Things you can do to ensure beautiful wedding pictures.

During the past few weeks, I've been amazed at how many times a small change could have made a huge impact on the look of the wedding photographs. Although some brides have coordinators who already know these things are important, most weddings in our area are coordinated by the bride or her mother, and there is really no way that they would know to do them.

So these are my suggestions. You can implement them yourself, usually at no additional cost, and watch as your photographs go from ho-hum to fabulous.

1. No wire hangers! If your wedding gown is still on the ugly piece of metal from the dry cleaners, please switch it out for something more photogenic. I always try to get a picture of the gown hanging in the dressing room, and I cringe each time I see a wire or plastic hanger because it completly ruins the artisic look of the image. There are padded, cloth covered beauties you can use, or perhaps a conservative but elegant wooden one. I bet you even have one in your closet. Your photographer will thank you.

(This image was taken from a low angle to downplay the appearance of the hanger.)

2. Put some thought into your "getting ready" room. The hour before the ceremony is usually an emotion packed time as the bride makes her final preparations. Friends usually stop in for a quick hug, the parents of the bride get their first look through teary eyes, and flower girls turn cirlces in their newly donned gowns. This is not the time to settle for a blah room. I've taken countless images of the bride in locations such as church nurseries, bathrooms and windowless classrooms with stack of chairs against the wall.

I would recommend scoping out the room where the groom is expected to dress, and switch if his is better. You could also dress at home and have the photographer present. The ideal spot would be a nicely decorated room with window light. It doesn't have to be huge, but you'll get much better images if the background doesn't detract.

(This bride chose a gorgeous hotel room to get ready in, and though it was crowded, I really loved the warm ambient glow and the spotlight from the mirror.)

3. Move the cake away from the wall, and for pete's sake get it out of the corner! I think this is my number one pet peeve. If the cake table is against the wall, I can't circle it to find the best shot. And even worse, I can't get a shot of the cake as it looks in the room, only how it looks against the wall.

At the Enlisted Club on Randolph Air Force Base, I've noticed several times that the staff always places the cake directly in front of the bride and groom's table, in the middle of the floor. Imagine all the photo possibilities this gives me, and then when it is time to design your album I have many angles and views to choose from. Freedom of choice is good. Cake against the wall, bad.

(I love how you can just barely glimpse the guest's table behind the cake. If the cake were in front of the wall, it would look like an image from a cake brochure. By the way, I ADORE the monogram detail.)

4. Schedule some time during the day for portraits of just the two of you. It can be before the ceremony (more about that later), between the ceremony and reception, or during the reception, but the day is all about the two of you and your relationship, why not put a priority on capturing that?

Admittedly, it is dificult to carve out an hour from an already jam-packed day, but I guarantee you won't regret it.


5. Consider a First Look session. So, what's a First Look? It is when (gasp) the bride and groom get together before the ceremony for a very private and intimate moment. The photographer is stationed a good distance away, shooting with a long lens capturing every nuance, every smile and tear. The bride and groom can exchange gifts, talk about the day so far, and savor the moment together. The resulting photographs are phenomenal.

I have suggested this meeting at every consultation I've done, and it's usually the groom that has a problem with it. Tradition dictates that the bride and groom see each other for the first time as she walks down the aisle, and many guys still hold tightly to that idea. I respect that, but this could be the start of a new tradition.

I promise that it won't take anything away from the real moment, when she makes that long walk toward you to become your wife. You will still catch your breath, possibly tear up (I've seen a couple of grooms completly break down) and so will everyone else in the room. I'd even venture to say that meeting each other beforehand will lend a new gravity to the service, because you have already connected in a powerful way with each other.

So there you have it, my top five suggestions for fabulous wedding pictures. I'm looking forward to the wedding where they are all implemented at once. Ah, that would be heaven.