Bride and groom embracing in a boat in cottage country.

From talking to hundreds of brides over the years, we know that one of their biggest worries is how they’ll look in their wedding photos. We completely understand! Between dress fittings and hair and make-up trials, you put a lot of time and energy into looking beautiful on your wedding day. Your photos should reflect that! When you consider that most people don’t like being photographed and find it a daunting experience, it’s completely natural to be worried. Here are six ways you can look your best in your wedding photos:

1. Realize that you ARE photogenic.

If someone were to point a camera at you on any normal day, you’d likely feel a little uncomfortable. You might smile awkwardly and claim to be “unphotogenic”. However, your wedding day is not a normal day! You’ll be in a completely different state of mind. Your mood will be elevated. You’ll be happy, emotional, nervous, and excited. The fact that someone is taking your picture will be far less significant than you think. That awkward smile will be replaced with a beautiful authentic one! So don’t stress! You’ll simply be too caught up enjoying your big day to worry about being photographed. We see this time and time again with people who swear they look terrible in photos, and then can’t believe how great they turned out. Everyone is photogenic on their wedding day.

Bride laughing while holding groom’s hand, surrounded by pink flowers in Ottawa.

2. Hire a photographer who knows how to pose you.

You hire a professional for peace of mind. You shouldn’t have to worry about how you’re standing, where you’re looking or what to do with your hands during your portraits. That’s our job. We’re not expecting you to have taken modelling classes before your wedding. Look closely at how comfortable the bride and groom appear when comparing photographers’ portfolios. Do you see consistent, natural looking photos, or do they look too “posed”? The right photographer will know all sorts of simple tips and directions to get you and your partner looking amazing. Your bridal portraits will be beautiful and elegant and your couple’s portraits will be natural and emotional. Just leave it to us!

Groom embracing bride from behind at Ravine Vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

3. It’s all about the light.

Talk to any professional photographer and they’ll go on and on about how important light is. It can make or break a photograph. For bridal portraits, the right kind of light can subtly sculpt your features with the perfect amount of highlight and shadow. It can be soft and beautiful or dramatic and exciting. On the other hand, the wrong kind of light can make you look like a deer in headlights. Experienced photographers are able to quickly identify the best light in any location and utilize it to its fullest potential. This skill is crucial for wedding photographers as we rarely have control over where and when we shoot.

When researching photographers, look for variety in the lighting of their portraits. Is every photo taken outside on a sunny day? If so, what happens if it rains? Do they have any great indoor portraits to share? Whether you’re on top of a stunning mountain at sunset, or inside a dark room on a rainy day, your photographer should be able to find or create the type of light to make beautiful portraits.

Black and white portrait of a bride gazing at the camera through her veil.

4. Hire a (photographer) ninja.

Some of your favourite photos from your wedding day will undoubtedly be candid. These are photos of important moments that help tell the story of your day and highlight your most precious relationships. Telling a story through interesting and artistic photos is not easy. Each moment has a peak where you look your best and it’s up to your photographer to capture that. They need to move quickly and unobtrusively to take the best possible photo before the moment ends. When we say hire a “ninja”, we mean it! Not only do they need to be sneaky, but shooting this way for most of a wedding day is physically demanding. It’s an endurance event!

Bride and groom being showered with rose petals while laughing down the aisle after getting married at Stonefields.

5. Make a personality match.

A photographer’s experience and artistic talent are important, but so is their ability to connect with you on a personal level. You’re probably more comfortable when your best friend is taking your picture than someone you don’t know all that well. The better you and your photographer’s personalities align, the more relaxed you’ll be working with them and the better you’ll look! Union Eleven is a small team, not a one-person operation. This means that we can match you with the photographer that best suits your personality and style. With our help, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about who to work with. We hear time and time again from our brides and grooms that their photographer felt like an old friend or part of their family on their wedding day.

Groom and bride sipping on a cocktail in a dark space lit up by two blue spotlights.

6. Trust the experts.

Trust the experts you work with to do an amazing job. The wedding industry in Ottawa is full of people with incredible talent. We have make-up artists, hair stylists, dress shops and florists who will make it their mission to have you looking absolutely stunning. It’s worth taking the time to find a team that you have complete confidence in. They will make you shine on your wedding day!