Last week we answered a bride’s query about applying makeup so it best reflects in your wedding photos. Of course, makeup is only one of the many beauty tricks brides can try! Our bride was grateful for the advice, and even asked for other ideas to help her make the most of her appearance in wedding photos and videos. Here are some pointers from the professionals featured at HudsonValleyWeddings.com:
With regards to flowers…
Avoid choosing flowers with long spikes; they’re hard to photograph and intrude into portraits. Also, pure white bouquets don’t photograph well, so it helps to add a little color in your bouquet. Practice holding the bouquet tipped forward so the handle and your hands are concealed. Ask bridesmaids to hold their flowers in a relaxed way, so their hands appear graceful, elegant, and uniform.
When you and your wedding party walk down the aisle…
Walk slowly, head up, bouquet tipped slightly forward. Feel free to look around, acknowledge best friends in the audience, wave, or otherwise interact. It makes for natural, interesting photos and video, and your friends will appreciate the attention. Play to the cameras, unleash your inner ham! Whatever you do, don’t stare at the floor and walk solemnly — this is not a funeral, but a celebration. To keep the attention on you, ask your bridesmaids to walk with their backs straightened and heads up, smiling. The bridesmaids shouldn’t be as animated as the bride, but they can certainly look around at the guests.
During the speeches…
Advise your readers to practice their selections as many times as it’ll take for them to be completely comfortable reading before the big day. Allow them to carry a written copy as backup, and to recite from it audibly and clearly. (All those lessons and presentations in grade school will come in handy for sure.) Remember to have them look up at the audience every so often, too: Eye contact is important for the photographer and videographer in order to get good shots. If a reader is hunched over, nervous, or unprepared, there will be no way to compensate for this in the photos and video. Remember, though, that this is all a jovial celebration, not a news report. Everyone should be comfortable and joyful for this day.
During the ceremony…
Arrange to have your officiant stand behind you and your groom, with you two facing one another. If you face the officiant, your backs will be to the audience — your family and friends would miss your expressions (and so would your photographer).
I asked J.T. Sander, a photographer based in Warwick, for advice that would ensure really great photographs. Her answer? Simply don’t worry about being the center of attention! She believes that the bride and groom need not be afraid to shine and, instead, just go with the moment. Relax, have a glass of wine, enjoy, and let the professional photographer do what she or he does best.
With that, what kind of advice would you give to make your wedding photos and videos even better? What kinds of bloopers can you share from your own (or a friend’s) wedding? Share your thoughts below!
To submit your own question to the Wedding Guru, email Judy at judy@hvmag.com.
