Here are some helpful tips whether your shooting film or digital.
1. Know your equipment and camera well. There will be no time for learning your equipment at the wedding.
2. Always aim to get it right in the camera first. Which means study study study photographic techniques and principals REGULARLY not just before the shoot. In my experience, there's not a lot of time during the ceremony to be checking just taken pictures and histograms to see if you got it rights. Some of the best moments during a wedding are unplanned and you'll miss them constantly checking your equipment.
3. Know if the church allows flash. Some don't.
4. Are any parts of the altar area you can't go. Can you go into the pulpit area?
5. Find out what is the order of the wedding/service, who's doing what, when and when.
6. Don't just take "pictures," try to capture the emotion of the event. Remember you're really documenting a day in someones life.
7. Make a list of must have shots. Let those be second nature to you in your memory. Having them on paper is good, but I find that sometimes when you commit things to paper, without the paper you're lost.
8. Be as pleasant as possible. It will help with people who don't like their photos taken.
9. Dress appropriately. I always were a loose jacket and pants with plenty of pockets.
10. Have a point of contact besides the bride and groom, they are gonna be quite busy that day. If you're getting paid, make sure AHEAD OF TIME, that someone besides the bride and groom will be responsible for paying you.
11. If you're taking table photos at the reception, do so before the food is serves. Pics and food dont mix very well.
12. Be ready for ANYthing during the dancing/party segment of the reception.
