Ultimate Guide to Wedding Photography Melbourne – Everything You Need to Know
Many brides ask me, “How can we make our wedding day run smoothly and still get great photos?” They don’t want to repeat the same mistakes they’ve seen at friends’ weddings — missing important family photos, dealing with unexpected weather, or falling far behind schedule.
I’m Nick, a full-time Melbourne wedding photographer since 2020. I photograph around 70–80 weddings each year. In addition, as a data curator at Tree Studio, I have access to a large archive of real wedding galleries photographed by different professionals. This gives me a broader, behind-the-scenes understanding of what truly happens on a wedding day — what matters most to couples and their families, and which small details are often overlooked but later become regrets.
Even though I always have a pre-wedding meeting with my couples about a month before the wedding, there are still many important details that can’t be fully absorbed in one conversation. If too much information is shared at once, couples can feel overwhelmed and even more anxious. Simply put, it’s impossible to digest everything in a single meeting.
That’s why I decided to write this complete wedding day guide — to help couples understand how to prepare, what to prioritise, and how to feel confident in their planning, all from a wedding photographer’s perspective.
This guide brings together the core ideas from my other resources, including wedding photography checklists and wedding day timelines, combined with my five years of hands-on experience photographing weddings. The goal is to create a comprehensive, practical guide for couples who want a well-organised, stress-free wedding day.
I recommend reading this guide when you first start planning your wedding, ideally 6–12 months in advance. It includes many fine details that will become clearer each time you revisit it. During our pre-wedding meeting, I’ll then highlight and reinforce the most important points, so everything feels calm, organised, and achievable.
Table of Contents
Groom Preparation
Wedding photography usually starts with the groom’s preparation. In most cases, the groom needs to arrive at the ceremony earlier than the bride, while the bride and bridesmaids typically require more time for hair and makeup.
There are some exceptions due to logistics. For example, the bride’s home may be far from the ceremony venue while the groom is staying nearby, or the groom may be getting ready at the ceremony venue itself. In these situations, the wedding day timeline can be too tight for the photographer to travel back and forth.
However, in the majority of weddings, we begin with groom preparation. Before the photographer arrives, I recommend preparing the following in advance:
- Tidy the room the day before the wedding
- Shower and get ready early (not kidding — I’ve photographed a groom preparation where the groomsmen had just returned from a golf course and were lining up to use the bathroom)
- Wear smart casual clothing before putting on your suit
- Gather all wedding accessories and place them neatly on a table or clean surface
This preparation helps the photography run smoothly and allows us to capture clean, natural images without unnecessary stress.
Groom Preparation Photography Checklist
If you’d like more detail, you can also refer to my separate blog post: Wedding Photography Checklist. Below is a brief overview specifically for groom preparation:
- Accessory photos: wedding bands, suit, shoes, invitation card, belt, and cultural items (e.g. crown for Greek weddings)
- Candid moments: drinking beer or whisky, relaxed interactions with groomsmen
- Groom portraits: individual portraits once fully dressed
- Family photos: immediate family during preparation
To be continued — this guide will be updated weekly.
