You’re getting married! There’s so much to do, and so many things to get done. Find a caterer, a florist, get the perfect dress, and then make sure you’ve hired the right photographer to capture all of your hard work!
Well, you’ve definitely taken the right step as far as a photographer goes [oh hey, we travel]! 😉
Every Thursday over the next six weeks, I will be doing a piece for our “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides.” It’s going to highlight tips and tricks for the bride when working with a photographer.
Week One: The Bridal Portrait Session
This week, I’m giving tips for the bride during her portrait session! I always set aside time from the chaos to make sure I get shots of just the bride. You’ve gotten your hair done, your makeup perfected, and spent weeks (maybe even months!) picking out your perfect dress. It’s so important to get shots of you as you are in that moment — ready to marry the love of your life, about to walk down the aisle surrounded by your closest friends and family members. There’s so much excitement shining through your eyes — and a world of possibilities in your future.
There are a few shots I always love to get:
The Eyelash Shot:
It’s a classic shot, your head tilted slightly, gazing down, capturing your perfect lashes.
The Silhouette:
Definitely one of my favorites. I love playing with the light. I had one bride call me a “lighting wizard.” I’ll take it! These are so pretty and fun to do.
Just The Dress:
You spent so much time (annnd probably money, if we’re being real) to find the perfect gown for your big day. I like to get details like this!
Lacing It Up:
Some of the most important people in your life help lace up the dress. It’s usually a mom or Maid of Honor. Although, I’ve had to step in to help countless times when they couldn’t figure it out! I’ll never leave ya hangin’!
Full-Length:
You’re in the dress, it’s almost show time!
My last little tidbit to mention is the bouquet.
Where To Hold Those Dang Flowers!
As every bride will tell you whose wedding I’ve shot — the one thing I repeat over and over and over is: “Hold the bouquet at your belly button!”
I say it to to the bride and bridesmaids at the beginning of the day. I repeat it before every shot. Sometimes I turn it into a question and ask them, “Now, where do you hold the bouquet?”
I get that chime of a teacher lecturing her class, “At the belllly buttttton,” they repeat back.
I remind them right before they walk down the aisle when I stop them to take a shot before they continue the rest of the way down. This way you don’t get shots with the bouquets all over the place!
Let’s review! Here are some important shots to make sure your photographer gets!
- The eyelash shot
- The silhouette
- Just the dress
- Getting “into” the dress / lacing up
- The bouquet / holding the bouquet at the belly button
Check back next Thursday for the next post in our “Tips For Brides” series. To read them all, click here.
