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Tips for Achieving Perfect Wedding Photos

Flowers:
Avoid choosing flowers with long spikes. They are hard to photograph and intrude into portraits. Also, pure white bouquets do not shoot well. With all that white, you need a little color in your bouquet. Practice holding your 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.

Makeup:
A wedding gown reflects a lot of light into a bride's face, especially if it has a full bodice and the bride has a large chest. Also, overhead light reflects off the bodice and bleaches makeup. Wear a little more to offset the effect, usually more blush. Make sure the makeup base you use matches your natural shade or your head will appear pasted on. When you are inspecting your makeup, look at your neck and whatever body that is exposed to be sure it's the same color and brightness as your face. Blend well and be sure there are no lines or edges, especially near the jaw line where the makeup ends.

• Use a little lip gloss to highlight the lip. That little reflection can make a portrait sparkle! If your lips are cracked and dry, condition them for a month before the wedding so they can be their most attractive for your pictures.
• Your makeup should not be obvious. Sometimes it takes a lot of makeup to make it appear as if you are not wearing any.
• Double check your bridesmaids. Try to get their makeup to match so you don't have a heavily made up one next to a girl who hates makeup. See if you can get the noticeably made up bridesmaid to tone it down a little, and can we get a little lipstick and blush on the other?
• Stay away from makeup fads, since you want your look to stand the test of time.
• Men in your wedding: Cummerbunds are worn with the pleats up. The story is that they were worn to catch the crumbs at mealtime. The best way to tuck in a shirt is to reach into the fly and grab the shirt tails and pull down. In a more discreet fashion, put your hands into your pockets, and using the pocket as a mitten, grab your shirt tails and pull down. Many tux pants have a slit that allow you access to your shirt tails.
• Men often stand in what I call the jock pose, with feet shoulder width apart and hands clasped in front. When the groomsmen (or ushers) are standing at the altar, every guest in the wedding is watching them. As difficult as it is, they should stand feet slightly apart, hands at sides, and try not to slouch.

Walking Down the Aisle:
Brides should walk down the aisle slowly, head up, bouquet tipped slightly forward. You can look around, acknowledge best friends in the audience, wave or otherwise interact. It makes for natural, interesting pictures, and your friends will appreciate the attention. Don't stare at the floor and walk solemnly. This is a celebration! Bridesmaids should walk with their heads up, backs straight, bouquets tipped slightly forward and smile. Not as animated as the bride, but it's OK to look and see who is there.

Readers:
Ask your readers to practice their selection as much as it takes to get completely comfortable with it before the big day. Allow them to take their copy to the podium, but they should know the speech and be able to recite it audibly and clearly, without stumbling. And please, ask them to look up once in awhile so the photographer can get a shot. If the reader is hunched over, nervously unprepared, there will be no way to compensate for this in the photograph.

The Ceremony:
Worst case scenario places the clergy in the aisle with his/her back to the audience, and the bride and groom in front of them. No one can see any of the ceremony, and it's very difficult to shoot.

The best layout places the officiate in back of the bride and groom, with the couple facing one another. If the couple face the officiate, with their backs to the audience, it is again very hard to see what is going on, and there are few good pictures.

Mugging For the Camera:
We've changed our minds about this over the years; it makes for some fun pictures. But for the most part, it's best to act naturally. Don't stare at the camera. We will direct someone in the shot if it is needed.

Attitude:
Often brides are nervous about being the center of so much attention. They want to play down their role so they don't appear to be showing off. But you are the center of attention and well wishes - don't be afraid to shine and go with the moment. Your friends and relatives have come to celebrate and will want to share this joyous occasion with you to the fullest.

Your nervousness will diminish as the day unfolds, and by the end of the day you won't want to regret having been in the background of your own wedding! Relax, have a glass of wine. It's a very special day. Hire the best professionals and trust them to do a good job.

by Lolly Fleming, About You Photography