How to Look amazing in your wedding photographs

In and perfect world, we would all be supermodel confident in front of the camera lens, in reality, few of us are!

For most couples, photography is the one thing on their wedding day that is approached with a feeling something between trepidation and full-on dread. Which is why our unique natural, documentary-style, approach is so popular.

But what about wedding portraits? Well for 99.999% of our couples, hiring a photographer, to follow them around is unfamiliar territory! The good news is its nothing to worry about, and there are lots of things you can do to ease your concerns and get the gorgeous photos you deserve. 

1.  Find a Photographer that You Trust

This is probably the most important factor when it comes to looking great in your wedding photographs. Finding a photographer, you trust and feel comfortable working with, will not only make you feel less stressed but also help you look amazing! With that in mind, don't just look for a photographer whose work you love (although that's crucial, of course!), but also someone that you have a good feeling about, and imagine you will have a good rapport with. A great way to test this is with an engagement shoot.

2.    Consider an Engagement Shoot

An engagement shoot is often thought of as a frivolous expenditure, but think about, how else do you know what you’re really getting? An amazing wedding portfolio is great, but what are they like to work with, how will they make you feel, and how will they photograph you?

An engagement shoot gives you a chance at a practice run, you get to see how they work with you and what you can expect your photos to look like, not somebody else’s. 

3.  Find the perfect location

When you’re comfortable in your environment, this tends to come through in your photographs. I love telling stories through photographs, but the story should be yours. Think about where your most comfortable, and then ask your photographer if that can be incorporated into your photos. Don’t feel constrained by what you feel must be the “norm” great photos can happen anywhere!

4.  Hair and Makeup

It’s easy to think that you mention the word wedding and suddenly a couple of zeros are added to every quote. Professionals, however, typically know what will translates well into photographs. Taking your time to speak with professionals will help make sure that not only do you look amazing in the flesh, but the camera will adore you too. Don’t be afraid to be candid about what you want, have a trial get photos and make sure you feel as amazing as you look

5.  Tan with Caution

It can be tempting to top up your tan before your big day, especially if like me you spend 364 days a year looking a paler shade of white. If you are tempted by a tan of the bottled variety plan to go a shade lighter than normal for your wedding. Skipping the science lesson, fake tan likes to show up slightly more orange in photographs than in the flesh. If this happens, don’t panic, it can be corrected in editing but some natural tones can be lost.

6.  Makeup Repair Kit

I love photographing weddings late into the evening, as they can produce some great images. If, however, you plan to outshine your guest all evening your makeup is possibly going to need topping up, even the best makeup struggles at weddings! Speak with your makeup artist and buy a few items after your trial. Once you have decided on your final look including lip products, a powder and a concealer to your kit, you can also throw in a pencil eyeliner if you want to amp up your eyes at the

7. Get a Good Night's Sleep

Typically, easier said than done, given the probable rush of excitement and nerves. There are, however, few things that can be done to hide a tired appearance of try and schedule a good eight hours of sleep before the big day. Your makeup artist will thank you for it, and knowing that you've got lots of fuel in the proverbial tank will put you at ease!

8.  Plan your Time

I am yet to attend a wedding, where everything happened on time. On the day time loses all meaning, so it’s easy for schedules to get off track. To avoid getting flustered and stressed (not how you want to be) try planning for the unexpected, but some flex into your schedule and give yourself more time than you think you need.

10. Don't Focus on How Your Body Looks

Most of us feel body conscious in some form or another. On our wedding day, we hope that we can, somehow, achieve an idealised version of ourselves that conforms to societal beauty standards. In reality, the most beautiful photos I have taken, are not overly posed or staged images, but the ones where my couples look happy and relaxed. No one has ever looked this way while sucking in their tummy or pushing out their chin. Often, worrying about how you appear in the camera lens will only build tension in your body and face. As a visual storyteller, I don’t want you to be anyone other than you. I will offer subtle direction on how to look your best, taking in all of the other factors at play, from the light and the composition of the image, to how your outfit moves, but I want you and your personalities to be on show.

12. Keep your Poses Natural

Even as natural wedding portraits require some posing, but this doesn’t mean they have to look unnatural. An engagement shoot is an excellent way to understand this process and get a feel for working with your photographer. It is important, to me, that your photos reflect who you are as a couple. Therefore, if you are not into PDAs, there's little point in having a dozen photographs of you kissing. Your photos should feel authentic, natural and real, even if they have been helped along with some gentle guidance