When it comes to the big day, you want to look your best, even if you’re not the bride. But how? Is there a secret?
At most weddings, there’s a good chance that at some point you’ll be hauled up in front of the camera for a shoot. It should be a photo to remember, but often you’ll look at the photo once it’s developed and wonder what went wrong. Spending a lot of time, effort and money on wedding photos is one thing, but finding out you weren’t looking your best can be a big disappointment.
The worst part is when the photos go up on Facebook. There you were thinking you were looking your best when all along it was a disaster.
Fortunately, there are things you can do about it. You don’t have to worry about untagging yourself at a later date. Take a look at some of these tips for looking great, whether you’re the bride-to-be or somebody else.
Convertible Bridesmaid Dress
Do The “Celebrity Pose”
Why do celebrities tend to look good in photos? As it turns out, the majority of them have had training in it, knowing which angles and poses look the best. Hollywood actors use all sorts of tricks, all of which help them to look slimmer and more attractive on camera. (Often they’re so good at it that it’s a shock when you see them in real life).
So what should you do? The best thing to do is to try and emulate a flattering red carpet pose. That might sound a little bit over the top, but it’s actually rather simple.
The first thing to do is rotate into the camera, about 45 degrees. Standing head on is rarely flattering, but pointing a hip towards the camera usually works well. Next, step, put the majority of your weight on your back leg. This will emphasize the camera-facing leg and allow it to bend a little. Having that subtle bend in the knee will help your pose look more natural. Finally, put your hand on your hip and smile – and there you have it: the red carpet pose. Simple really.
Use Your Eyes To Smile
Using your eyes to smile might sound like strange advice. After all, we smile from the mouth, right? Well, yes and no. As it turns out, we’re wired up to smile using many of the muscles in our faces. A smiley face emoji might be a good way to communicate via text, but it’s a caricature of what our face actually does when we’re happy.
The problem with grinning is that it’s something which seems to have fallen out of fashion of late. According to America’s Next Top Model, Katie Sullivan, there are a host of reasons why this is the case. For starters, keeping up a grin all day is hard work. For a couple of photoshoots, it’s fine. But after a while, the muscles in your face just don’t want to play ball. Eventually, you end up looking as if you’re forcing it, making it seem as if you didn’t really enjoy your day.
The other reason is that grinning makes your wedding day look “less serious.” According to Sullivan, more serious poses are the current trend, and that’s why so many bridal shoots today are smile-less. Is this a trend which will continue? Time will tell.
Tone Down The Orange Makeup
You want to look healthy for your wedding. It’s natural. After all, weddings are all about an intimate bond with someone you love. But many couples of going a little over the top when it comes to things like bronzing and trying to get a “healthy tan.”
The problem with these tanning and bronzing products is that they can often backfire. What looks good in the mirror frequently just looks orange on camera, giving you a look you never wanted to have. Just a bit of sunlight on a sunny June wedding day can make you look like a carrot, especially if everybody else in the photo is pale.
So what can you do to minimize this risk? First off, try to avoid extreme tanning methods – or anything that alters your skin color for that manner. Also, avoid glitters and shiny face creams. On hot days these can end up looking like greasy sweat, rather than beautiful sparkle. Finally, if you really want to have a healthy glow, do it the natural way. Spend a month or so before the wedding, stuffing yourself with a variety of vegetables. Phytonutrients from the vegetables will incorporate themselves into your skin, giving you a natural glow which won’t look bad on camera.
Fear Not The Action Shot
There’s a general sense that wedding photos should be highly stage-managed. But this isn’t necessarily the case. Wedding photographers, like this Vittore Buzzi photographer, are increasingly seeing themselves as a kind of journalist, capturing stories rather than taking photos. As a result, wedding shots are becoming more action-oriented, as if they could be part of an illustrated novel.
Looking great in an action shot barely requires any effort at all. Just keep your movements natural and leave the wedding photographers themselves to choose the perfect shot. Because action shots are more true to life, they’re often less scrutinized than typical portraits, helping you to look your best.
Avoid Double Chins
Try moving your head forwards from your chin. This will help smooth out all the fat, making it appear as if you have a proper chin line. Next, lift your chin up slightly. Again, this will help elongate the neck, reducing the chance of a photo capturing a fatty bulge.
Posing expert, Anna Lake from a popular wedding venue in California says that another great tip is to touch the roof of your mouth with the tip of your tongue. Doing this will naturally help to elevate your posture. Try to keep it looking natural though!
Convertible Dress
Give Your Arms Breathing Room
In the summer, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to get your arms out for a wedding photo. After all, most people wear sleeveless outfits at summer weddings. But what if you’ve got wobbly bits on the backs of your arms?
The trick here is not to hide your arms at all in photos. Rather than tucking them away behind your back which often forces the fat to bulge out even more, try lifting them out from your side. You should aim for a couple of inches of clearance between your upper arms and your body. Doing this will help to make the arms look slimmer and more elegant.
Don’t Smile, Laugh
As we discussed early, fake smiles and grinning are a big no-no. But what about fake laughs? It turns out that fake laughs are actually a heck of a lot more convincing than fake smiles because fake laughs tend to turn into real ones.
There’s nothing more hilarious that being told by a photographer to laugh harder or better. After a while, that fake laugh that you were really trying to force out becomes a real laugh as you slowly become aware of just how farcical the whole exercise has become. The more you laugh, the more you want to laugh, and that’s how you create the best, most authentic wedding photos.
Blinking Really Doesn’t Matter
If you’re worried about blinking don’t be. Professional photographers don’t take a single shot. Instead, they take multiple shots, all designed to help avoid problems like blinking. If you happen to be blinking in one of the photos, it really doesn’t matter. There will always be another frame where you’re not, and that one will be the keeper.
Trying not to blink can lead you into all sorts of problems. Focusing on keeping your eyes open for extended period of time can give you red-eye – a dead giveaway. It can also give you itchy eyes because of increased dryness.
Take Off Your Glasses
Most wedding photographers use a flash, especially if you’re not outside in natural light. As a result, there’s a risk that when the flash goes off, your glasses will create glare. Take glasses off around bright lights.
Improve Your Posture
Wedding days can be a bit of an ordeal sometimes, and you might not be feeling your most confident. But not feeling confident can have all sorts of knock-on effects on your posture. Those who don’t feel confident often don’t stand up as straight as they could and don’t relax their necks and shoulders.
According to posture expert Paige Brockmeyer, having a great posture for photo shoots means pulling the shoulders back, tucking the belly in and bringing the chest forward. This shouldn’t be forced in her opinion. Instead, it should feel natural.
Take a few deep breaths and try to relieve any tension in the surrounding muscles for a more natural look.
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