How to Prepare for Your Bridal Photos

Here at LatterDayBride we’re all about getting you prepared for your wedding day! And the best thing you can do for yourself is to get quality photos to remember the experience! But how do you prep for your photo shoot? We asked Photographer Brittny Hart what her advice for our brides would be, here’s what she told us! 

Brides ask me this all the time so...drumroll please.... 

If you only have the budget to spend on a few things, here are my suggestions for being totally prepared for your time in front of the camera.

1. Lashes. Can I get a heeeeeeeeeeeeeck yes! Glue on lashes or the real deal extensions...either are good. Truly, this is the one thing, out of this entire list that makes the biggest difference...and it's so cheap! Grab some glue on lashes at Sally's for $10 and feel like a straight up QUEEN. Now, if you aren't the kind of girl who would wear fake lashes, don't do it. The most important thing is feeling like yourself. But, honey, if you have ever wanted those butterfly wings on your baby blues...now is the time.  
2. Nails. Get your nails done. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. You could paint them yourself, or heck, leave them unpainted. But make them look good! What's worse than unpainted, scraggly nails is is chipped, bright polish. Nail polish is meant to be feminine and lengthen the fingers. Bright blue polish is distracting...and if we are looking at your hands we want to see your ring, not your colorful nails. 
3. Professional Hair + Makeup. This is totally up to you! Some girls feel more comfortable doing their own hair and makeup because they feel more like themselves. Some girls are happy for any excuse to hit the blow out bar and get pampered. Either way, I suggest trying the look before the day of, and bring hairspray to the shoot.
4. Spray Tan. Ok, I'm going to say this loudly for the people in the back. Please DON’T!

Here me out. First, Spray tans are rarely sprayed evenly. Every bride I've photographed with a tan needs extra retouching in Photoshop because the blend isn't quite right. Second, tans tend to photograph green. Yes, you read that right. Green. It's a bit more difficult to make your skin look natural, especially when you stand next to your fiance who probably did not get a tan. Most of the time tans make your skin look blotchy, not glowy. Third, the tan can get on the dress...EEK! Spray tans have a bad reputation for staining dresses (see how to clean your wedding dress here). Almost anything can be washed out of the dress with the right technique...but the last thing you want is to have orange smudges along your neckline and armpits. 

Again, the most important thing is that you feel like an amplified version of yourself! Enjoy preparing for your photo shoot! 

Love, Brittny - Wedding Photographer

Give Brittany a follow on Instagram at @lovebrittnyphotography