No matter how beautiful we think our brides, every single one has an area they are self-conscious about.
It’s sadly normal in our culture, and we are aware of that reality.
So, here are some tricks for minimizing your areas of concern during your engagement portraits.
THE BODY AS A WHOLE
Choosing a flattering silhouette and colors for your body is important. It can be fun and helpful to have an honest friend guide you when it comes to choosing waistlines and silhouettes. An a-line dress is the most flattering on a majority of ladies, while a nice body-hugging dress can be beautiful on others. It’s always a good idea to try the shape beforehand and make sure it’s bringing out your best features.
THE ARMS
A large majority of women always mention being self-conscious about their arms. If this is you, we recommend avoiding sleeveless, strapless or thin-strapped dresses. Three-quarter length sleeves have a slimming effect and can be a wonderful way to detract from the tricep area that most of us ladies aren’t fond of. Pro-tip: Almost anyone should avoid cap sleeves for photographs. This type of sleeve stops at the largest area of the arm and therefore brings the eye directly to that spot. A jacket, cardigan or blazer will also help with structuring the way we see the arms in photos.
THE LEGS
Heels are a wonderful resource for women as they elongate the legs. If your skirt is a shorter one, we highly recommend heels to show off and lengthen your legs! Closed-toed heels specifically carry the line all the way to the tip of your toe, which enhances the look. (Just bring a pair of flats for any walking between locations. Your feet will thank you later.)
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Having your hair and makeup done can really boost your confidence, and confidence is of ultimate importance! We love when our brides have their hair and makeup done professionally before a session because not only does it give them an idea of what they will like on wedding day, it also gives them an extra pop of pizzaz and ties the look together. Yes, it’s an additional planning element and with this Tennessee weather we never know until the day before the session if we will be getting a “gully-washer” or not, but it’s worth it when you can splurge on beauty treatments like this. Have your makeup-artist use natural light when possible since that’s where you’ll be photographed, and ask your hair-stylist for extra spray to combat the wind getting to your style.
THE RING
Don’t forget your ring will be garnering extra attention and we love to get super close-ups of the bling, so pop in and ask your jeweler to shine it up for you before the session. Along those same lines, believe it or not your hands will be in photos, so remember to give them some love in the form of a manicure and lotion before the session. (If you’re interested in more thoughts on jewelry, look back at Part 1 where we discuss adding in some statement pieces.)
THE TAN
We know you want to have a golden glow, but trust us on this one: DON’T spray on the tan. I know it seems harsh to say, but we do not recommend spray tanning or any artificial tanning before photos. Artificial tan can easily create a synthetic orange tone and especially in comparison to your fella’s untouched skin, can look unnatural. We think that normal skin-tone is much better, even if you think you’re pale. It almost always photographs much more beautifully than a forced tan.
Stay tuned for next week when we chat about styling the fellas.
