1. You don’t look silly! “Realize that even though you feel stupid while you’re getting pictures taken, they’re turning out great. If you can just laugh and go with it, the images will reflect your personalities and show the connection between the two of you. You can be in a crappy location, but as long as you’re in a good mood, your pictures are going to rock.” —Genya Garrett, Vue Photography, Panama City, Florida

2. Clean up your room! “If you want your ‘getting ready’ pictures to look their best, keep the place clean. That room becomes the basis, the background, for all of your pictures. If you have ten girls dressing and undressing in the same room, it will show in your photos. The room should be clutter-less. I get the best pictures when I walk into a room that someone has intentionally kept neat.” —Brian Dorsey, Brian Dorsey Studios, New York, New York

3.  Hire a make-up artist! Although you may be tempted to do it yourself, hiring a professional will pay off in the long run.  “Do-it-yourself brides look fine for the first hour or so, but then the makeup wears off. Or they wear very subtle makeup that doesn’t photograph well: Nothing pops.” —Cathy Short, Devonshire Photography, Wilbraham, Massachusetts

4. Photos First! If you don’t care too much either way, it may be a good idea for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony. “It gets the jitters out of the way and gives me time to get some fun, unique images. When portraits are taken after the ceremony, it’s hard for the couple to focus. They don’t want to miss the party!” —Sarah Maren, Sarah Maren Photography, Sacramento, California

5. May I have this *entire* dance? “Don’t cut your first dance short or have your bridal party join you halfway through it. This decreases the amount of images I can get of just the two of you during your reception. If you dance for the entire song, you’ll end up with more sweet, intimate photos.” —Alison Conklin, Alison Conklin Photography, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

6. Light up the dance floor! There are so many images you want captured during a reception, and the lighting will play an important part in how the pictures turn out.  “Ask the DJ or band to light themselves and the dance floor. Or, if it’s in your budget, look into a lighting designer, who can add uplighting to the room and give it extra pop. Lighting makes the space look cooler and preserves the ambiance.” —Anne Ruthman, Anne Ruthman Photography, Boston, Massachusetts

For more wedding photography & video tips, visit Brides.com!

Planning your Engagement Session

You want to show off your relationship and also your personality, so it’s a good idea to put some thought & planning into your engagement session. One of the best ways to do that is through your clothing and accessories. Here are some tips for adding a little flair!

• Scarves, belts, hats, shoes, jewelry, etc all add to your look & will help create some amazing images for you. Bringing in some of your personal style helps the photographer to be a lot more creatively inspired!
• Think about having a couple of outfits to change into. Stick with clothing that you are comfortable in.
• Schedule your hair & makeup trial on the same day as the engagement session, if possible, to ensure you’ll look your very best in the engagement photos.
• Coordinate his & her outfits together. When choosing clothing for the two of you, think of the different pieces of each outfit, so that everything works well together.
• Location, location, location! Whether in your home or a nearby park, the key is to be creative and have fun. The you can incorporate your surroundings and each other, the better your pictures will be.
• Albright creative Imagery.com suggests that you take 30 minutes before the shoot to just focus on each other. You want the focus your attention on just the two of you so that during the shoot your connection to each other will be strong. These sparks will be permanently recorded in your pictures.

Check out the accessories in the following photos, such as the hot red shoes, guy’s hat, and flower in the girl’s hair. If you consider what type of vibe you want in your photos, whether it’s romantic, sensual, sweet, or fiery, your choice of color and accessories will make a big impact.

Flirt with the camera

Most couples feel a little nervous and shy when they start their session, and it often take at least 20 minutes to warm up to the camera. But a big way to get the most out of your session is to play up your relationship to the camera. The idea is to capture the real relationship between the two of you, and the best way to do that is to act naturally with each other, relax, and have fun. “If you are typically goofy with each other, then show that to the camera,” Geoff advises. “If the two of you tend to be more intimate, then go ahead and snuggle up, hold hands, embrace, look into each other’s eyes. If you are very romantic and tend to be more on the sensual side, then don’t be afraid to show it! I’m a big fan of making out on camera!”

Props can add a unique touch to your photos, so consider using something that’s meaningful to both of you, or whatever catches your fancy during the photo shoot. A car, a tree, or even a pet…

Images from Geoff White and albrightcreativeimagery.com

Poses

There are many ways to pose for engagement photos, so you should consider your own preferences, as well as how you’d like to present the photos to family and friends. You can have your photographer take some formal poses of you as well as some that are more causual or dramatic.

Formal:

Fun:

Dramatic:

Wear colors that compliment your coloring. Not all whites are created equal! Pick a dress in a shade that looks good against your skin and hair tone.

Determine your best angle. One good way to do this is experiment with a digital camera, in various poses. It will very quickly become obvious which angles are most flattering for you, and you can then use that angle as much as possible in the future. Do not face squarely into the camera with weight evenly distributed on both feet, unless you want pictures that look stiff and unnatural. Rather, angle your body slightly to one side, whether  you are standing or sitting. If you are standing, rest your weight on one foot.

