Advice · Looking good
Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day and a professional photographer should know all the tricks of the trade to make you and your new husband look great in the photos. They will find the most appropriate and flattering locations and backdrops and should be able to direct you on your poses. They should make the most of your wedding dress by taking some full length shots and some close-ups to capture and decorative details.
Lighting has a key role in all photographs and your photographer should be an expert in using it to your advantage. Pictures taken in bright mid-day sun can be harsh with dark shadows and a bleached out wedding dress so it's often better to wait for an overcast moment or to use a natural shade.
Angles are also important if you want to look your best. Why not take some tips from the stars, don't stand with your shoulders square to the camera, turn your body slightly by about 30 or 40 degrees for a much more flattering pose. Another trick is to tilt your face at a slight angle making it appear slimmer in the photographs.
When deciding on your wedding make-up it is a good idea to aim for a more polished version of your everyday look, you don't want your photos to look dated in a few years time. It's worth paying for a professional make-up artist, you'll be nervous on the morning of your wedding and a steadier hand will do a much better job. They will also be skilled at making the most of your features whilst maintaining a natural look. Make sure however that you have a trial run before the day, you don't want any surprises, just a more glamorous version of your everyday look.
Tips
Don't forget to wear waterproof mascara as weddings can be very emotional and the last thing you'll want to do is have to start reapplying your make up after the ceremony.
If you are having black and white photographs steer clear of dark red lipstick and heavy blusher, as these will appear even darker while too pale pastel colours can fade out completely.
Pinky-brown lipsticks will whiten teeth while orange and red tones will make them look brownish against your dress.
Make sure that your jewellery, veil and headdress compliment each other too much fussiness will look cluttered in the photographs.
Treat yourself to a professional manicure; your hands will be the focus of a few pictures from signing the register to cutting the cake and close up shots of your rings.
Have your eyebrows and legs waxed at a salon at least 2 days before the day, this will allow time for any redness to calm down.
Most importantly relax and enjoy your day it only happens once and if you're enjoying yourself this will really show in the photographs.
Terry Hewlett LBIPP LSWPP
What you need to know
Once you have decided on what styles you like and you have found the perfect photographer you need to know that there are 3 more very important factors that must be carefully considered. Without doing so you won't achieve the best possible album for your wedding and after spending a lot of time and money on finding the perfect photographer, this would be a disaster.
So what are the all important factors?
First of all you'll need to think about the location. Most venues are able to provide what they think is a good backdrop for your photographs but your photographer is the best judge of whether the location would be effective or not. Its helpful if natural shade is provided for strong sunlight or if there is an undercover alternative such as a conservatory or a summerhouse. If your venue doesn't offer the perfect location then your photographer should be able to advise you on the best local spots for wedding photography. It is important to trust your photographer as they are trained and experienced professionals and only they can visualise the end product realistically. An image may look great to you in real life but the lighting conditions could make it an impossible scene to photograph.
Next you'll need to think about the timing of your day. If you are being married at 3pm for instance most of your posed photographs will be taken around 4pm. This is fine if you are having a summer wedding but if you are being married in the middle of November the photographer will have problems trying to take pictures in semi darkness. Speak to your photographer about this before hand and a solution might be to have your ceremony earlier in the day or you could arrange to have your photographs taken inside where the time will be less relevant. Remember that if you choose to do this then you will have to sacrifice some shots such as the obligatory kissing under a tree. Fear not there will no doubt be a fire place to act as a substitute!
The third and most important factor is you - the Bride and Groom. Without a good relationship between you and the photographer your photographs will suffer. You will need to listen and trust their advice before and during the day. A good wedding album is the result of a couple having taken on board some advice from their chosen photographer. A great wedding album involves listening to the advice and acting on it. The best wedding pictures aren't simply about money they're about getting involved in the photography process and most importantly having a great time on the day. Easier said than done? If you are one of many people who dread the prospect of having their photo taken don't panic!
Professional photographers are experts at getting people to relax in front of the camera, speak to them about it and they will find a way that works for you both. Some will arrange an informal studio shoot a week or so before the wedding in order to make you relax and feel more comfortable in front of a camera. You never know you might even get to like it, the difference will be seen plainly in the photographs.