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Photo Tips for the Bride and the Groom
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After years of photographing wedding couples my best advice is to just be relaxed and have fun. For the more technical tips however here are a few things that will make your photo shoot go smoothly and you will love the results.
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Each month we post photos on the website of couples enjoying their weddings in Hawaii with Kona Weddings.
Click here to see photos of our recent weddings. |
TEETH: Yes, let’s talk about teeth. Whitening your teeth a week before the wedding will make your day complete and your photos beautiful. You will love to smile and the photos will be the proof. Yellowing teeth, coffee and tobacco stains will ruin your photos. Just use an over the counter method and the few dollars spent will help make memories that will last a lifetime.
BLEMISHES: If you have a pimple, mole, or scar on your face that you do not want left in the photo…just the photographer know. They can do wonders with digital photos, but they will not remove blemishes unless it is requested. If the blemish is extensive they may charge for removing it on every photo, but again it is worth it. You’ll be looking at your photos for a lifetime and you don’t want that pimple showing in every photo for years to come…unless you want to tell your children and grand-children that everyone has pimples and it’s no big deal.
ARMS: Ladies, I cannot express the number of photos that are not selected because you feel your arms are unattractive or “fat”. I have a lot advice on this one, but the most important is…have a friend take a photo of you in your wedding gown before you purchase it. Turn sideways and look at your arms. This is what the guests will be looking at. Your arm will be facing the audience for the entire ceremony and if you love the dress and hate the way it makes your arms look, consider a light weight, off-the-shoulder wrap to help conceal what you don’t want to be seen.
HAIR: A beach wedding can be very windy. Ask your coordinator about your location and what the wind it like there in the evenings. If you are going to do an Up-do, do not have any curls hanging down on the sides. With the humidity and wind…they won’t look pretty very long and then they will blow in your face. Also, if you want to keep your hair down you may sacrifice some sunset photos because you can’t face the way that is needed because the wind is blowing too hard. For this I suggest a Haku (Head Lei).
If you are getting your hair done at the salon ask the hairdresser for extra bobby pins to take to the beach with you. Keep a hair clip with you and the photographer can shoot the side of your hair so the clip won’t show.
SHOES: Wear comfortable shoes on the beach and plan ahead. Ask your coordinator what type of beach you will be going to. What is the sand like? Is it course or soft? Will I need shoes or can I go barefoot? How is the trail for getting there? Do I need the same pair of shoes to get to the beach as I need to wear around the beach? Some trails are rough and different shoes are needed. Also, if you are planning a nice dinner, you may also need yet another pair of shoes to keep in the car so that you can change before going into the restaurant. When the sun is starting to set…you will only have a few minutes to get those GREAT photos so you’ll need to be able to move quickly and not worry about getting sand in your shoes or scuffing the heals.
FORMAL or NOT so FORMAL: A beach wedding will be beautiful and so will you the day of your wedding. The decision for what is wear is entirely up to you. IF you are going formal let the coordinator know if you have a train and how long it is. Moving the bride and repositioning her after every shot takes time and the photographer will need more time to get all the shots he/she needs. You may be asked to begin the wedding an extra 15 minutes early if your train is long. Just keep your coordinator informed and everything will go very smoothly.
BOUQUETS: Flowers are beautiful! Tropical flowers are colorful and plentiful. You are coming to Hawaii and as a wedding photographer, I feel, every bride needs a bouquet. It adds so much to the photos. Plus, it gives the bride something to hold on to during the ceremony. It is very awkward trying to find something to do with your hands. Oh yes! Did I mention that every bride needs a bouquet?
MAKEUP: Do your makeup outside and not in a dark bathroom. You are getting married outside and the lighting needs to be the same. Purchase a shade darker than you normally use just in case you get some sun and your complexion has gotten darker. You may need to mix it with your other foundation for a better color. Use more that normal and finish with a translucent powder to keep the shine down. Bring the compact with you and touch up right before walking down the aisle…beach, after the ceremony before the sunset photo shoot begins, and before dinner.
TANNING: If your wedding isn’t for a few days after you arrive make sure you don’t have tan lines before the wedding. Girls…this is a biggy for the guys too. They never seem to care if they get sun but they too can look like bright red lobsters in all the photos and there is nothing that can be done short of a Photoshop genius working all the photos and charging you. Great sunscreen can save you a lot of heartache.
BEFORE…DURING…SUNSET…RECEPTION SHOTS: This is a tough call for many couples to make because of the added expense. Photographers will charge an additional amount to be there for the bride getting dressed or the limo ride with the girls, and then a relocation fee for the reception. This is so worth it. You will be having so much fun and you’ll want to capture every moment. These are some of the most treasured moments of your wedding day and you cannot rely on friends to take the shots. Plan for photos; budget for photos; BUDGET for EXTRA photos, Enhanced Photos, and Enlargements. If you want the negatives or JPGs ask the photographer if they are made available. Many photographers will not release wedding negatives. PLEASE be aware of the photographers that say they will give you all the negatives on a CD and you can hire them for evening for x amount of money and they will just burn them off for you. You might as well have Aunt Sally snapping her 110 and handing it to you for you to get developed. Remember…they have already been paid. Brides have come to me in tears with a CD asking me to see what I can do to fix and correct the photos so that they can be printed. You only have one time to get this right. Don’t get caught using the phrase…”You get what you pay for.”
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