Get rid of the double chin. To hide a double chin, lean slightly toward the camera, and tilt your head down a bit. Try to position yourself so that the camera is a little above your eye level. You can also put one hand under your chin as though you’re resting your head on your hand, without actually putting weight on it.

Heads up! Don’t look directly at the camera, always look slightly above it. (Some suggest looking slightly to the side.)

Don’t blink! To avoid blinking, have the photographer count to three. Blink as he counts two, so your eyes will be open on three!

Listen to your mother and don’t slouch! Good posture can dramatically improve your appearance in pictures. Sitting or standing up straight will make you look more alert and attractive. Breath normally, while drawing your stomach in and relaxing your shoulders. This is something you might want to practice in advance, especially if you don’t have naturally good posture.

Relax! Many people look funny in photos because they freeze into fixed smiles or odd facial expressions. If you start feeling nervous, take a deep breath, and exhale naturally, relaxing your arms and shoulders. Don’t hold your breath. If you see the camera following you, don’t panic and try to strike a pose. Just keep doing what you’re doing let the camera capture the moment!

Think happy thoughts! Nothing looks better than a genuine, happy smile. Think of someone who makes you happy (on your wedding day that shouldn’t be too difficult!), or imagine something really funny. Don’t be afraid to laugh a bit! To avoid a stiff, unnatural smile, try to time it so that you don’t have to hold it for too long.

If you don’t like your smile or your teeth, adopt a Mona Lisa expression. Try a more subdued, closed-mouth smile. Regardless of how you choose to smile, try to convey a happy, relaxed air. A serious or melancholy look comes off as grim, not mysterious.

Smile with your eyes. Nothing projects happiness and beauty like eyes that sparkle and shine. To achieve this effect, think about having a crush or being in love. Chances are, on your wedding day you are unconsciously doing this already!

And now with your mouth. Smile using your top row of teeth; a smile with both rows of teeth can easily look fake. You might try a teeth-whitener for a more dazzling smile. Keep your tongue behind your teeth.

Keep the shine down. You want to be matte, so avoid the shine in the ever-troublesome t-zone – the top of your nose and your forehead. Bring along some face powder for touch-ups, especially on a warm day.

Keep your arms in. Try to keep all body parts as close to your torso as possible, as anything protruding directly at the camera will seem huge in the photo.  Some women hold their arms just a couple inches away from their body to minimize the flabby upper arm look.

Down with the flowers: When posing with a bouquet, do not bend your elbows at 45 degree angles. Keep your arms long, otherwise the flowers will hide the pretty bodice of your dress and make you look shorter than you are.

Sources: WikiHow, eHow

Picture: divavillage

The two basic styles of wedding photography are photojournalism and traditional.

Photojournalism: The focus is on action and spontaneity. This style has become increasingly popular in the past 10 years, and gives weddings a visual authenticity by capturing activity as it happens.

Traditional: It’s exactly as it sounds-posed, formal portraits. Pre-defined moments during the wedding are photographed to ensure the essence of the day is captured.

Combinations: Many wedding photographers are now offering a mix of styles, including photojournalism, relaxed traditional, high fashion and fine art.

Here are a few ways to get started:

• Explore online photo galleries and wedding photographer sites. Save photos that you really love.
• Combine these pictures with ideas from wedding magazines to form a visual collage. Print out online pages and paste them together with pages you’ve ripped from magazines.
• You can even create a personal wedding site, blog, or public photo gallery to post your bookmarked images and get friends’ and family’s feedback.

Once you have a good sense of the way you want your photos to look, you’[ll be able to communicate that to potential photographers, and allow you to start establishing a relationship with the person you choose.

You should feel comfortable bringing informed opinions to your wedding photographer. It’s OK if you are not exactly sure what style you want or are unfamiliar with the technical terms. But if you can discuss these things with a photographer and feel like he understands your needs and vision, that is a good start.

More photography advice from Shutterfly:

Part 1: Choosing your wedding photographer

Part 2: Planning with your wedding photographer

Part 3: Creating your wedding shot list

Part 4: Creating your keepsakes

This is the hard lesson learned by Lindsay Zora who hired someone to do her engagement portrait, wedding photography, and album. After paying him $1,200, he took the portraits but never showed up at the wedding. Turns out, the Better Business Bureau has received at least eight complaints against the very same studio, and it’s always the same thing: No wedding album.

“You just need to check references or ask for references when you can. If I could do it over again, that would definitely be what I’d ask for,” says Zora, a bride who unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way.

Wedding Channel has some good advice on checking references for a videographer. These tips can be applied to other service providers as well. If your videographer can’t provide wedding references, they say, keep looking for someone who can. “Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event that should be captured by someone who is experienced, talented, and comes recommended by other couples. If you’re in the least bit anxious about calling or emailing a reference, don’t be. Usually, newlyweds can’t talk enough about their weddings, and will gladly clue you in on their experiences.” For more information and a list of questions to get you started, visit weddingchannel.com.

eHow has advice on interveiwing a wedding planner. All Time Favorites has tips on picking a DJ. Bridal Guide can teach you how to be contract savvy. A little preparation can go a long way toward helping you enjoy your big day!