Tips and Tricks To get the most out of your wedding photography on your wedding day

Hire a make up artist

Great Portraits start with good make up, not even photoshop airbrushing can equal what a great make up artist can do. So if you have the money do yourself a favor and hire a great make up artist.

Make sure that there is enough natural light during every aspect of your wedding day.

During the time when you are getting ready, getting married, formal portraits, and reception. The more natural light there is the more flattering your wedding photographs will be and the less time your wedding photographer will have to spend setting up complicated lights (which means the more time he will be spending with you).

So you want beautiful Wedding Photography

So you want to look like the couples that you see in the magazines, well that means you have to budget the time for photography. Make sure that you allow enough time, not only for the "formal photography" but for the other stuff too. Set aside some time during the getting ready portion of the day so we can put you in some great light that absolutely flatters you and your brides maids when you are getting ready. Right after the ceremony budget some time for your wedding photographer to some great wedding photographs of the two of you with out any distractions from guests or family. Photography isn't just point and click, sometimes it takes a couple minutes to get things right.

Have enough ambient light for your reception

To ensure that your wedding reception photography comes out great use this rule when planning the lighting. Make it light enough so that the oldest person at the wedding can read the fine print on a menu with out having to strain. This will give enough light to present a sense of atmosphere in your wedding photographs instead of looking like you are surrounded by darkness. This will also help wedding photographers because the darker a wedding venue gets the more difficult it becomes for our cameras to focus, so keep it lighter and you'll have better wedding photographs.

Don't choose a Dress that doesn't fit your body well

When choosing a dress bring along someone who can be totally honest with you and only bring around 3 people (any more and it can become confusing). When you try your wedding gown on make sure to sit down in it, dance in it, and walk around in it. These are all things that you will be doing at your wedding and you want to make sure that the wedding gown both looks and feels good when you do these things.

Don't sing during your first dance

As much as the two of you probably know the lyrics of the song to which you will be dancing your first dance as husband and wife, try to resist the urge to sing. The reason for this is that you will end up with wedding photographs that won't look very flattering as your mouths will be open singing or half closed.

Move Slow

When Dancing or walking down the isle make sure not to rush. When you walk down the isle just remember you don't get points for getting their the fastest, if your fiance made it this far he probably isn't going anywhere. When dancing if you spin do it slower than you normally would this will give your wedding photographer a better opportunity to capture the two of you instead of getting backs of heads.

Don't Chew Gum

Need I say more?

Remember to Smile

When walking down the isle or being announced at your reception, remember to smile. We've had to toss out so many wedding photographs of brides maids and grooms men photographs because they were scowling with out even noticing.

Hold your flowers down

Try to hold your flowers lower than you think is correct. This will prevent the appearance in your wedding photographs of flowers growing out of your dress.

Get Engagement Portraits

This is such a great opportunity for brides and grooms to get to know their photographer. It is like a rehearsal for your wedding. Not only can you see how your wedding photographer works and how he communicates things to you but your wedding photographer can see how best to photography you and exactly how much direction the two of you need.

Get Bridal Portraits

Perhaps not as important as engagement portraits, but if engagement portraits are a rehearsal for your wedding then bridal portraits are a dress rehearsal for your wedding. This again allows your photographer to see how best to photograph you in your wedding dress, but it also gives you the chance to see how the dress preforms and if there are any changes that you need to have done before your wedding.

Wear a veil

Although this is not necessary, it can be very fun. It also adds a lot of interest in both bridal photographs as well as wedding photographs. There is just so much that you can do with a veil, and for the bride who doesn't know how to "pose" this can give them something to do when having their bridal portraits or wedding portraits taken.

Bridal Portrait Necessities

During the corse of the wedding photography process you may elect to have bridal portraits taken. If you do there are primarily 2 options. Bridal portraits in a studio (usually the photographer will provide everything that you need) and bridal portraits on location. If you choose the on location bridal portraits you will want to bring a few things.

A make up artist (I've said it before great wedding photography and bridal portraits start with good make up, seriously consider hiring someone who knows what they are doing and can make you look your best)

White towels (so that incase you would like to get some sitting or kneeling bridal portraits with out getting your dress dirty)

Powder for touch ups (inevitable you will be taking bridal portraits when everything is in bloom and this will probably mean warm temperatures so having some powder to touch up faces in between bridal portraits is not only recommended but a necessity) Water (again you will probably be trekking around all over in a very heavy wedding dress for bridal portraits. To keep from getting too hot bring along some water).

A good friend (with all that you have to do or cary to have someone there that you trust that can keep an eye out for the details or the the things that you would like to capture can be invaluable)