Wedding Session Preparation

Your hair
Your hair style should complement your wedding gown and headpiece. But it should never be too extreme or fussy. An extreme or elaborate hair style will draw attention away from your face and will date your portrait. Discuss your wedding hair style with your hairdresser. He/she will be delighted to work with you, and you will be much happier with the results. Then, just before your bridal portrait is made (and before the wedding itself), comb the hair ends and control them with a light spray.

Your makeup
No amount of makeup will substitute for plenty of rest. So, be sure to get a good night’s sleep before your portrait sitting. That way, you will have the best possible start for your makeup. And making up will be that much easier. If you take advantage of one or more of the suggestions that follow — even though you have been using makeup for years — you may find that some practice is in order, along with some experimenting. Make yourself up several times, until you achieve the natural look you want in your portrait. It will be time well spent.
Foundation…A liquid or cream base is best, with a color as close as possible to your own skin tone. Avoid pancake and powder since they have a matte finish that kills essential highlights. Blend it evenly on your face and down to your throat, and onto your shoulders and chest too, if your gown features bare shoulders or décolletage. Then, if corrective measures are necessary, they can be taken with lighter or darker shades.

Rouge or Blusher: A little rouge or blusher can add a spark of life to a color portrait, but keep your makeup on the light side to avoid a heavy appearance.

Lipstick: For best results, apply a medium shade of lipstick with a brush. Dark lipstick will give you that “over-made-up” look, while a too-light shade can practically make your mouth disappear. For a moist look, use a lip gloss if you wish.

Eyes: Whether you normally use it or not in the daytime, correct eye makeup is a must when you sit for your portrait. Be careful not to overdo it, but eyes without makeup all but vanish, especially in a black and white photograph. Define your eyebrows with a pencil no darker than the actual shade of the brow, using short feather strokes following the natural arch. Use a soft lead pencil at the outer tips for a more natural effect. And apply your mascara to both upper and lower lashes, sparingly and with smooth, sweep strokes. Eye shadow, when used, should always be light and should never be used under the eyes as it will give a mask-like appearance (like a raccoon).

Be ready on time!
Don’t be late! If you are not ready for pictures on time, you take valuable time away from the photographer, hampering his/her creative skills. Pictures become rushed and hectic if time is short, and you lose out by not getting the variety in your pictures. It’s like asking a chef to prepare a meal that would normally take 30 minutes to prepare, and only giving him 15 to 20 minutes to do it in. He would be able to do it, but some of the quality of the meal would have to suffer. So, we repeat, BE ON TIME! If people are not ready on time, the photographer cannot assure the photographic coverage you want. It is difficult to “hurry” the photographs without sacrificing quality or poses.

About other cameras
Make sure there are no other cameras there while your professional photographer(s) are trying to do their job in giving you the photographic coverage you have selected. When other people are there with cameras, quite often the photographs the professional takes for you are ruined by someone else’s flash, and this is not discovered until the shot has been taken. Also, the time lost by waiting for them to photograph you, take away time the professional could use in giving you more variety and perfection in the poses created for you. So in essence, when you allow other people to photograph you, have them take their pictures one-half hour before the professional arrives, so when the professional photographer arrives, they can use that time to record your wedding to the best of their ability!

Keep the sanctuary clear of people
Have your Best Man, Maid of Honor, or your Host / Hostess keep the sanctuary clear of all people until the photographer is ready for them. This includes the wedding party, parents, family members, etc. We find that the bride and groom are more relaxed and it is much easier for them if there are no distractions or interruptions.

Work closely with your photographer
Once you have selected your photographer, work closely with them, so they can note your likes and dislikes, and have a complete understanding of the styles you prefer. Be sure to communicate with them openly about special photographs you have in mind so there is no misunderstanding. The only way for them to know what you really want is for you to tell them!