Getting Camera-Ready for Your Big Day

Over the years we’ve found that when it comes to weddings, it’s pretty hard to make a mistake. From tiny kinks to huge debacles, any wrinkles in the wedding-day plan tend to quickly smooth over into couples’ funniest and favorite recollections. Terrible food, cheesy bands, regrettable shoes…none of it matters and is only fodder for fond memories down the road.

If we’ve seen brides make any mistake when it comes to their wedding day, it’s in not being themselves. Some brides get a glammed-up self-image into their heads and there’s no talking them out of it. Unfortunately, their visions usually translate into overdone makeup and wardrobe decisions that can make them look like clones of themselves in their wedding pictures….or worse, like beauty pageant contestants.

So. While we are happy to impart tips on how to look your best in your wedding pictures, it is with the caveat that we still want you to look like you. If you are not one to wear bright-blue eye shadow on an everyday basis, then letting a makeup artist talk you into it on your wedding day is risky business. It might “bring out your eyes,” just like she said, but it also might make you look like a stranger to yourself in your own wedding album.

That said, this is your big-screen moment. While we wouldn’t recommend going all-out with the starlet hip-thrust, here are some red-carpet tips for taking full advantage of the camera:

  • By all means, go ahead and whiten your teeth for the big day. However, know that drugstore whitening strips do almost as good a job as expensive dental treatments, so don’t let your teeth put a dent in your budget, if you don’t want them to.
  • When choosing a dress, think about what flatters you best, not what’s trendy.
  • Go easy on the hairspray and skip the tendrils, unless they’re really you.
  • Keep makeup not only simple, but also appropriate to the time of day. For a daytime or outdoor wedding, use a light hand or you’ll look overdone and unnatural in the daylight. For a candlelit evening ceremony, makeup can be somewhat more dramatic, but not to the Elvira degree.
  • Don’t go overboard on highlighting, light-reflecting makeup, which can create glare in photo flashes.
  • For flattering photos, try standing at an angle with one knee slightly bent, which helps you to look both thin and care-free.
  • Stand tall with your shoulders back to elongate your posture.
  • Don’t forget to feature the back of your dress. Take a tip from the pros: look back at the camera over your shoulder to flaunt your back and draw attention to the posterior details of your gown.
  • If you’re curvy, put your hand on your hip with your elbow out. Angle your upper body away from your elbow, which will create slimming space between your arm and your body.
  • If you’re thin, put a hand on your hip and angle your elbow behind you to draw attention to the curves of your arm and waist.
  • Avoid clasping your hands in front of you, which tends to look stiff and awkward.
 

Most importantly, take a swig of champagne, smile at your new husband and relax. Stop worrying about what’s next on the agenda. Every bride looks beautiful when she’s calm, confident and living in the moment.

 
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