Wedding Photography Tips
Wedding Photography Tips….One thing that we repeatedly hear people saying is that they hate getting their photo taken, or that they feel so awkward not knowing where to put their hands. Well, if that sounds like you, know that you are not alone! We decided to put these tips together to help you look your best in your wedding day photographs!
1: Hair & Make-up
If it is possible, it is always nice to get both your hair & make-up done by the professionals. If this is not possible, do your research before your wedding day on how to do your own, or alternatively, one of your bridesmaids may be able to help you. And if you can stretch to it, get your bridesmaids hair and make-up done, so that they can look their best too! But ALWAYS make sure your make-up looks good in natural daylight, not just inside lighting.
2: The Dress
This maybe goes without saying, but buy a dress that suits your body shape, dress for your shape and style. Make sure that you are comfortable in it, and that if fits you like a glove. You don’t want to be fixing a strap all day or pulling the top of the dress up if it is too loose on you. That way you won’t be distracted with being uncomfortable and you will be able to relax a bit more which will come through in your photographs.
3: Personality
Top tip form us when choosing your wedding photographer, make sure you get on with them as you will then be smiling naturally for your photos. It’s an added bonus if your photographer has a good personality and a sense of humour too. Follow them on social media and connect with them there to see if they are the right fit for you. As we always say, the best smiles are the real smiles!
4: Pre Wedding Shoot
If you really want to increase your confidence then go for an engagement shoot/pre-wedding shoot. This is a great way to get used to the camera and work with your photographer prior to your big day. It can be done as close as a couple of weeks before your wedding day, so it’s never too late.
5: The Smilie
To be honest we all have a side preference we like when it comes to photos! Dont be afraid to let your photographer know this. They will prefer to know because at the end of the day it is you that will be looking at your wedding photos for the rest of your life! If you are conscious of getting your photo taken, maybe take the time to practice smiling with a few selfies. Play around with angles and discover what you like and don’t like.
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6: Position
When standing or sitting in photographs, it always looks better if you don’t slouch. Slouching doesn’t look great in photos, the tip here is be aware of your posture and if you are someone who tends to slouch, let you photographer know and they can watch out for this for you in your photos.
7: Arms
If you are conscious of your arms, a great tip for this is to hold your arms a little bit away from your body. The bonus of having a bouquet is that you will naturally do this while holding them in front of you.
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8: Feet
Depending on the shape of your dress of course, how you stand will make a difference to your photos. For example, if your dress is a fitted shape try this stance: Stand with one foot in front of the other while bending your front knee while putting your weight on the back foot (like the photo above). This will give you a nice hourglass silhouette to your photos.
9: Time
Leave enough time for your photographs, so that you don’t end up rushing them. We generally ask couples to put aside 30 minutes for their couple photos. Alternatively, you can have smaller photo sessions with your photographer throughout the day, for example, fifteen minutes after the ceremony and fifteen minutes before the meal.
10: Trust
Trust your wedding photographer. He or she can see the image they are creating and will know from experience on how to make you look your best in your photos!
11: Fun
Most importantly enjoy the day. It’s a celebration of the love you both have so don’t be worried, have fun, it all goes by so quickly. When you enjoy your wedding day, it will naturally show through in your photographs. Enjoy it and have fun.
12: Professionalism
One of the best and important ways to look good in your wedding photos is to hire a professional experienced wedding photographer. Just because a person owns a nice camera doesn’t guarantee you good photos. There is a lot more to a good photograph than the click of a button.
13: Prepare
Prepare for weather changes, invest in a nice white umbrella. Bring a second pair of shoes that may be a bit more comfortable for walking around in. It’s also a great idea to have a plan B destination for photos incase it rains. And let’s be honest, in Ireland, there is always a chance of that!
14: Plan
Have a rough plan for the day so you know what to expect. We will always work out timings with couples for the day to give every couple an idea of what to expect and if they have any special requests. We find this works out very well for our couples as most don’t want to be away from their guests for very long.
Your wedding photographs are probably one of the most important photographs you’ll be in and that you will cherish forever! Whatever happens, the best tip of all is to be yourself, enjoy your wedding day and in turn, you will look your best in your photos!
Wedding Photography Tips by The Fennells
We hope these wedding photography tips helped, and of course if you are looking for a wedding photographer we would love to hear from you.
Connect with us on instagram where we share lots of other tips and behind the scenes at weddings.
Thank you for taking the time to read this,
Mark & Fiona 🙂
