Five Fun Photos to Take with Your Bridesmaids

I think most of us can agree that photography is very important on your wedding day.  You want pictures you can look back on for years to come and although you need the posed photographs it is always fun to think of some creative shots to take.  The majority of your wedding day will be spent with your bridesmaids and you want to make sure your photographs capture not only your faces but your personalities!  Here are five fun pictures that we think every bride should have of her and her maids.

Most of your wedding day will consist of you and your girls getting ready and I love capturing the casual moments before the ceremony begins.  How cute is this photo with all of the girls laying down in a circle and capturing a closeup of their faces?

Photo provided by Confetti Day Dreams

You can even propose a toast with all of your girls while you are getting ready and capture the moment.  I love how they are all wearing the same thing!

Photo provided by WeddBook

My favorite idea for pictures is to have your bridesmaids take a picture with how they first met you! LOVE this!

Photo provided by Bridal Guide

Don’t forget about the details!  Make sure you get a picture of your fabulous shoes or all of your hair!

Photo provided by dparkphotography.com
Photo provided by Bridal Guide

Use props! Be silly and have fun with your girls to lighten the mood before the ceremony.  Consider balloons, parasols, photo booth props, etc to take pictures with.

Photo provided by Zooppa

What is your favorite shot?  Do you have any other must have pictures with your bridesmaids?

We want to know!

Trash Your Wedding Dress! Do or Don’t?

I am sure most of you have heard of trashing your wedding dress.  For those of you who haven’t, this is a photo shoot done after the wedding involving activities that may ruin or “trash” your wedding gown.  So many brides say they will never wear their dress again and they don’t plan to keep it as an heirloom.  Their thought is why not take some amazing photographs that you couldn’t take on your wedding day?  Of course this trend is not for every bride! You have to make sure that you don’t mind seeing that beloved gown get ruined!

Photo provided by Charlottesville Wedding Blog

My favorite time to do a trash the dress photo shoot is on your honeymoon.  Take advantage of the location and enjoy a shoot inspired by your honeymoon destination.  If you are traveling somewhere tropical, how beautiful are these photographs on the beach?

Photo provided by K and E Photography
Photo provided by Play A Loves
Photo provided by Hook Photography

Think about some of your favorite hobbies, likes, or interests to come up with a unique idea for your trash the dress session that has significance to you. If you or your fiance play sports think about a trash the dress session involving that sport like football, soccer, or baseball!

Photo provided by Chic Shot Studio
Photo provided by Wedding Bee

You can even choose the great outdoors as your backdrop.  And don’t be afraid to get a little dirty!

Photo provided by Confetti
Photo provided by Colin Michael Photo

For a bold and unique photo shoot think about a paint war or a food fight (all in good fun of course) with your new hubby!

Photo provided by My Fitness Pal
Photo provided by K Fogle Photography

What do you think about a trash the dress photo shoot?  Is it a do or a don’t?

We want to know your thoughts so leave us your comments!

 

Wedding Photography: Tips and Ideas for every bride

Wedding pictures are the most common cause of stress on wedding day. I have a few tips for every bride to follow to make sure that the least of their worries on wedding day is photography:

1. Hire a professional wedding photographer!!

If you do nothing else…take this advice! So many brides try to save money by hiring a friend to take pictures.  Trust me, you will be disappointed in the end.  Professional wedding photographers understand how quickly and efficiently they need to stage photos to get all of the shots you want without all the stress!

2. Be on Time!

Sounds easy, right?  This has to be the #1 reason for stress on the wedding day.  Make sure if you are having a makeup or hair stylist they do not leave you to do last!! Artists always run late (even with the best of intentions) so leave enough time to sip some champagne and relax while the rest of your girls are getting ready.

3. Make a list of your Top 5 shots!

Some brides create a long list of poses and ideas for pictures that even the most skilled photographer cannot accomplish in the time allotted.  If you make a list of the top 5 shots or ideas you can’t live without it will allow your photographer time to be creative while getting your “must-have” list accomplishedl!

I have included some of my favorite wedding photography picture ideas that you may want to add in to your Top 5 shots!

Anything involving jumping!! Whether it involved the bride and groom or the whole wedding party jumping shots are so much fun and a great expression of what an amazingly fun time you are having!

Funny shots of the guys!! Let your guys be creative and have fun with choosing how they express their excitement!

To show off your style and how awesome your choice of dresses and bouquets are; line up!

You can even have a bridal portrait taken of you with all of your girls in the background.  Beautiful!

Don’t forget about the shoes!! (or socks)

Anything involving flower girls is usually adorable but this idea is one of my all time faves!

Light up the night sky with sparklers!

I hope these ideas and advice have helped in staying stress free on your wedding day and given a little inspiration for those Top 5 shots!

Happy Planning!

Picture Sources: www.kevinweinstein.com, www.tumblr.com, www.bridalmusings.com, www.mastinstudio.com, www.homegrownwedding.com, www.theknot.com, www.sarahromingphotography.com