The shots that won't make the official album (but you definitely want to have!)

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If there's one wedding supplier we recommend every couple invest in, it's a wedding photographer. From your first kiss and your first dance, to getting ready shots and romantic portraits, wedding photographers will capture all the most precious moments of your day, so you can sit back, soak it up, and enjoy every second. But while you're having your photos taken and tending to the formalities of the day, you want to make sure you're not missing out on any of the craic. To guarantee zero FOMO while you're doing the whole 'getting married' thing, we've teamed up with instax instant photography to chat about all the fun photo ops you can get your guests to take. After all, there are some memories that only an instant camera wielded by an enthusiastic guest can capture!

We all remember the disposable cameras on each table at weddings - and the dark/grainy/unusable photos they produced afterwards! While the photos on those weren't great, the idea behind them was - capturing all the hilarious, sweet and memorable things that happen behind the scenes on a wedding day; your granny hitting the bar for a round of tequilas at 3am, or your 'hard-as-nails' cousin welling up during your dad's speech! Using an instax camera, your guests can capture all those perfectly imperfect moments in high-quality, hold-in-your-hand photos, you'll treasure forever.

Worried you'll miss some of the fun while you're sitting at the top table or doing the rounds with your guests? These are the unofficial photos that might not make the official wedding album, but will ensure you're not FOMOing (that's Fear of Missing Out btw!) after your big day.

1. Your Wedding Morning Wake-up Call

While we're all for a wedding photographer capturing the cute PJs or robes and the finishing touches of getting ready, you're less likely to want them to arrive before you've brushed your hair and had a cuppa. Leave it to your wedding party to document the first hour or two of excitement - bed head and all!

Photo by Cassandra Ladru and Joey Willis via Hello May

2. Craic at the Drinks Reception

While you steal away for a little while with your photographer to grab those all-important portraits, the party will be getting well underway at the drinks reception. From some fab-u-lous outfit snaps, to friends reconnecting for the first time in years, encourage your guests to snap all the fun for you to relive later!

3. Table Talk

The best photographer in the world can't be in two places at once, so there will be inevitable moments at the tables during dinner that your friends and family can capture themselves. Think covetable shots like who won the wedding speech bingo to who sneakily ordered seconds on dessert!

Photo by En Route Photography via One Fab Day

4. The Unlikely Pairings

Your bestie's new boyfriend realising he went to play school with your other half's cousin? Your Great Aunt Mary having the chats with the lads from your rugby team? The two friends you know are just made for one another hitting it off for the first time? Your photographer will grab lots of important group shots and candid conversations on the day, but there's always going to be a few odd couplings that only those with insider knowledge will appreciate!

Photo by Marilyn Bartman Photography via Bridal Musings

5. What Happens At The Bar

Leaving an instax camera by the bar is such a clever idea! Not only will your guests capture those chance encounters above, but also the moment your dad tried sambuca for the first time, your pal Mick tried (unsuccessfully) to carry five pints at once, and your teetotaler sister-in-law climbed behind the bar to show the barman how to make a good virgin Pina Colada!

6. Fun on the Dancefloor

Depending on the kind of coverage you've booked, your photographer will likely stay until your first dance and perhaps for an hour or two of dancefloor antics. After that, it's time for them to clock off and for you to let your hair down and forget about being photogenic. You will want someone to have a camera ready though when you decide to drop to the floor for 'Rock the Boat' or join the end of a conga line.

7. The 4am Sing Song

Irish weddings in particular are well-known for going on until the wee hours of the morning, long after your photographer has gone off duty. If your guests stay up after you do, make sure it's caught on camera, from your uncle's giving the crowd his infamous rendition of Danny Boy to your little sister's flawless execution of Gangsta's Paradise.

Photo by Jasmine Lee Photography via Style Me Pretty

8. Day Two Antics

If you're keeping the party going into a second day, there will be a lot of fun to photograph. Lawn games, laughs over night-before-gossip, and the happy newlyweds chilling out with friends and family.

Tips for Capturing All the Fun Moments of Your Day with instax

Make sure you don't miss a moment with our guide for capturing all the fun behind the scenes on your big day!

Investing in an instax camera is such an easy way to ensure you catch every memory on your big day. Our favourite thing about instax is that you'll already have the photos to look back on the next morning with your other half!
Leave your instax camera somewhere strategic - whether you have more than one and dot them around the tables, leave one at the bar with some film and a sign, pop it in the loo, or set up a selfie station, make sure you leave your camera somewhere that guests tend to linger
Recruit a few helpers - if you're eager to capture lots of instax photos on the day, delegate the job to a couple of friends and assign them capture all the behind-the-scenes fun and after hours hi-jinks.
Keep the pictures together - place a photo album or basket next to the camera so the pictures are in one place and none of these fun moments go missing!
Decide on a wedding hashtag and dot it on signage around your venue. That way you can crowdsource lots of fun shots from your guests and print them out afterwards using instax Share Smartphone Printer.
The best way to ensure you've got gorgeous photos and treasured memories for your big day? Hire a good photographer! You won't have to think about capturing all those important shots like getting ready with your mam, driving to the ceremony with your dad, or your first married moments with your other half. All you have to do is relax and have fun!