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Your wedding day will be a day to remember, and what better way to remember it than with your wedding photos? If you’re looking for tips to ensure your wedding photos turn out magnificent, look no further because we compiled this list of eight tips and tricks for your big day. Lights, camera, action!
1. Beauty Practice Run
For brides, aside from the dress, one of the most important aspects of wedding day beauty involves hair and makeup. If you haven’t already, you will want to set up a time before the big day to have a hair and makeup trial. This means that your stylist will try a few different looks to make sure they nail on it your wedding day.
Your makeup trial is also a great time to snap a few photos and make sure that it works well on camera. Whatever look you’re going for, from soft and romantic to glam and dramatic, it’s a good idea to have a practice run. Keep the makeup on throughout the whole day to see how it holds up. Most makeup artists will use long-wear formulas that last and will give you recommendations for touch-ups throughout the event.
2. Give Yourself Some Wiggle Room
When it comes to capturing magical wedding photos, it’s all timing. And by timing, we mean having enough time to get all of the shots. The last thing you want is to cut into time dedicated for wedding photos because another portion of the schedule ran over. Start by creating a wedding day timeline that gives you enough time in between each task to accommodate for any unexpected scheduling hiccups. With an organized timeline and a little bit of wiggle room, your photographer will be able to capture the day perfectly.
3. Location, Location, Location
Where you choose to take your bridal party photos, family group shots, and photos of just you and your significant other are all important decisions. By now, you probably have a pretty good idea of your wedding venue’s layout and all the spots available for a photoshoot. Be sure to map out these locations along with estimated times for shooting with both the venue manager and your photographer. Organizing these details ahead of time will allow you to capture the photos you want with ease.
4. The Pose
If you or your significant other are not quite comfortable in front of the camera, don’t worry, that’s totally normal. Your wedding photographer is there to guide you and help you achieve the most relaxed and happy photographs. Don’t worry so much about having your front leg turned at a certain degree angle or all those technicalities. Just focus on having fun and keeping your body and face relaxed.
While it’s great to have an idea of the poses you want or even create a mood board/shot list ahead of time, it’s more important to go with the flow and capture natural shots. Once you get in the groove, it will be easy. Some easy, tried-and-true poses include the forehead kiss, the side-by-side handhold, strolling towards or away from the camera, and the over-the-shoulder glance. Feel free to try these or a few of your own ideas, but just don’t get so caught up in a checklist of poses that you forget to enjoy the moment!
Another solid tip is to have a stash of makeup touch-up supplies on hand. Some tissues, blotting paper, extra bobby pins, hairspray, and lipstick will help you to stay looking your best in each photo.
5. Schedule a First-Look
Some of the most magical moments of an entire wedding day can happen at a first-look photo session. This is when the couple sees one another for the first time, and a photographer captures it all on camera. Ask your photographer in advance about setting up a time slot for a first-look session – you won’t regret it!
In addition to a first-look, there are also other great opportunities to take photos of just the two of you. Head into the reception area early to snap a few shots, or sneak away in the middle of the event to take a few pictures on a balcony or somewhere on the grounds. Any opportunity you come across for a romantic shot is worth it!
6. Don’t Forget About Videography
Just as important as your photos will be the video captured throughout the event. In many cases, you can hire one company to do the photography and videography. You may even find that hiring professionals from the same company ends up being less expensive and is easier to coordinate with invoicing and billing. In any circumstance, make sure the photographer and videographer are in communication with one another and are on the same page for the look, style, and overall vision of the event.
7. Optional Props
As you exit from the ceremony, enter the reception or say farewell at the end of the night, props and extras help create an engaging and interactive experience for guests. Things like confetti, flower petals, or sparklers can all add a little dazzle to your wedding photos!
8. Have Fun
Capturing your wedding photos is an exciting and sometimes anxious time. The most important thing you can do is just relax and have fun with it because that’s what this day is all about! Be yourself, enjoy these moments with your new hubby, and don’t forget to smile!
