International Wedding Photographers ZaraZoo Wedding Photography – Cape Town

The fairytale wedding is every bride’s dream!   If there is one thing you should not cut on, it’s the photos!  Hire the best photographer you can afford – You will look your best, so make sure it’s captured the same way!

Here are a few tips that will ensure you looking your best in the photos.

Before the wedding:

1. Do not have a facial 3 days before the wedding – facials help with opening the pores, and can cause your skin to break out.
2. Don’t overuse the sunbed!  Sunbed tans tend to be yellow and over doing it will ruin your photos!
3. Drink lots of water in the week running up to the wedding – this will purify the skin and avoid breakouts when the stress levels rise before and on the wedding day.
4. Book an E-session – This is paramount!  It gives you the opportunity to see how the photographer works and get comfortable in front of the camera.
5. Do not amputate your small toe to fit into your wedding shoes – it’s a joke, but it has been done!  Bottom line, do not go to extremes – It should be the real you in the photos and not some pumped up Barbie doll!

Preparations

1. Make sure your preparations venue is air conditioned, light and airy.  Getting ready in a luxury environment does something for the soul, so spend the extra few dollars and book yourself into a 5-star room for the preps – It’s your wedding day for goodness sake.   Preparation photos taken in a posh room will make you look like royalty!
2. Champagne makes you sweat – drink some while your hair is being done, but keep the consumption down while the make-up is done.  You’ll have plenty of opportunity later  to sip some bubbly.
3. Do not take calming medication that you have not taken before.  The last thing you want to happen is to break out in a rash or to react in a strange way.
4. Make sure the photographer starts 2 hours before the ceremony.  This will give him enough time to take snaps of all the bits, your dress, jewelry and shoes.
5. Mock the Make-up shots – you will never use the shots of a half made-up face – you need to look your best!
6. Be ready 1 hour before the ceremony (without traveling time).  Do some shots indoors, unless it is cool enough to go out.  The last thing you want is make-up running off your face before you walk down the isle.

Family shots

1. Do a list of 10 family groups max before the wedding and give it to your photographer.  More than that is a waste – you will never put them all in your album.  Aunt Betty will only be mad for a day or two if she’s left out  – Rather have more time for your couple shoot and to mingle with guests at the pre-drinks.
2. Do something different – standing in a line is so 70’s!  Get a couch out on the lawn or set people up around a prop to get a creative feel to it.

Posing in General

1. Stand flat – look fat!  Never stand square to the camera.  Put one shoulder a bit forward and turn the hips when posing.  The slight angle will accentuate the hips and make your body look like that of Kate Moss.
2. A sexy look out of the corner of the eye does much more for me that a flat face, square to the lens.  So point your nose away from the camera and then look in the direction of the photographer.

Couple shots

1. Take an extra pair of comfortable shoes with.  Us crazy photographers will make you trek through vineyards and fields – rather do it in something comfy than high heels and blame us for the blisters and dirt afterward!
2. Do not bother about the dress too much – Yes, I know it cost a fortune, but you will probably wear it only once, so wear it well!  Chances are that it will get dirty before the night is out, so you will have to get it dry cleaned in any case.  By the time the couple shots are taken, the formal ceremony and family shots are over and only the reception lies ahead.  Guess what… In most cases the reception is dark, so even if you do pick up a dirty spot or smudge, you will be the only one to know it!
3. Go wild and listen to the photographer – the better he feels, the better shots you will get.  If you moan and groan about things he suggests it will upset his rhythm and tap his creative juices – big no no.
4. Unless told otherwise, always shift more weight to one leg – this will help with relaxing and create better posture and curves.
5. A hand in the hip will make the waist look thinner, but beware – put your hand too high and it will look uncomfortable and awkward.

I can still add a lot more, but these are the basics every bride should tend to to ensure good photos.

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