Jan
11
There will probably be a lot of kissing on your wedding day. It’s as good an excuse as any!
One thing you might want to keep in mind about kissing in pictures or your videos is not to pucker up. We all tend to exaggerate our kissing in pictures so you are not alone. But think about all your favorite movie kisses; there’s not a lot of puckering action. Unless you’re one of the two people involved, it seems that sticking your lips out is just not that cute.
Pucker-free kissing is something that you should have a lot of fun practicing so try it together at least once!
Jan
07
I know, I know. Smiling in photos is so cliché. Our photographers take lots of photos with no smiles. But there will still be a few (especially groups) where we’ll ask for a smile; well more of a smirk really but more on that later .
The thing that makes smiling in photos so great in the first place is that it makes you look great. Ever notice the way most of us take a moment to fix our clothes and compose ourselves (or rush to a mirror for makeup changes) when it’s photo time? Instead we should just smile.
Smiling is an area where men and women seem to differ when it comes to trouble spots.
The ladies tend to work hard to maintain a wide, glowing smile for most of the day. Apart from being tiring, this may also come across as insincere or forced.
Guys are often uncomfortable smiling, preferring to keep a straight face. The trouble with that is, a straight face looks a lot like an angry face, especially when everyone else in the photo is smiling.
Never fear, there’s an easy solution to both and a simpler way to ensure easy smiling for your entire wedding day.
Ideally of course, you will be so blissfully happy on your wedding day that you won’t be able to stop smiling. But just in case, here’s a foolproof way to ensure that you can pull a smile from your pocket at a moment’s notice and make sure you are not worried about it on the big day.
- Look in the mirror. There is almost no point to trying this without a mirror.
- Relax your face.
- Try to smile the smallest possible smile you can. It should be big enough to get your eyes involved but not wide enough for your lips to part.
- Watching your reflection you will probably notice that your smiles don’t look the way they feel. It’s a bit like hearing your own voice on a recording.
- Keep going until you get the look you want, most likely a small smirk. It’s the look you get when you want to laugh but shouldn’t.
- Before you are done you should be able to produce a sincere smile that looks great and doesn’t take much effort.
One of the cool things about this method is that smiling is hard to resist. It’s hard to be angry or upset when you are smiling. Try it.
A common complaint is “I can’t fake a smile”. If you feel that way and the above method doesn’t help then you are stuck with the old fashioned way. Try thinking of a moment where your spouse made you laugh or simply a happy memory.
All in all it’s often worth the investment to take a moment to smile for photos that will last a lifetime.
Jan
07
As they are preparing for their wedding many of our brides have sent long lists, usually of photos that are important to them. Often this list is copied from a popular website after googling “what to tell your wedding photographer”.
There is nothing wrong with being prepared or giving your photographers a heads up about things that are special to you. However, many of the best pictures come from unsuspected moments. Trying to satisfy a long list of general photo requirements gets in the way of recording what’s actually happening.
With that said, if you would like to make a list, here are a few things that are a great idea to tell your photographer:
- How big is the party?
- Knowing both the number of persons in the bridal party and the guests is great.
- Where is it?
- Try to include all locations and expected transition times.
- Is your wedding ballroom formal or beach casual?
- What’s the color scheme?
- What kind of dress will you have?
- Will you be wearing a veil?
- Do you have any items that you especially want photographed?
- Will the items be in a designated place? When?
- Do you have any activities that could require extra planning such as a sand ceremony or fire dancer?
- Do you have an itinerary that you can send?
Jan
06
On a basic level weddings are about family, even when that’s simply a family of two.
For many of us, weddings are one of the rare occasions that our family members come together. Because of that, it’s tempting to get as many photos as we can of as many of our family members as we can.But it’s important to remember that family photos are often tough for your family without some help from you.
You and your spouse will probably have the energy for endless photos as will your bridal party. Your family is often not as enthusiastic; they have already been sitting down/waiting for at least 45 minutes and they probably want to get away for a minute.
Most people are surprised to find out that groups of ten or more people will probably take some extra time. The right background and composition are more critical and it will probably take some time to make sure you can see everyone’s face. It’s only a big deal when you want to do, say, 30 family photos.
