Bring Elegant Fun to Your Wedding Photo Shoot

So, you’ve tied the knot, you and your entire wedding party are all in your finery and you’re in that little bit of limbo between ceremony and wedding reception. It stands to reason that it’s the perfect time to get some beautiful photographs of you, your new spouse, and your family and friends. We love the photos of Tricia and Sam, gorgeously highlighted here. They both look like naturals in front of the lens!

But for some, the problem with traditional wedding photography is that it can be a bit stilted and, as a result, everyone in the photo looks a bit uncomfortable. Another downside is that the bigger the group of people, the higher the chance that someone isn’t going to look good if you’re having to hold a pose or keep a smile going for long periods of time. All in all, wedding shoots can quickly become tiresome for those in the frame.

Similarly, you want to go into your wedding photo shoot with some kind of plan. After all, a photographer’s time is valuable and you want to make sure that you get the shots you want. So, how can you balance both elegance and fun to get the wedding photo shoot that your big day deserves? Let’s find out.

Get some references and sit down with the photographer

Like with anything to do with your gorgeous wedding, references are everything. If you can do your research and find similar shots or wedding shoots that fit with your theme, that’s really going to help your photographer organise themselves and ultimately, give you what you want.

Even if your references aren’t from a wedding, that doesn’t matter. It might be from a movie, a music video, an ad campaign. Any images of a group of friends or loved ones who look happy and like they’re having fun are fair game for photographic references.

Of course, when you sit down with your photographer, they’ll have their own ideas based on your wedding venue and theme that you might want to weave into your shoot. They’ll also be able to tell you what’s possible and what isn’t based on their experience. It’s always worth preplanning some of your wedding shoots so you’re not scrambling on the big day.

Don’t be afraid of a candid

Although you do want to plan a large portion of your elegant and fun wedding photo shoot, you’ve got to leave space and time for some more candid shots. Often, these capture the mood and atmosphere of your wedding a lot more than the traditional group shots, even if they’re the designated ‘fun’ ones.

With candid shots, you can get the natural smiles and laughs that come from being around your loved ones and friends on what’s a really joyous occasion. It’s here where you’ll get those really authentic, effortless shots that you’ll treasure for years to come.

That’s not to say that there won’t be some natural misses when it comes to taking candid shots. Some of the funniest shots that you’ll get at any wedding are the candids of someone eating or trying to happily bust a dance move. It’s all in the spirit of fun – the elegance comes from the outfits and the surroundings.

Think about your backdrops

Talking of surroundings, you really need to consider where and when you’re doing your wedding photo shoot. If you’re thinking about having the majority of your wedding photos outside, you need to think about things like lighting, weather, footwear and how windy it is.

Adverse weather isn’t a dealbreaker, in fact, it can provide some funny, lighthearted moments for your wedding photographer to capture, candid-style. Think about when you’re on a beach and the wind whips up getting your hair all up in your face, you’re laughing trying to get it out of the way and you let out a lovely, authentic laugh. It’s these kinds of moments that you want to capture for your elegant and fun wedding shoot.

Also, make sure that if you’re indoors that you’re not too cramped into one designated photo area – fun needs room to breathe!

Bring the love

When you’re talking about having a photo shoot to commemorate your big day and all your favourite people in your life, you’ve got to bring the love. From cosy, love-filled, close up images with your new spouse to group hug vibes with your bridal party to candid photos of you dancing the night away with your family, the key thread linking your photo inspirations has to be love.

Just because you’re leading with love doesn’t mean that it has to be super mushy and cutesy, you can have fun with it and show everyone that you love them in different ways. These people are at your wedding for a reason – show them why and capture your appreciation on film!

Wedding photo shoot tips

Let’s wrap this up with a few final quick tips to consider for your elegant and fun wedding photo shoot!

It might seem like an older tradition to do with the arrival of photo booths and camera phones, but it’s well worth getting a load of disposable cameras for your guests to use throughout the day and night. You’ll get them developed and see your wedding in a whole other light, showing how much fun your guests were having!

Don’t put all your eggs in one photography basket and get video, stills and allow your guests to take photos too. You can still ask that they don’t post them until a few days later, but you might find that one of your friends got a really cool shot that your photographer might never have thought to get. You might also be able to get some nice stills from the video footage as well!

Make sure you and your spouse are having fun. Weddings can be stressful but it’s a day for you to let loose. If it’s not organised by the wedding day itself, there’s nothing you can do about it, so enjoy yourselves! You deserve to have a truly fun and elegant time as much as anyone!

Windswept Wedding Portraits

Wedding portraits can quickly turn too formal, too fast, but today’s portrait session by Reverie Supply shows just how stunning wedding portraits can be. Full of life, laughter, love, these images show a magnificent way to immortalize not only your nuptials, but your loved ones too.

From Reverie Supply – “When I met Tricia and Sam, they were so laid back and effortless. It was a pleasure to work with this lovely couple. The portrait session took place in the beautiful Manassas, Virginia. It was full of lush greens, hills, and windswept gowns. The colours of this portrait session complimented the season so well: grey, white, light blue and taupes. The first look, is always so special. A beautifully intimate moment shared by these two on their intimate wedding day.

The bridesmaids dresses were windswept and perfectly pastel, matching the bride’s simple, understated yet elegant Jenny Yoo gown. It was a wonderfully effortless wedding, shared amongst the closest of close friends and family.”

Credits: Photography: Reverie Supply // Wedding Dress: Jenny Yoo // Bride’s Earrings: Anthropologie // Custom Made Veil: Ally’s Bridal // Headpiece: Jennifer Behr // Shoes: Prada // Ribbons: Silk & Willow // Makeup: Susan Lim // Bridesmaids Dresses: For Her and For Him // Groom’s Suit: Theory // Location: Manassas, Virginia.