Tips for great wedding day photography!

If you're anything like me, being natural in front of the camera, is not something you were blessed with, from the start. But I was given some amazing tips, to help me look less like a zombie and more like a blushing bride. So today, I'm going to pass those along to you.


1. Think about something. Think about something that invokes emotion. If you're getting ready for your big day, imagine you're gorgeous groom standing at the end of the aisle in his sleek pressed suit, with tears in his eyes, waiting for only you.

What does this do?

This brings life to your eyes, pulls natural smiles to the surface and keeps your portraits natural.

2. You don't have to smile in ever shot. Let's be honest, if I'm following you around for 8+ hours, you're going to get super sick of smiling, your face is going to hurt and your going to get agitated. My job is to document your special moments, throughout the day. And there will be moments, where you're reading a letter your soon to be hubby wrote you and you want to cry. That's okay, the images will be beautiful, because they're real, regardless of if you're smiling.

3. Stand up straight. It's the worst thing, when the day is over and a couple and I are siting going over their wedding images, is when a bride says something like, "this would be my favorite, if only my shoulders weren't so hunched". I follow brides all day long, "stand up straight" "relax your shoulders" "chin up". I do it, not to be annoying, but so you love your photos as much as I want you to!

4. A lot of us women complain about our arms in wedding images, more than any other part of our body. This is a trouble spot and most woman's natural instinct is to pull them in tight and try to hide them. But that's the opposite of what you really want to do. Leave them a little more loose (stand up straight!) and bring your arms out away from your sides just a little. This tights then muscles a little more than leaving them limp noodles at your side.

5. Personalize it! Put your spin on everything! I love when my clients think outside of the box and get a little wild and free.
If you want to do a few wedding shots with the new puppy, your fiance proposed with, let's make it happen!
You want to get a shot of your hubby and you standing out in the snow, dancing in the moonlight. Let's do it!
You want to have a pizza bar but think it's too nontraditional. If someone tells you they don't love pizza, I think they're lying. Pizza is delicious and I would have loved to think of pizza at my wedding! (Or tacos! Tacos are life!)
What ever it is that you want to do, do it. It's your wedding. You're about to marry the love of your life, so let go of everyone else's opinions.

To be continued....