Here are some tips for painless family photos at your wedding:
- Make a list of the groups you want before hand. Without a list you generally end up trying to shoot every possible combination of everyone present because you are afraid that someone will be left out.
- Don’t plan to shoot more than ten family photos. They take a long time and the focus should be on you and your spouse.
- Plan groups in order from largest to smallest
- Plan to do any photos with children first
- Share your list with your photographer and failing that tell them the size of the largest group
- Consider guests with health or mobility issues
- The best time for family photos is probably right after the ceremony. That way you are already moving everyone around. That timing should also ensure that everyone still looks their best.
Jan
06
Hold your bouquet so that your hands are in front of or below your bellybutton. The temptation is to hold it too high.
Don’t forget to tell your bridesmaids.
Jan
06
There are two things to remember about Bahamian weather:
- It’s hotter than you think
- It’s hotter than that
If it is not overcast and/or windy there is 100% chance it will be hot on any given day in The Bahamas. In the summer that’s 90+ with 100% humidity. The sun never goes away here, it is just hidden from time to time.
This is great news for a beach wedding but, especially in the summer, it is important to respect the sun. Tropical heat can be difficult for everyone, especially guests and especially if they are sitting under a cloudless sky, waiting. This is worse for people with age or health considerations.
To make sure your wedding is more cool breeze than Hot Hot Hot:
- Make sure there is a shaded area where guests and vendors can wait before the ceremony starts.
- Bottled water is not a bad idea and is inexpensive if you plan ahead of time
- A sturdy fan makes a great decoration and can get you through the still moments
- An umbrella makes a great bodyguard from the worst of the sun
- If you would like to dress more formally on the beach choose a time later in the day
- Check timeanddate.com for sunset times. Plan to end portraits about 30 mins before the official sunset time for great beach sunset photos.
Jan
06
The Bahamas receives an average of 316 days of bright, hot sunshine every year. Of course, if your wedding is on one of the other 49 days that won’t matter much to you.
Generally, rain is not a welcome guest at a party. But, like a difficult relative it’s probably a good idea to plan for an appearance.
There are generally two sorts of rain in The Bahamas:
- The kind that shows up suddenly, makes a big fuss and vanishes
- The kind that builds slowly and pours down for a few days
The first is more likely and generally preferable since it goes away quickly. It often shows up in the early afternoon just after the day is at it’s hottest.
The second has one silver lining; it’s easier to predict. Unless you happen to be right at the beginning you will know when this type of weather is around and move your plans inside. There will still be plenty of ways to have a tropical wedding.
In either case there is not really any way to choose a date that will guarantee sunshine. Many vendors are understanding when it comes to weather difficulties and will work with you to make the most of your plans or reschedule when possible.
As a general rule, plan to have a weather backup for as many guests and vendors as you would like to keep dry. Choosing a location with a covered backup or including a tent in your budget can save thousands and keep your plans running smoothly.
Jan
06
- Don’t bend down – Taller folk often bend down to try and make their head more even with the shorter people around them. This seems like a good idea in your head and most of us do it but it looks awkward and bizarre. Everyone should always stand up straight unless you are intentionally doing something goofy.
- Wear your sunglasses at night – If you are going to take photos in the bright sunlight leave your sunglasses behind. That way you give your eyes time to adjust and it will be easier to avoid squinting.
- Have friendly fingers – When your hands are visible in a photo keep your fingers close together. All the sides of your fingers should be touching each other in a karate-chop arrangment. Hands are just more attractive than fingers.
- Death to hand-spiders – Hand-spiders are what happens when your buddy reaches around you in a hug and leaves his hand hanging over your shoulder. They are deadly when it comes to good photos so do your part to exterminate this menace!
- Don’t worry, be happy! – I left this one for last because most people don’t take it seriously but it is by far the most important. Relax! Have fun! Human beings can recognize hundreds of emotions just by looking at your eyes. Everyone can tell when you are faking the fun. So if you want to look like a movie star/model/icon in your photos let go of the sad. Maybe just for a minute but do it. It will show and it will last for years and years.
