Bridal portraits are one of those “good news, bad news” photoshoots for us?  First for the “good news”; taking the time before your wedding to create beautiful bridal portraits allows us time to have fun and create very unique photographs that are often not possible on your wedding day.  I am often asked about specific locations in our galleries which may be many miles from the wedding venue.  Bridal sessions are also a perfect time for us to get in the groove, experiment with new lighting or artistic compositions and can make the portraits and process much smoother on wedding day?

Jessica wanted to include the textures and color of downtown Charleston and we coordinated the shoot for the day of her trial hair and make-up appointment.  It was a perfect day and we were able to explore many new areas in downtown Charleston which we have been so excited to include in our online galleries.

The bad news for us is that we cannot show the images for many months until after the wedding!  We love these fashion style portraits and wanted to say Thank You to Jessica for rocking it!

Nina met Ryan met in the “laid-back” surf town of Nosara, Costa Rica.  She was a art curator from New York City looking for the simple life and he was a surfer and real estate investor in this off the beaten path paradise.  Once on the island, Nina started her own wedding planning business.  They have since purchased a piece of land in Northern Columbia and are pursuing their dream of developing an organic, natural resort specializing in unique and “green” weddings.

We knew after hearing about their wedding plans it was going to amazing to photograph!  I met up with them the week before the event as Nina and Ryan were busy putting the finishing touches on the decor including: antler chandelier, hand painted signs, a vintage lounge.  Almost every detail was created and hand-made including a cake plate that was painted and glued together using a martini glass for the base.  

Ryan put the “Southern”finishing touches on his suit choosing a feather bowtie from local Charleston designer Brackish Bowties.  These are the coolest accessories for grooms and Ryan decided on the Carolina Copper which is noted by the designer to “guarantee to garner you a heaping amount of attention, with an extra dose of wow factor”.  These ties ROCK!

Charleston is well known for its wedding venues, but Old Wide Awake Plantation is one of the most famous as it was the site of Reese Witherspoon’s wedding. Located just down the dirt road is a hidden gem that Nina fell in love with the minute see saw it called Wide Awake Park; I had no idea she would transform it into the beautiful wedding venue you see in the photos, but with her eye and experience it was the perfect venue.  As always, I scouted the location well in advance and knew every spot for the best photographs.

The wedding was beautiful and after seeing the style, I knew our post-wedding day shoot at Cypress Gardens was going to look like a Vanity Fair magazine spread.  I had a vision for the shoot since last year and went about planning to create the over the head rowboat photograph.  Of course, Nina came with her finishing touches and hand-painted “Just Married” sign for the back of the boat-NICE!

We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we did creating them and spending the day with Nina, Ryan and their families.

In keeping with the mantra that a wedding is “all about the bride,” the bridal portrait is one of the most important and compelling images taken at any wedding.  Every bride dreams of the perfect bridal portrait.  It is often the culmination of years of dreams, preparation, shopping for the perfect dress and even choosing the best location for its character or natural beauty.  At a recent wedding, the bride’s mother reminisced about how the bride and her sisters began planning this day on her third birthday; they would have ceremonies in the backyard.  It was a single moment 22 years in the making!

Choosing a photographer is probably the most important decision a bride will make in creating the prefect bridal portrait. This is the time to “trust their instincts,” and choose the photographer whose images resonate with their own personality and style.  Ask the photographer about their approach to bridal portraits; mention specific images in their portfolio that moved them; ask the photographer to explain how they created the images and whether real brides were photographed on their wedding day or the images were created prior to the wedding?  We suggest asking the photographer if their previous brides can be contacted to ask for a firsthand account of their experience.

There are several key factors that create a timeless, elegant and artistic bridal portrait.  First, experienced photographers always scout the location well ahead of the wedding in order to find all the best compositions and angles and to study the light.  This is necessary so that they are fully prepared for the moment immediately after the bride steps into her dress.  Once the photographer has been selected, trust them to create images that will truly be loved and cherished for a lifetime!  Children and grandchildren will thank you.

We recommend that the bride plan her portrait and bridal party photographs to take place shortly after putting on her gown.  This is the best time – her hair and makeup are perfect!  Most brides are somewhat nervous and have little-to-no experience posing, so it is important that the photographer not only chooses beautiful lighting, but the bride must also feel completely comfortable and confident with the process.

It is common for people who aren’t models to take some time to feel comfortable in front of the camera.  A good photographer will make the bride-to-be feel at ease and be able to show her exactly how to move in ways that are flattering.  A technique called “mirroring” can help to get the bride strike the perfect pose.  This is achieved by simply “mirroring” the photographer’s moves, i.e., follow his/her lead.

Often very subtle movements of your head or body can make all the difference, so when changing positions, make small changes, and follow the leader.  In addition, simple shifts of your weight onto your back foot and a slight bend in the front knee creates an hourglass shape characteristic of beautiful bridal portraits.  Careful attention to detail can result in adding depth to thin faces or shedding 15 pounds from “curvey brides.”  Lastly, have fun with the process and bring your personality.  Remember, there are two people involved in creating these images, so giving the photographer your energy will result in exceptional, unique and beautiful bridal portraits.

In an all-too-common story, we were contacted several months ago by Dannon to create editorial style fashion images for her bridal portraits.  She was not happy with the results taken by another photographer on her wedding day.  We were thrilled to have the chance to create the photographs she had always dreamed of.  During our initial consultation, she informed us that she didn’t want the “typical bridal portrait.”  She wanted an edgier contrast for these images, so we began planning for an editorial style portrait session.  Since Dannon is a wedding makeup artist, we knew her “face” would look awesome, and we were able to create an amazing portfolio of photographs for her album.

Dannon is a trained MAC Pro makeup artist and specializes in traditional and airbrush makeup.   Her makeup looked flawless throughout the shoot and she explained that her products are specifically used to make your photographs look amazing all day.  In addition to finding your photographer, trusting the advice of a professional make-up artist will result in finding the best products for your face and always give you results that last the entire wedding day.  If you need a great makeup artist for your wedding, you can contact Dannon and see examples of her “before and afters” at her website: http://www.dannonkcollard.com/

We had a lot of fun shooting these images for Dannon and look forward to hearing any of your interesting of different ideas for your bridal portraits!