I think we can all agree that photography is an integral part of the wedding day. After the cake has been eaten, the band has played, the guests have been entertained and everyone has had a thoroughly good time, all the couple are left with to remember their special day are the photographs. Now, I think we can also agree that the bride and groom want to see themselves looking as good as they felt on the big day and therein lies the problem. I can't tell you how many weddings I've been to, where the bride has a permanent scowl or a strained smile because she doesn't like having her pictures taken or she's worried about the caterers / music / timing / bridesmaids / fill in the blank. This is a real shame because having spent so much time planning for D-day, it is so important to actually take time out to enjoy it once it finally arrives.
So I thought I would share with you my top 10 tips for "working" those wedding pictures, so when you look back on your day, you look as good as you felt. So here we go:
10) Don't slouch and relax those shoulders!! Stand tall - This is YOUR day...you are the most beautiful girl / handsome guy in the world and this is your moment to shine. Stand up straight, embrace your fabulosity and all the love and attention that will be coming your way on this day...
9) For Brides: for a more flattering image that is more Halle Berry on the red carpet and less Lindsay Lohan with yet another mug shot, turn your body 45 degrees to the camera so you are not facing the camera head on. This gives you a more flattering feminine shape, as the widest points on our bodies are our hips and shoulders plus you feel so much sexier, which will show in your photograph. Go on, try it right now...I won't tell 😉
8) Weight Matters - this is related to no. 9 and is a trick Kim Kardashian always uses - when you are at 45 degrees angle to the camera, make sure to shift your weight to your back foot (i.e. the one farthest away from the camera) as this will make you look more curvy...who doesn't want that hourglass figure?!?
7) When walking back down the aisle, go slowly! I know how incredibly exciting it is to have finally taken THE step - so take time to savour the moment as you stroll down the aisle with your beloved and of course show off your fabulous bling to everyone. Plus walking a little slower will help your photographer get better images too. Win-win all around...
6) For Grooms: When posing for picture, turn your body towards your bride - if you stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder you will look like strangers. But if you turn to an angle of around 45 degrees and put your hand on her lower back holding her close, then that's a fierce photo - just check out pictures of Bradgelina and you'll see what I mean. And sure, since you're so close already - go ahead and sneak in a kiss or two and tell your lady how beautiful she looks...we can never hear that enough
5) Hands, hands, hands - this is usually a tough one for men. We ladies have it easier cause we can hold the bouquet or play with our veil or dress. Guys tend not to know what to do with their hands. I find that guys always look more relaxed with a hand in their pockets or even better holding the bride - go on, it's your wedding day..hold her hand, her waist, brush a tendril off her face.....go on, you know you want to...
4) Practise smiling in the mirror – you can do this in the safety of your own bedroom and it means you'll feel a lot less self-conscious when you have dozens of camera on you on your wedding day. If there are any features you feel self-conscious about, then by all means tell your photographer and a good photographer will be able to work around it...
3) Ladies - now you have another reason to buy all those different wedding magazines - collect photographs from magazines and the internet to show to your photographer. If there any special images that you want to try, then a good photographer will always try to accommodate these as much as possible (p.s: this isn't the point where you whip out a whole storyboard for your photographer as you have to trust them to do the job you hired them for...micro management is never a good idea!)
2) Ask your photographer to give you tips on how to 'pose' – we always want you to look your best so ask our advice. I personally find that the engagement shoot is a great opportunity to i) practise your posing and ii) get to know your photographer. Building trust with your photographer is a surefire way to get fantastic pictures as you'll spend less time worrying about what shots they may or may not be getting and spend more time enjoying your day. I would definitely recommend taking advantage of the engagement shoot as you also get some great images, which can be used in an album, guest / signing book, framed signature board - the options are countless...
1) RELAX! I can not say this enough....the hard work has been done and the day has finally arrived - smile and relax and enjoy your day. It's only gonna happen once and you don't want to miss a thing. If you do, don't worry because you will always have the photographs to remind you 😉
Ok, that's my list - I would love to hear what you guys think especially if you have any other tips for our brides. Remeber - sharing is caring.
And because no post is complete without a picture - here's one of my favourites from Ozege and Goriola's white wedding in Benin.
🙂
Wani Olatunde Photography
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Thanks for the insights