Wedding Photograph Tips for Brides

By The Celebration Team 07 Dec, 2011

To get the perfect wedding shot, a great wedding photographer is essential. Still, there are a few things that the bridal couple should do and remember in order to ensure that the good shots become perfect ones. The following tips are designed to assist brides in making their wedding photographs memorable and reminiscent of the special occasion:

Make it worthwhile – while photographers may seem to be expensive and your second cousin is willing to do it for free, hiring a qualified photographer with a good portfolio is well worth the money spent. Disappointing photographs can be devastating to a couple after months of planning their once-in-a-lifetime wedding day.
Try, try and try again – schedule a practice session with your photographer well ahead of your wedding day so that the two of you can get to know one another and feel comfortable working together. This will also help the photographer to learn about the types of poses and positions that best suit you and your partner.
On trial – try to schedule your pre-wedding photo practice at the same time as your hair and make-up trials so that the photographer can adjust his or her lighting and contrasts. This will prevent the appearance of dark rings, greasy-looking roots or white foundation that may result unexpectedly as a result of poor planning.
Strike a pose – page through a fashion magazine and take note of how a model poses for a picture. Try to emulate it and you will notice that it is probably much less than comfortable. These poses are chosen because they accentuate her strengths and minimise her weaknesses. The following hints usually help to make anyone look more photogenic:
Lift your head so that your chin does not appear to form a roll under your face
Push the centre of your tongue onto the roof of your mouth to tighten the area of your neck under your chin (practice in front of a mirror first)
Raise your eyebrows slightly to avoid a potential scowl (but do not look surprised)
By moving your arms away from your body (e.g. putting one or both hands on your hips), you make your waist and body appear smaller, and your bust larger
Suck your stomach in at all times to avoid your dress creasing or bulging in any way
Stand on the heel of one foot to give your body a sexy, more curvaceous look
Props proposal – try to bring some elements of your wedding day into your photo shoot to create a harmony between the event and the formal capturing thereof. These could include flowers, name cards, the invitation, a sample of the wedding cake, and so on.
What’s your background? – use your backdrop as a complimentary feature to your wedding and photo shoot, rather than as an added attraction (or distraction). Be adventurous and encourage your photographer to do the same so that your photographs come out looking as unique and beautiful as you did on the day. Experiment with colours, textures, angles and post-production effects.
Light up your life – ensure that the photographer gets the opportunity to visit the wedding venue of your formal photo shoot at the same time of day that he or she will be working there. This will allow them to gauge their equipment needs and to work out where the best places for certain pictures will be. Keep out of fluorescent lighting as this can have a very harsh effect.