5 Tips to Look Great in Wedding Photos

Ann of Ann’s Photography in South Carolina shared this great advice for brides to help them look great in wedding photos. Thanks Ann!

One of the things I like to talk to brides and grooms about is how to have better images on your wedding day. There are 5 things to remember:

  1. While walking down the aisle, hold your bouquet waist level. You want your bouquet waist level in most of your images. This tip is for the bride as well as the bridesmaids.

  2. When you have your first kiss, hold the kiss for 3 or 4 seconds to ensure I have several opportunities to capture that kiss. Also, make sure you are touching each other. If hands are straight to your side, it does not look right in the image. You loose the warmth of that first kiss. Hold hands or hold each other. Groom can touch brides face, just make sure you both make a connection with your hands on each other when you kiss.

  3. During your images of just the two of you, the same applies, hug, snuggle, touch each others faces. I tend to shoot a lot of candid shots so they look more natural of the two of you interacting.

  4. Be natural, even when I pose you, I will ask you to stand how you normally do when talking to someone then I will adjust a few things if it is a formal image.

  5. Be ready early so we have plenty of time to take pictures of you with your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Be prepared for a few images of getting ready.

    Groom and groomsmen, I tend to like to capture images of details, grooms shoes, cuff links, tie, before they are on. I will enter the room once you have dressed in your tux pants and have your shirts on. I do like to capture images of people helping the groom finish with putting on the cuff links and helping with the tie. Your dad, brother or friends putting on your coat, mom pinning your boutonniere.

    Brides and bridesmaids, time with you getting ready will include capturing images of hair and makeup being done, details of your dress, shoes, bouquet, your girls helping you put on your dress, lace up, button up or zip. Garter being put on, Mom, sister or friends helping put on your jewelry and shoes.

    Then I take formals and informals of the bride with her parents, family, her bridesmaids and the groomsmen.

    After that, I take the groom and do formals and informals of the groom with his parents, family, his groomsmen and the bridesmaids.

    Everything else is done after the wedding. Allowing time for this will get you to your reception much faster. Always remember, the venue/church sanctuary typically wants us out of there 30 minutes before the ceremony so that means 90 minutes before the ceremony, I need to be starting your formal pictures. So, if you think it will take 1 hour to get ready, then you need to be at the church 2 1/2 hours before your wedding begins. Otherwise, we will be trying to do a lot of images between your ceremony and reception. You’ll need more time to get some fun creative shots.


Ann’s Photography specializes in weddings. I shoot all my clients weddings as a story teller. My main goal is to convey your wedding in a beautiful way producing a moving story book of your day that will become a heirloom piece for your family for generations to enjoy.

Check out more of Ann’s photos on her website

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