Our photographers share inside tips on how to look your best

Wedding

June 29, 2023

Your wedding and engagement photos are by far one of the most important aspects to hold and look back on after your wedding day. Between the venue, the lighting, hair and makeup and posing for them, how does one ensure they are looking their best? We sat down with our photographers in house for some tips on how to look perfect on our biggest day.

  • Be confident and act natural. "Don't take the shoot too seriously! Be yourselves and have fun! Wear something that expresses your style, represents who you are and makes you feel comfortable and confident!" said Jen Marvel, Lead Photographer.
  • Decide on a location. Ask your friends and family for some recommended places you want to capture your love. Or if you got engaged along the beach or somewhere meaningful to your relationship, choose that place.
  • You don't always have to look straight into the camera. "We just want the couples to be happy and enjoying themselves. They don't always need to look at the camera and smile.  If that's something we want to get, we'll ask them to look. Otherwise they can do whatever they'd normally be doing, just hopefully with a smile on their faces. My goal isn't to get a cookie cutter shot. The goal is to get awesome shots of the couple based on their personality and on how they interact with one another." said Ryan Kaplan, Photographer.
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During your wedding day, our photographers are paying attention to what's going on around them and anticipating shots that might come up. They are aware that those special moments, even the small details make a difference. At Eclipse Events, our photographers use zoom lenses to get those close up shots of you and your fiancee. During the ceremony, you may see them moving around looking for interesting shots and angles and during the reception they are doing the same thing. For the dance floor shots, they have a wider lens on their camera so that they can get in the mix and capture the fun and energetic dance sets.

  • Lighting matters. "Lighting is very important. It can change the whole mood of the photo. The best times to shoot in natural light are before sunset (golden hour) or early in the morning." said Marvel.

A good photographer should know how to shoot in whatever lighting comes along, whatever the day brings. During prep our photographers try to utilize natural light from windows, but at other times we'll bounce the light on-camera flash if the window light isn't enough. During the ceremony, we're respectful of the religious events we're shooting in, so we only use flash during the appropriate points of the ceremony. For formal family photos at the church or indoors at the venue, we'll light those properly with off camera lights and umbrellas if necessary. If we're outside we can usually find a spot and use natural lighting only. During the reception and dancing, we'll use our on camera lights, usually bounced and we'll add off camera lighting if we think it'll enhance the final product. We are versatile and ready for whatever lighting comes our way. It's our job to be able to get the shots no matter what lighting circumstance we are put in. And if we're going out for a night shot, they'll definitely bring some sort of lighting to get the awesome end of night images.

summer engagement session
  • Dress for the event, but watch your colors. "For an engagement shoot specifically, I usually suggest wearing something a little more dressed up and keep it casual. Avoid colors and patterns that stand out too much and the colors should go together. Bright orange and bright purple will end up pulling focus from the couple to their clothes, and that's not the goal." said Kaplan.
  • Schedule a hair and makeup trial. You want to ensure you love how you look and how it translates in pictures.
  • Note your good side to your photographer, if you have one. Make sure you alert your photographer if you have a better side you rather be photographed on this way the bulk of the photos will be captured in that angle or side.
  • Communicate your expectations and what you are looking for. "We have our own professional style, but at the end of the day, we are telling your story based on your connection and unique personalities. Don't hesitate to tell us some more about yourselves and what vibe you are looking for- city, woods, gardens, fun, playful, romantic, traditional or candid. It's better you express yourself before the wedding so that we are all on the same page the day of." said Marvel.

And, we get it. Some couples love to have their photo taken and some don't. It's OK, every session and every couple is different. But remember, it's your day and we are here to capture you having a fun time. Think of it as you are going on an adventure with your photographers looking for the best places and most beautiful light to take some awesome photos in together.