Preparing The Bride For Wedding Photos
One of the first things you should discuss with your bridal client is to make sure that they aren"t so modest when it comes to taking their photo. Let your brides know that they will look beautiful no matter what on their wedding day and have them tell their families to be ready for photos as well. There isn"t anything worse than taking a photo of the back of someone"s head as they turn away, when they realize a photo is being taken.Have your brides plan to keep the rooms tidy. Of course the photographer can avoid taking photos in the directions of cups, wrappers, towels, and unfolded clothes, but it"s easier to take photos as they come and to not waste any precious time. The things that brides need to have in order to get ready for this big day such as makeup, hair products jewelry etc., tend to add to the photos. Also, have them be aware of the light that is coming through the rooms. If the dressing room is in poorly lit spot, think of an extra lamp, a removal of curtains, or the addition of white Christmas lights as options. If the room is in a well lit place, placement of the gown can be of added importance if say, it is hanging in front of a big window with lots of available light. The more available light, the easier it is for you as a photographer to capture photos. A lot of light can be just as bad as not enough light. A lot of light brings brightness and sometimes it can be harsh and overpowering. In an instance like this, suggest they try putting a white or sheer type of curtain over the windows to help diffuse the harsh light.
Posture! Being the photographer puts you in charge of placing everyone, but it gets tiring telling bridesmaids to keep their shoulders back, chins down and telling groomsmen to show their white cuffs peeking through their tuxedos. Tell the bride and groom to inform their bridal parties of these things, so that the most of what you have to do is snap a photo.
When it comes to the bride and her sweetheart, make sure you tell them that PDA"s (public displays of affection) are welcome. The precious photos that you take will tell their families and their children that they are so very in love with each other. Let them know that it is okay to feel silly, their wedding day is one of the biggest days of their lives and they should be having fun. When the bride and groom go in for a kiss, tell them to hold it for a few seconds. There doesn"t have to be any French-kissing of the sort, but some of the most romantic photos are ones taken right before the close of a kiss. Have the lovely couple try to keep their heads from tilting so that both heads can be seen, and so that you"re not stuck taking a photo of one profile. Also, when being at the altar may seem like forever 10, 20, 30 minutes later, make sure they don"t rush. Tell them to enjoy every moment and take their time with the rings and the kiss. This will help give you plenty of unplanned photos.
Tell the bride to keep her bouquet down low. You will have plenty of photo opportunities to take photos of her bouquet, but don"t have her hide her thousand-dollar dress behind a one hundred dollar bouquet.
Have the bride and groom give you a list of people that should be included in specific photographs, and have a family member help point them out to you. It is your job as the photographer to take the photo, not to find Aunt Betty or Uncle Bob in the mix. They should also think about what they are going to do with the photos after the wedding. It might seem like a good idea to have every variation of siblings, parents, grandparents, etc. but which photos are they really going to look at down the road? The less time you spend on posed group shots, the more time available for capturing candid moments of celebration.
Lastly, for the photographer and for the bride and groom, have fun!