How to look good in wedding photos
I want you to look good in wedding photos, where you’ve already found your wedding photographer or you’re still on the hunt. Either way, you want to find a photographer that you connect with, fits your style, and lands within your photography budget. It’s an exciting time and every wedding detail seems equally important; however, most wedding couples will tell you that they wish they put more into their wedding photos because the photos are what you’re left with after the wedding day has passed. These are legacy images that you could be passing down many years later or simply sitting around telling the story of the day to grandchildren.
I’ve put together a list of wedding photography tips for brides, grooms, and the wedding party. These are short little snippets on how to look good in wedding photos from my perspective as a wedding photographer. I hope these tips help you look the bomb dot com in your wedding photos and add visual interest.
Take Care of Yourself
Most engaged couples plan their wedding about a year out. No matter how great of shape you’re in, you want to take care of yourself leading up to your wedding. It’s an amazing time to motivate yourself to eat healthier and get regular exercise.
You can even use each other as motivation and accountability. You want to not only feel your healthiest, you want to be confident in yourself too. It comes across in photos. You’ll be happy you put in the effort as it will also help with that wedding stress as you lead up to your wedding day.
If you’re looking for someone that could help you out with this, check out Jenna!
Engagement Photography is key
Get all the awkwardness out of the way in an engagement shoot. Your photographer might offer this in their wedding photography package; however, if they don’t it’s still worth it to go through this shoot.
You might not have had your photograph taken, outside of a selfie, in years! And those photos were always awkward enough. Now you’re in front of the camera with another person too. It may take some time to the two of you fully comfortable and relaxed.
The engagement photography session is perfect for getting more comfortable with your photographer and how they shoot you. They’ll most likely be giving you advice that will resurface for your wedding day portraits.
Most, if not all, brides and grooms are much more comfortable on the wedding day if they’ve gone through the engagement session and look good in their wedding photos.
Create a Wedding Photography Pinterest Board
Create a new wedding photography Pinterest board and share it with your wedding photographer. You can keep this board private from everyone else if you want.
By creating this board, you’re communicating aspects of wedding photography that are inspiring to you and you’re subconsciously getting familiar with different poses. You may come across something that radically inspires your photographer too.
The main thing to note is communication with your photographer on a passive level. It’s not something you need to meet over and fully discuss, but it’s building that bond between you. Your photographer benefits from learning more of what you like and can help you look good in wedding photos.
Get your photographer out to the rehearsal
If possible, it would be a huge benefit to get your photographer out to your wedding rehearsal. There could be some last minute adjustments that could benefit your overall images and make you look great.
As an example, you may want to show your wedding photographer how your wedding party is being introduced at the reception and how you’re going to move into the first dance.
Adjusting a few dinner tables could make for a smoother entrance with photography in mind. As well, the photographer will have a heads up if there are some quick lighting changes.
This might sound repetitive, but the more you communicate with your photographer (on a positive note) the better you’ll look in your wedding photos.
Preparation rocks.
Hire a Professional Makeup Artist
These professionals can make a world of difference for you and your wedding photos. The application of the makeup even becomes part of the overall story for your wedding day if you’re into the prep type images.
Check out Laura in the London, Ontario area! She’ll take good care of you: Makeup and lashes by Laura.
Consider the First Look instead of Traditional Portraits
Planning your wedding day with the First Look (bride and groom see each other before the wedding) in mind, usually, opens up more time for photography. The experience is intimate and emotional and the photographer simply captures everything candidly.
Typically this is all done before wedding guests arrive or offsite and you’re free to roam as you please and without worry. I’ve typically found that the bride and groom become relaxed and comfortable at a quicker pace, possibly because some pressure is released when they see each other.
Another benefit is that you’ll have the scene of the first look as well as images walking down the aisle. And, you may even have more time after the ceremony for additional wedding day portraits.
