Naturally you want great pictures on your wedding day.  Here are some suggestions to make sure you get what you want.

HIRE YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER TO DO A BRIDAL SESSION
In addition to providing a more relaxed atmosphere for pictures of you in your wedding dress, a bridal session also serves as a dry run for your wedding day. You get to experience first hand your dress, shoes, accessories, hair, make up and flowers. This is your chance to make sure you can breath in your dress, your shoes don’t pinch or blister and your bouquet does not cover up your favorite feature on your dress.

CONSIDER DOING AN ENGAGEMENT SESSION WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
This is a great way to obtain images for a “Save the Date” card, provide special gifts for the fiance or parents and to have something of the two of you as a couple to showcase at the wedding. More importantly, it is a fantastic opportunity to bond with your photographer. The more your photographer knows about the two of you as a couple, the more your pictures will reflect the dynamics of your relationship.  Also, this time together will help you develop confidence in front of the camera learning best posing practices and techniques to allow you to look your best.

AVOID SPRAY TANS
Spray tans are seldom the right color, they tend to bleed on your white dress leaving a nasty stain and they never have even coverage making you looking very blotchy. Not a pretty picture.

WORK WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER TO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE AND PUNCH LIST
A well thought out timeline ensures you allocate enough time to obtain all the special images you want and provides a check list of pictures you are expecting.  Take for example the picture above. It required traveling in a golf cart to a special place right at sunset.  Once you have a timeline, review this list with your fiance and your immediate family members for their input.  This ensures the key players arrive at the wedding knowing what to expect and have confidence that the pictures they are wanting are going to be taken.

RELAX AND HAVE FUN!
This might sound cliche but it is very sound advice. Let the photographer capture the real you! Allow the camera to record the love you are feeling and reflect how much fun you are having at the event.  This is the way you will want to remember your wedding so just relax and let it happen.