In India, where weddings combine many ceremonies and a rollercoaster of emotions, wedding photography takes a vibrant and unique turn. Chronicling rituals, working with the lighting and shifting emotions, and ensuring you have the perfect portraits and bridal poses up your sleeve are some of the tasks that keep you busy as a wedding photographer.
Naturally, a good wedding photographer tries to prepare in advance. So, when do you start preparing for bride photoshoot ideas, and what should you prepare for? With over a decade’s experience in chronicling weddings across India and the globe, I have a few tricks up the sleeve that I’m sharing with you today.
The first thing to remember is that if a bride has chosen you to chronicle her wedding, you must deliver what she appreciates, not just what you think works the best. And the only way you can get the bride portrait poses right is by putting in the work and effort of genuinely caring and being on the same page as the bride at every step.
Start by getting to know her well in advance. What does she like, dislike, and what aesthetics does she believe in? For example, does she enjoy black and white images as much as she enjoys coloured images? Does she have dream wedding bride poses she wants to try? Factor in her preferences, hopes, and wishes as you craft bridal poses for her.
Aim at exceeding the bride’s expectations of her wedding bride poses. A few days or weeks before the shoot, ask the bride-to-be to share pictures from the internet of the kind of bridal poses she enjoys. You and her can treat it as a mood board with 20-30 wedding bride poses and shots that help you understand her aesthetic preferences. Ask her to select pictures from your past work as well– this will help you explore a visual language that works for both of you.
Remember, the mood board is not to mimic anything but to understand bride photoshoot ideas that she admires. With the help of this reference mood board, you can work on creating your set of poses and shots. Preparing your final mood board in advance means you will not reach the wedding venue with a blank mind and will have some ideas that you know the bride will appreciate.
To show the bride’s journey through her big day, you must be a constant companion, chronicling every ceremony and capturing all fleeting emotions. So prepare by scouting the wedding location a day or two before the wedding. Assess where the bride is going to get ready, where you can experiment with bride portrait poses, where her entry to the wedding dais will be from, where you can shoot memorable portraits with her loved ones, and so on.
Knowing how the day will unfold will help you capture it intricately. For example, you would already know where the sun would rise and where it would set, or which window would the light enter from, and when the natural light would fade out. It will help you understand where to take which set of pictures, and you can then time lighting for the crucial bridal poses effectively. It will also help you decide whether you need to request the makeup artist to start the photoshoot a bit in advance, or borrow the bride’s outfit and jewellery for quick pictures of her wedding look before she gets ready. While these preps may look too simple, they will create a foundation for you to paint your bridal poses.
The next step is to figure out a rough plan for the bridal shots you wish to capture. When the bride is getting ready, maybe start by taking macro shots of her eye makeup or the jewellery she is adorning. This will give her some time to warm up to the camera and feel a little less conscious. You can then move on to capturing the emotions that brim on her delicate face.
Since these are the first few pictures you will be taking of the bride, it is important to build a healthy and light rapport with the bride. You will thus gain her trust and capture eased out, friendly shots of her. My trick to break the ice is to ask the bride for a list of her favourite songs in advance. I then play them from a self-curated playlist when she gets ready. If you plan to follow this trick, mix in some of your own favourites– they will make for great conversation starters.
Once she is ready for her big day, walk her to a few pockets of sunlight or picturesque backdrops where you have decided to capture her bridal poses. For this series of portraits, I always carry interesting props that can act as foreground elements, along with a few background options. For example, playing with a prism under the sunlight, using preserved leaves with earthy tones or vibrant flowers, and so on can help enhance the mood of the portraits. A few props along with your skills also work well with bride-to-be photoshoots, especially when there is a limitation of visually attractive backdrops in the location or venue.
Once you have captured creative bridal poses to your heart’s content, move on to taking more conventional bridal portraits. Photograph the bride across all picturesque spaces in the venue. It is during this shoot that the scouting you did in advance comes in handy since you would be aware of how you’re going to craft the images. Photograph the bride as she walks, climbs down a flight of stairs, twirls in her lehenga, or simply tries her dream bridal poses. Focus on showing her whole outfit and shape through close-ups, mid-length, and full-length shots this way.
When she looks back at her wedding day, the bride wants to remember how her friends and family celebrated it with her. So, as you work towards closing off the series of bridal poses and portraits, call in her close friends and family members. Take a few group pictures as they rejoice and look forward to the ceremonies yet to unfold. These pictures will reflect sheer joy, anticipation, and love, making them some of the most beautiful photos you will click during the wedding.
A tip here is to take group pictures before the ceremonies begin and after everyone is ready with their make-up and attires all done. At this point, everyone will look their freshest, promising you crisp and glowing photographs.
I hope these six methods to prep for a bridal photoshoot make your wedding photography journey more organised. At the end of the day, it is crucial to remember that the best bridal poses are the ones the bride likes and cherishes for the rest of her life. And if you are a bride looking for an expert photographer to chronicle your big day, I’d love to chat with you and explore your ideas, hopes, and dreams for the wedding.
Get in touch with me here or check out my wedding and pre-wedding work for many beautiful Indian brides here.