Try to Keep your Head up and take your time
Believe it or not, many bridesmaids and even the bride tend to put their head down as they walk down the aisle. Not only that, the nerves can make you walk really fast.
There isn’t much the photographer can do if your head is down and you’re moving too quick. If you keep your head up and take your time going down the aisle, the photographer has more time and opportunity to photograph you and your bridesmaids. This day goes by so fast, look good in wedding photos by taking your time and enjoying it.
Don’t be shy about planning your ceremony setup
Go over how the ceremony will be setup with your photographer and find out if there are any “in-house” rules, as soon as possible. You and the photographer don’t want to find out at the last second that there are not ceremony photos permitted or no flash photography allowed.
If you’re planning the seating and setup, it won’t hurt you to keep communication strong with your photographer to get their input. They may have shot at your wedding ceremony venue before and have important tips specifically for it. There may also be small tweaks to be made that could allow for the photographer to duck into spots for unique angles.
As well, lighting is going to play a massive factor for you and your photography. If your ceremony is inside, you’ll want to make sure there is enough light to capture you. If you’re outside, you’ll want to plan for where the sun could be shining and if you’ll be directly in it or not. Typically, you don’t want to be in the direct sunlight because the light is very harsh. Also, it gets very uncomfortable for the guys in heavy suits. Aim for a shaded space and you’ll look good in your wedding photos.
Again, take your time
Once you’re pronounced husband and wife, you’ll walk back down the aisle together — super happy. This is another time where couples can literally sprint down the aisle.
Take your time, smile, laugh, engage with family and guests as you leave the ceremony. Some of these photos may not be perfect technically; however, they display great feeling. This gives your photographer more opportunity and options to get a range of emotion. These images are some of the most cherished.
It’s not an easy thing to remember as you’re “in-the-moment”, so don’t think too hard on this. Enjoy yourself, but have this in the back of your mind and you’ll look good in wedding photos.
Think Added Interest
Is there a surprise element you can bring into your wedding photos? Or could you go to a location with special meaning and added interest.
For this, you need to plan ahead and be ready to go off the beaten path. In one of my wedding, the bride surprised the groom with getting some of the photos done with a Ford Ranchero. This classic car added interest and punch to their creative wedding photography overall. This kind of thing also gets the creative juices flowing with your wedding photographer and makes you look amazing.
In another wedding, we went to Allen Gardens and took wedding photographs amongst all the plant life. Think location. Think props.
Some other things that really make wedding photos look great are elements of scale and juxtaposition. Look for a large tree to get photos under or an abandoned building juxtaposed with your formal attire. These kinds of elements help you look good in wedding photos.
Have fun, be yourselves, and you’ll look good in wedding photos
The more you let loose, the better you look in your wedding photos — especially if you like the candid photo-journalistic look. The point is that by relaxing, you’re being your authentic selves. I like to think it’s how you are when no one else is around. Once you are no longer “lens aware,” the true magic comes to the surface. Sometimes it takes some fake laughs to get into this and sometimes it just takes a little time.
Most wedding photographers should be looking for those candid moments between moments. You know, the second you relax from a pose and you think the photographer isn’t shooting anymore.
It should come as no surprise that by the end of the night, a couple doesn’t even think about the camera lens anymore. You end up with incredible moments.
Remember it’s your day
Plan, be yourself and have fun because it’s your wedding day. Sadly, stress shows and it can sneak it’s way into images.
Much of the stress can be alleviated with planning and great communication with your wedding photographer. You should feel comfortable going to your photographer with anything related to your wedding because it is all going to play part in your wedding story.
Next to a wedding planner, I believe the photographer is who you should be touching base with on a regular schedule leading up to the wedding. The more that’s put into that relationship, I guarantee you’ll look good in wedding photos.
If you’re looking for a photographer for your upcoming wedding, I’d love to hear from you and see if I can help tell your story. I’ll be able to let you know my availability and pricing. Contact Scott
Originally published at scottwebb.me on November 12, 2016.
