Photo Tips for the Big Day

Your wedding day will be the most important photo day of your life. You will have more pictures taken of you at one time than ever again. By the end of the day, your may have as many as 500 photographs-just of the two of you, to say nothing of everyone else that day. WOW, that's a heavy thought! But don't panic. There are a few tips that will make your day less stressful and your photos awesome.

For the Bride

1) The most important thing is to allow enough time.
Almost all photographers will work as fast as they can. There is a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time. But you can't expect them to work miracles with the clock. If there is an hour between your ceremony and reception to do outdoor photographs , that's great. However if there is driving time of 20 minutes to the park and 30 minutes to the hall... well you see the problem. You have one shot at beautiful photos of your big day, give them a fair amount of time to do their work properly. 1 hour before the wedding for the bride and her attendants, 1/2 hour before for the groom and groomsmen, at least 45 minutes (working time) for outdoor photos, 15 min for photos at the backdrop (if you want them). Discuss it with your photographer. They will help you with the timing.

2) Relax and enjoy the day. Let the pros do what you paid them for. If something is not correct, no one else will know. Just let it go. Most things can't be changed at the last moment anyway, so make do as best you can. If your planning was good, your day will go smoothly I have seen brides weep because there were white orchids instead of white roses in her bouquet. Red, puffy eyes are not pretty in photos.

3) Even if you don't normally wear allot of make up, unless your religion bans it, wear some. At the very least, lipstick that will show. You have heard of stage makeup, well, you don't need to go that far, but you don't want your face to looked washed out and pale under the lights or bright sun. You have already invested heavily in this day, spend the extra few $$ to get your makeup done by a pro. Remember, you will probably be engulfed in white and you want your face to be noticed. Another thing---stay out of the sun for a few days before the wedding day. A red, sunburned face is not all that pretty either. My daughter did that one. She wanted some color and she got more than she bargained for.

4) This is your spotlight. Play to it. There will be time to be shy later. Good photos reflect emotion. If you are shy and afraid to show that emotion, it will take unnecessary time for the photographer to pull emotion from you. Be happy, be in love, get excited, be romantic, hold hands, smile, kiss, hug, laugh, be surprised etc. The photos you get in the end will be wonderful, if you openly show what you are feeling.

For the Groom

1) Plan your bachelor party for any night other than the night before your wedding. Hangovers show.

2) Make sure your tux fits correctly. If it doesn't, tell the photographer what to watch out for, i.e. sleeves that are too long or pants that are too short etc.

3) Just as with the bride, don't be afraid to show emotion. Be romantic with her, look lovingly into her eyes, laugh, hold hands, kiss, just be in love.

For Both of You

It may seem like a hassle on your wedding day, but in years to come, you will be very happy you have photos to look back on. You will be able to see how friends and family have changed over the years, you will be able to reflect on friends and relatives that may no longer be with you, you will have memories to share with children and grandchildren. What other investment in your wedding day will bring so many memories and so much conversation? Don't skimp on the photography. The roses will be gone, and the tux returned and the hall will have been rented thousands of times since. You will be left with each other, your memories your rings, and your photographs. Make those things the most important!

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