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Utah Bride and Groom Magazine  / Bridal Buzz / March 2010 / How To Get Great Bridal Photos {Expert Advice}

How To Get Great Bridal Photos {Expert Advice}

Yesterday I featured a gorgeous, vintage-inspired bridal session by Opie Foto, and today Ms. Opie is here to share her tips and advice for looking just as fabulous in your own bridal photos. So, without further ado, I give you Opie's words of wisdom....

The Dress – Make sure your dress will be ready in time for your scheduled bridal pictures. Have a seamstress check to make sure your dress fits in all areas and make any final adjustments. Have your dress steamed to remove any wrinkles because they will show up in the photographs.

Hair and Veil – Schedule an appointment to have your hair done professionally. Make sure you try on your veil to figure out the proper placement. I would recommend not wearing your veil for the entire photo shoot but instead bring another hair piece such as a flower or feather hair clip so you have a variety of different looks for your photos.

Makeup – Schedule to have your makeup done professionally by the same person who will do your makeup for the wedding.

Flowers – Order a bridal bouquet from your florist for your bridal pictures. This will be a smaller and less expensive version of your main wedding bouquet. This is a very important prop for your bridal pictures so don't forget to order flowers. If the day of the shoot comes and you realize you forgot to order a bouquet for your bridals, then make sure you pick up some flowers from a local florist or grocery store.

Shoes – Make sure you bring more then one pair of shoes for your bridal pictures. Bring your regular bridal shoes but also bring comfortable shoes for walking from one location to another. I would recommend bringing at lest one pair of colorful shoes if your bridal shoes are white. Most photographers like to photograph your shoes so make sure you get a pedicure if you wear cute peep-toe shoes.

Jewelry – Decide what bridal jewelry you will wear with your wedding dress. Make sure you wear your engagement ring for your bridal pictures and get a manicure before your photo shoot.

Props – Decide if you want to bring any props with you for your photo shoot. A few great props are: an umbrella, gloves, a shawl, a chair, a hat and balloons.

Location – Talk to your photographer about your bridal style and figure out a great location that will fit the look and feel of your overall bridal style. Email your photographer a photo of your wedding dress and brainstorm some indoor and outdoor locations for your photo shoot.

Seasons – No matter what season you're doing your bridal pictures, make sure you bring some bottled water and a small snack. Have a friend or family member come along to help carry small items and pick up the train of your dress. Make sure you bring a white sheet or shower curtain to put under your dress so it won't get dirty. Bring a warm coat and gloves if you are doing your bridal pictures in the winter.

Bring the Groom! – Many brides are deciding to bring the groom along for the bridal session and making it a “groomal” session instead. If you bring the groom along for the photo shoot this give you peace of mind that you already have some great bride and groom pictures before the wedding day. So if you have bad weather or you're running 30 minutes behind the day of the wedding, you know you already have some great bride and groom photos. Also, you can display your groomal pictures at the reception.