides and grooms take photos together before the wedding to capture the best autumn and winter light.

“The light might be gone by the time of the ceremony,” she says, especially with evening events. “I suggest to my brides and grooms that they see each other before the ceremony anyway. I think it calms you down.”

For night weddings, Maren often brings her own lights to set the tone for photos. You can also string lights or bring lighting of your own to most venues. 

3. Vignette-Worthy Venues
Choose a site that has varied scenery: an appealing staircase that can hold a large family, or inviting nooks, crannies or window seats scattered throughout. Is there a big bay window that reveals some of the outside terrain or sparkling city lights?

“If you are getting married downtown, find a place where you can get the city lights in the background,” Maren adds. “You can get the city lights indoors, but if you can get access to a rooftop, do it.”

Plan where to take shots and coordinate with the venue staff in advance to move furniture or other objects that might be in the way.

4. The List
Sacramento-area photographer Rick Anderson of Anderson Images suggests that brides and grooms draw up a “must-have” list of the photos they want included in their final album.

“These are the shots of friends, family or special guests, or even special shots they have seen in a magazine or a friend’s wedding album,” Anderson adds. Such a list lets the photographer know the shots he needs to fulfill the clients’ wishes.

5. Seize the Moment 
Impromptu shots are especially important for indoor weddings, where backgrounds may be limited.

Maren says one of her favorite shots is to catch people dancing and drag the camera shutter to blur the photo. “You can find amazing pictures pretty much anywhere,” she says. “It’s about having a photographer who can see beyond what’s in front of them.”
Sidebar: How much should I pay my photographer?
Do you get what you pay for when it comes to a wedding photographer? Yes and no, say several professionals in the field.

“In most cases, you do get what you pay for,” says Rick Anderson of Anderson Images. “But some photographers set their prices to be competitive with high-end photographers and may lack the experience and/or talent” that warrants high price tags. He adds, “Look at everything you can, and don’t be fooled by a few good shots. Ask to see images from the entire wedding day, start to finish.”

Beth Baugher of True Love Photo suggests inquiring about how much time photographers spend adjusting the images on the computer after they are taken, and asking about what kind of adjustments can be made.

Package options and prices can vary drastically, from about $1,500 on the low end to $12,000 on the high end. If you’re trying to stick to a budget, find four or five photographers whose work you like, then get price quotes from each. If cost is a major factor for you, choose the best priced package from the group. Alternatively, if you fall in love with one photographer’s style and you know they’re right but the price is a bit above what you’ve budgeted, see if you can work with the photographer to create a package tailored to your needs, or amend standard package offerings.