Looking great in your wedding photos

How do you make sure you get the best out of your wedding photographs?

There are some things that I spot in nearly every wedding that could help improve your wedding photographs.

Planning stage

* Why have an engagement shoot or sometimes known as a pre-wedding shoot? Well if you always look at photographs of yourself and think I hate that pic then you will benefit from it. You really will become more confident, learn how to pose, get used to me and most importantly have better photos on your wedding day. And if you are looking at making your day a bit different I have some cool things for you to do just that.

* Do an internet search for a celeb you always think looks nice. Look how they pose. First look at their feet that’s where you should always start, then work your way up to their face. See how their joints are bent and how they stand straight and confidently (believe me, they probably do not feel that, but you need to fake it!). Look at their hand placements. Now practice in front of a mirror, imagine a large camera pointing t you! You look amazing x

* When it comes to choosing how to have your hair and make up the more classic you can go the better. There is a list of professional hair and makeup artists below.

* If you are looking at strapless dresses but you would like to disguise your arms veils are great.

* Shoes are crucial. Remember if you have a long dress it is likely only the front of the shoe will be seen likely when you get out of the car. You will need to walk on grass which is most likely damp and will be on your feet most of the day. Some brides bring 3 sets of shoes now to cover the day, this always seems to work out great.

It’s a few days till the big day.

* The first kiss is important and I suggest you discuss it beforehand and plan it!! So many couples get a little nervous and quickly peck!! You have just become Husband and Wife, this is your first kiss, so you should go for it. You will get a fantastic reaction from your guests and I will get some great photos. Take your time!

* The confetti shot looks excellent if you like colour and emotion and can create beautiful images, but so many guests forget to buy confetti these days!! If you feel the confetti shot would be essential for you, get some confetti for immediate family and friends in the colour you would like and give it to someone to pass around.

* Important! De-clutter your room; you don’t want any mess in the background of the photos of you getting ready!

* Give your best man or a trusted groomsman the list of posed shots needed so that he can help chase the people up. The quicker we get through the groups, the more time we can spend on more creative photography.

* A common beauty problem is the red blotchy skin on chests, backs, and sometimes faces when people get nervous. A reasonable number of brides suffer from this. I have been told this product works, I have not tried them so it’s up to you if you would like to try them. They are Clinique Redness Solution Daily Relief Cream

* Clean the mirrors in your house. Mirrors make for lovely shots of you getting ready.

* If you are getting ready in a hotel, bring extra glasses for your wine or champers.

* Remove all tags from shoes, dresses, underwear, and accessories before the big day.

* Have a dress rehearsal! Try on your dress and shoes a day or two before the wedding with the bridesmaids. Time how long it takes, and try to factor this in your getting ready time. It’s common for bridesmaids to get false nails a few days before the wedding and then struggle to do up the dress!

* Get a wedding kit ready. It should contain safety pins, tweezers, plasters, scissors (everyone always needs one of these!), needle and thread, wipes, tissues, paracetamol, make-up, hair spray, hair grips, and anything else you think you may need.

* Now be vain!! Get in front of that mirror and smile from every different angle. This will help you practice your best facial pose that you are happy with.

It’s your wedding day!

* Try to be ready at least 30 minutes prior to your wedding for portrait shots of you looking freshly made up with hair and makeup. These shots also allow us to practice a bit of posing and help you relax for the camera!

* Relax, laugh, hug, smile and be yourself.

* If you are arriving by car, you can remember to wind down the window so I can get a clear shot of you when arriving.

Forget the photographer is there. Gaze into your husband’s eyes, hug, kiss and let your day flow naturally. They take the best photos.

* That brings me onto traditional posed shots, if you love the new modern reportage style then don’t give me a massive list of group shots!! Because they are time-consuming and will eat into the time, I have to take the more natural shots! So think hard and be ruthless!

* Waterproof mascara could be a saviour if you’re a crier like me!!!

* Pose but not head-on. To look thinner, keep your shoulder to the camera and avoid facing the camera straight on. Hide behind the groom a bit or tuck into his armpit to slim yourself down.

* Natural light is your friend and we must find it!! Keep windows free to let light flood in.

* You are beautiful and remember that, and will look so stunning on your day. Reflect on this, be confident and the camera will pick up on that.

* And probably the most important point is to relax especially Mothers of brides! The tone of the day will be set in the morning if the bride is relaxed and enjoying herself this will filter out throughout her family and guests.

See more tips and weddings for ideas for your day

I have our planning group shots post. Your group shots are a formal photography part of the day where you pose formally with any family or friends you have chosen to be formally photographed with.

I have three beautiful weddings. Check out first up is a blue coloured themed wedding of Cari & Tom in a stunning country house in North Wales.

Up next is a Cheshire farm wedding. We photograph many farm weddings usually with a marquee. We love these as they are right up our street. They fit perfectly with the relaxed and chilled vibe we like to have on a wedding day.

We occasionally do styled shoots where we photograph a model or mostly an actual couple. Usually, this is to practise new techniques or with this Pentre Mawr wedding to practice using my latest Canon camera.

Last, I love pre-wedding shoots. They are such a good idea to help you relax for the camera and get used to photographs before your big day. We have a lovely Cheshire farm shoot to showcase what a pre-wedding shoot is all about.

A list of Hair and Makeup artists

Here are some of the Hair and Makeup artists I have worked with from Cheshire, North Wales, and other areas of the UK. They usually cover large areas and I often work them at weddings that they may have travelled an hour or so for.

Caroline James MUA in Wrexham, Chester and North Wales

Stacey Yates Hair Llandudno

Gemma Baxter Makeup Artist Chester

Lsp Hair by Lyndsey Chester and North Wales

Made up by Cathryn North West, Cheshire, Lancashire, Wirral, Merseyside and North Wales

Harmony Hair Makeup by Heidi Anna North Wales, Chester

Hair by Clairey Lou Wrexham

Annabelle Rose Makeup Wrexham

Kay Evans Make-Up Artist Gwynedd North Wales

Sara Roberts Hair Anglesey, covering Cheshire and North Wales

Rebecca Forshaw North Wales and Cheshire travels up to 60 miles

Louise Arthur Bridal Hair North Wales and Cheshire