By: Kristy Reimer

Your photos are one of the few things about your wedding that you get to keep forever. After the event is over, your reception food will be eaten, the tuxes will go back to the rental shop, and the decorations will be taken down and dismantled. Most brides keep their dress, but it us usually packed up in a box and rarely brought out. But your photos are the one thing that you get to show off forever! Each time you open your album, you should be able to relive the spectacular even that it was and rekindle the union that was celebrated. So let’s get right into getting the most out of your photo session!!

Here are a few tips which I’ve found dramatically help the bride & groom AND the photographer for achieving spectacular pictures:

1. Leave enough time and daylight for your photo session.

It usually takes a little while for couples to warm up to the camera…which is perfectly normal and expected. So being rushed for time could mean that you have to hurry though each combination before you’re warmed up. Instead, allow the time so moments can happen naturally and you’ll warm up into being that lens diva that you know you can be.

Most couples choose to have their photo session in between the ceremony and reception out of tradition. If you choose this option, make sure you have at least 3 hours in between. If you choose to go to multiple photo locations or if your reception location is a good drive away, be sure to add driving time in as well. If you choose the option of having your photo session before your ceremony, again, plan your day carefully. Leave about 2.5 hours for your photo session, and another 45 minutes or so to get freshened up and take a bit of a break before your ceremony.

Daylight is especially important to think about with winter weddings. What time does the sun go down? Will we be at our photo location with ample daylight for at least 2.5 hours of shooting time?

2. Have a practice session or engagement shoot before your wedding.

Engagement shoots are the perfect time to practice modeling before your big day. Some poses that may be used at the wedding, like the famous “dip”, should be practiced so that there will be no dropping of the bride in her gorgeous gown. It also could show you some things that you may want to change before the wedding. For example, you may realize that you can wear significantly more makeup in photos than you would on a normal day, or that you tend to slouch in certain poses. Many of my brides have wished that they did not wear false eyelashes on their wedding because of the lashes casting shadows and making them look squinty. These are some things that can be tried out in the engagement session so a good decision can be made before hand. But most importantly, this session is to get used to the camera so that you can have fun, and be yourself, and get any photo jitters out of the way!!

3. Be fun, flirty, romantic, and comical.

When you know you have lots of time for your photo session, and are already pretty comfortable in front of the camera from your engagement session, there will be nothing left to worry about. So relax, and let the real YOU come out in the photos! I always try to encourage couples to interact with each other in their photos how they interact normally. This usually starts with a shot where I tell the couple to stare longingly into each other’s eyes. This either creates a lot of laughing, spurs on some flirting, or the couple gets lost in such a romantic gaze that they forget about the photographer for a moment. Although I make a lot of suggestions on poses, the best shots are always when the bride and groom take my ideas a little further, get a little flirtier, go for that huge kiss, etc. If you are the crazy and fun type of couple, make sure your photographer knows this. Or if other people have mentioned that your romance is inspiring, let your photographer know.

I certainly hope these few tips will help you get the most our of your photo session so that you will have an heirloom of memories to relive for years to come.