Over the years, I've seen couples worry about not appearing as best as they could in their wedding photographs. A lot of processes go into the wedding ceremony preparations - several consultations and meetings with the wedding planner and vendors - and in all of these processes, nothing prepares you on how to look your best in your photos.

Each time I sit with a bride and groom-to-be during consultations, I hear the excitement n their voices when they tell me their expectations. They want to look their best in their photos, and some (not all) are worried they aren’t photogenic enough.

I was once a groom-to-be, and with my years of experience in wedding photography, having worked with both bold and camera-shy couples, I’ve curated these 7 tips to guide you in having amazing wedding day photos:

Invest in looking good

I urge you to go all out to ensure that you look good. Let your skin glow and pop; go for facials, use a good lightweight moisturizer, and drink enough water to keep your skin hydrated. Hire a makeup artist and hair stylist that truly fit your vision.

Don’t feel guilty that you are spending much on beauty treatments, it’s your wedding day, after all, and you deserve to look your very best.

Have a pre-wedding shoot

I’ve heard couples tell me with joy on their faces, “Reem, I’m booking you for our wedding” when they see the results of their engagement shoot. It’s always a pleasure to see them pleased with their photos that they consider us for their big day. One of the importance of an engagement shoot is that it gives me time to get to know you - your angles, personalities, and helps me take note of every single detail that’ll help determine what photography style suits you both.

Keep your ‘getting ready’ location neat

Your ‘getting ready’ location is equally important as your wedding venue. This is the space where I get to capture all the beautiful bonding moments between you, your family, and your bridesmaids. It is also where I capture all that concerns you: your makeup, hairstyling, and dressing sessions, your accessories, wedding dress, suits, shoes, rings, bouquets, and the rest of it. We always recommend a spacious hotel suite. As a matter of fact, consider getting two rooms, one for all prep and another for amazing photos. This also applies to the groom as well.

Designate someone (usually a bridesmaid) to ensure that personal things like t-shirts, underwear, food, bags, bottles, are out of the camera’s sight, or out of any sight at all, and kept hidden in a closet. The location should be kept neat and free of any distractions that may take the focus away from you - you don’t want your toothbrush poking out in one of your photos.

Be yourself

It’s the only way you can have authentic photos of you taken. A photo can easily tell if you were genuinely smiling or just flashing your teeth for the camera. My style of wedding photography is photojournalistic - which means I’ll be capturing natural unposed shots of you and your loved ones. Take a look at our portfolio here. So be yourself; stay relaxed, ditch the posed-boring-stiffened smile shots for the supermodels, smile all the way, and enjoy your day.

Stay off your phone

Most wedding photographers will tell you they find this very distracting, I do too! I know you are so excited about your look that you can’t wait to share your photos with your followers on Instagram, or you’re on a long call with a favorite cousin who wouldn't be attending the wedding, but we’ll be so pleased if you could just put down your phone and let your wedding photographer take your photos without hindrances. Your full attention is needed for you to look amazing in your photos.

This is a Big One: Hire a professional wedding planner/coordinator

It is odd to see brides running some errands on their big day when they should be relaxing and having fun with their partners, friends, and family. Every couple needs a wedding planner. who will take care of every single detail and ensure there’s a smooth flow of activities during the ceremony. You can’t be managing the kids or directing your guests to their tables when you ought to be focused on getting your best shots taken - you will be flustered and it will reflect on your pictures. Your wedding coordinator/planner or even your bridesmaids/groomsmen can help you manage your wedding errands so you can be well relaxed for your shots.

Stay positive

The most beautiful wedding pictures I take are the ones where the couples are positive and excited about their big day. From the pictures, you could tell that these ones didn’t pay much attention to things that tried to hinder them from enjoying their special moments. Believe me when I tell you that things might not go as you planned - they always don’t. But then, you shouldn’t worry if they don’t. Your job is to enjoy every activity of the day, smile, don’t be hasty, eat, dance, share laughs with your loved ones, drink - not too much, haha - kiss your husband/wife, and be merry all day long.

Not doing so can have consequences on your wedding album. Believe me when I tell you that a camera lens can detect negative vibes.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Don’t forget to share with your friends - they’ll thank you for it - and drop a comment below if you have more tips too.

A Guide to Looking your Best in your Wedding Photos