Get Great Pictures on Your Wedding Day – Get Committed!

How many times have you heard yourself say, “I’m horrible a getting my picture taken” or “I don’t like my [insert facial feature here]” or any other self-doubt technique that prevents you from taking great photos?  Really?

We photographers are often the worst at this – I know I am!  One of the many reasons photographers get behind the camera is so they are not in front of it.  So, believe me I KNOW where you are coming from.

The reality is, though, your wedding is coming, and you are going to have your picture taken.  A LOT.

Not only is your professional photographer going to take your picture about a thousand times, but just about 75 to 85% of your friends and family will have cameras (sometimes even a few pro kits!) and they are going to snap away and post them all on their facebooks – for everyone to see – with your names tagged.

Yikes.

What can you do?  Get ready – mentally and physically.  Mentally you have to get committed to having your wedding photos taken! 

• It's YOUR DAY.  You spent a lot of sweat, tears, money and love to create this fabulous day. ENJOY it.  Be committed to being happy.  The joy and happiness on your face will show on your photos.
• Commit yourself to having your picture taken.  Great portraits take some work.  You have to POSE.  I will probably ask you to do things and go in positions you have not done on camera before.  There is a reason models get paid – it’s because they are pros at posing. 
• TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER.  When you look at my portfolio, understand these are all photos of real people.  It is my JOB to make people look their best.  I will NEVER snap a photo that purposely makes a client look bad.  To be dreadfully honest, bad photos of clients are bad for my business!
• Do an engagement shoot.  There is a reason why I like to include them in my packages – engagement shoots are great practice for your wedding day.  You get those first “OH MY I am posing for Pro Cameras” jitters out of your system!
• Hire a wedding coordinator.  I realize that some people consider coordinators a luxury, but in reality, they help you save money, time and stress.  Stress shows up big-time in photos - You can't photoshop stress out of faces and postures.  Many coordinators have “day of” services – if your wedding is all planned – you can hire a coordinator just to have the logistics of the day taken care of.
• Girls – get your makeup done by a pro. Pros have techniques and products that can last all day. If you are good at self application, invest in some quality makeup.  Quality foundation, even if you do not normally wear foundation, helps your other makeup stay put and keeps your skin from looking all sweaty in the warm weather.  Many drug-store quality foundations (and many mineral foundations) reflect light on camera (especially camera flash) horribly.  A quality eye shadow primer will set your eye shadow and keep it from creasing all day long.
• GUYS – I carry pro theatre make up with me.  Do not get offended if I want to powder the shine off you.  It’s for your own good.
• IGNORE me during your wedding events.   I will snap away and capture your ceremony and events.  Visualize that just you and your new spouse are in the room. 

Your Wisconsin wedding is a life-changing, glorious event.  With just these few tips, you can help me create lasting photo memories of your event.