How To Get Amazing Bridal Portraits On Your Wedding Day

If you’ve ever browsed through our amazing ISPWP contest galleries, you had no doubt seen some amazing wedding photographs and imagined the possibilities for your upcoming wedding day. In the galleries, there are photos of a bridal couple with stunning landscapes, lighting, and brilliant composition; truly outstanding examples of what a creative photographer can do with a portrait. If you can imagine a captivating portrait like what you’ve seen online on your walls after the wedding, then how can you work with your photographer to achieve that on your wedding day?

Show Your Photographer What You Like
Don’t worry about offending your photographer by showing them photos from other photographers, but don’t expect them to completely recreate someone else’s idea. Instead, tell them how the photo makes you feel, and what it is that you like about the photo. There may be an element in the photo that you can’t quite put your finger on, and photographers as visual artists may be able to interpret that for you.

Be Realistic
If you’ve fallen in love with a photo of a couple on a mountaintop, but the nearest mountain is more than an hour away from your venues, you’ll have to be prepared to be absent from your guests for an extended period on your wedding day to get that portrait done. If you love an image where the couple is surrounded by beautiful Fall foliage, but your wedding is in the Spring, then perhaps you and your photographer can think of other options that are more representative of the proper season. Likewise, if wedding sunset images appeal to you, but you have a morning wedding, or your venue is cloudy and rainy, then you may have to adjust your expectations. Sometimes these limitations can lead to even more creativity and create something totally unique for your own wedding, instead of recreating an image from someone else's wedding!

Schedule a Separate Day for Wedding Portraits
If wedding-day logistics present too much of a difficulty to get the portraits you want, consider doing a “day after” portrait session on another day to capture those stunning portraits you may not have time for on an actual day. Many couples will schedule portrait sessions before or after the actual wedding day to allow for plenty of time and location options. Without the stress and time schedule of the wedding, you and your photographer can create some very special images. 

Make the Time on the Wedding Day
Remember that great art takes time, and your photographer is an artist! Expecting them to do many locations or poses with very little time is not conducive to great photos. Talk to them about how long they will need at the sites, plan for travel and unexpected delays. Listen to their expert advice! In some locations, it is not unheard of to schedule up to 3 or 4 hours on the wedding day to create portraits in various locations near the wedding and reception sites. 

ISPWP photographers are experienced wedding artists who thrive on creating visually stunning photographs for their clients. Enjoy some work from our latest contest gallery and find a photographer in your area!

Photo by Pawel Sarota, Kraków, Poland wedding photographer