© Andie Freeman Photography
There are so many things to think about when it comes to planning your big day. Catering choices, cake choices, band or DJ, what dress to wear, bridesmaid’s dresses, and the list goes on and on. But there are some little hidden things that you shouldn’t forget about for your big day. And that is making sure that you are picture perfect. Don’t leave it to your photographer to edit something out that you should have taken care of prior to the wedding day. There will be hundreds, if not thousands of images. Most photographers are not serious high fashion retouchers. So don’t depend on them to fix those teeth or edit out those roots that you didn’t get touched up. Many either won’t do it or will charge extra to do it. And when we are talking about that many images, it would have just been cheaper to take care of it in real life. So here are some tips to look picture perfect for your favorite photog on your big day:
- Whiten your teeth: It takes just a small amount of time every day for a few weeks prior to the wedding to make sure that you have pearly whites. Sure, you photographer might be able to edit that, but most won’t or will charge more. With drug store whitening strips, you can easily fix that in real life. Besides, then your teeth will actually be pretty for all of those Instagram images your guests take. Oh, and make sure that your groom whitens his teeth too!! And. . .it doesn’t hurt to ask the bridal party to do it as well. . .
- Get a spray tan: Unless you are one of those amazing women that have porcelain-esque pale skin, or a permatan, you will need a spray tan. Don’t get me wrong. Those ladies do exist. I have photographed them. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. If you have never had a spray tan before, go and check a few places out prior to the big day. You can get in a booth or you can have someone spray you by hand. Make sure that you know exactly how to get that faux glow for your big day. But don’t ever switch on the day before the wedding or get your first tan that day! You don’t want orange skin. If you are a tanner, please make sure that you wear a strapless suit so that you don’t have tan lines. And this goes for all of your maids too! Nothing is worse than a strapless dress with halter tan lines. And just remember, if you ever do get a bad spray tan, take a bath, get a washcloth and scrub with Dove soap. It will take it right off! Little tip if you are whitening your teeth and spray tanning (which I hope you are!). Be sure not to whiten your teeth too much. Your tan will make them look whiter all on it’s own!
© Andie Freeman Photography
- Have your roots done!! If your color comes from a bottle (like mine), please have your roots done before the wedding day. I know this seems like a bit of a no brainer, but you can get so caught up in the little details that you forget to make an appointment with your stylist. Same goes for your maids on this one too!
- Get a manicure and pedicure: This is a great thing to do as a group with your maids just before the wedding day! Pretty nails are paramount when it comes to ring and bouquet shots. Not to mention showing off those awesome shoes you are going to wear.
- Get a Brazilian Blowout: Most of you may be saying, “Huh? What’s that?”. They are amazing. Especially if you have thick, curly or unruly hair. They are also great if you are getting married anywhere humid. They will smooth your hair and make it frizz free. Unless you have really coarse hair, I recommend having one done at least 2-3 weeks prior to the wedding date. Again, this isn’t a bad thing to try several months out to make sure that you like it.
- Get your whole body waxed, even if the hair is fine and blonde: I am not kidding. Legs, back, face, rip it all out. The last thing you want is to show up to see your wedding pictures and to have your blonde hair on your back showing up in the natural sunlight. Digital cameras are extremely sharp these days and will pick up on that. So suck it up and rip it all out. You’ll thank me later. . . (Side note: This is another thing you should try several month prior to the wedding day if you aren’t a regular waxer. Sometimes, waxing can cause small bumps. The best way to combat that if you are prone to breaking out is witch hazel. So be sure to have some on hand for just after your wax if your waxing studio doesn’t normally carry it.)
© Andie Freeman Photography
- Botox: Now this tip won’t be for everyone. Some brides truly don’t need Botox. But if you do, don’t shy away from it. If there is that little line in between your eyes that bugs you (like mine), do something about it. Don’t depend on your photographer to fix it in every single picture (we have already discussed this anyway). And ladies, this isn’t a bad gift for mom and mom-in-law either. They also want to look amazing in your pictures. In fact, you should just throw a Botox party and let your whole bridal party in on it!!
- Surgery? Again, this isn’t something that is going to be for every bride, but don’t discount it. Do you hate your nose? I do. And I fix it in every image where your can see my profile. Really, it would just be easier to have a nose job! It’s always a possibility. And while we are on the subject of that, let mom and mom-in-law know that face lifts are great! You won’t be able to guess how many moms ask me if I will fix them in every picture in Photoshop. I usually direct them to my favorite plastic surgeon – Dr Edwin Pittman. And hey, then they look just as amazing in real life!
- Microdermabrasion: While we are on the subject of faces, don’t forget about the skin of your face. Have some microdermabrasion done in the weeks leading up to your big day. There are places now that offer microdermabrasion with baking soda crystals instead of aluminum. It doesn’t cause the nasty skin reaction that aluminum does. So there won’t be any redness. It is perfect for rejuvenating your skin and making you glow. It also deep cleans your pores and makes sure that you don’t get any zits (hopefully). And if you do get a zit, don’t stress too much. That will only make it worse. Just ask your makeup artist to cover it well.
- Hire a professional makeup and hair artist: And then trust their vision. You hire people for a reason. Usually it’s because you like the work that you have seen them do. So trust them to do just as good of a job with you and don’t micromanage. Hopefully, you have done a trial run. Your engagement session is a great time to do your trial run. That way, you look great for your engagement session and you get a feel for how your makeup will actually look in pictures. One thing that you need to remember is that about 50% of your makeup with “come off” in your pictures. So you can’t “look natural” in person and on camera. You have to pick one or the other. Either you can look natural in pictures and look like you have makeup on in person, or you can look natural in person and look like you aren’t wearing makeup in pictures. Me? I pick the former. You will have the pictures for the rest of your life. You want to look stunning in them. And while we are on the topic of makeup, be sure to drink lots of water prior to your wedding day (about 6 weeks out). That will help your skin look it’s best. Don’t depend on the makeup artist for that.
- Make sure everything fits: Have you been stressing? Stress will make you gain weight. Or maybe you are the rarity that loses weight when you are stressed. Have a final fitting the week before the wedding to make sure that everything fits properly. It’s too late to do anything about it on the day of!
- Steam!! Steam everything once you arrive at the venue. Most dresses will wrinkle very easily. So don’t forget that steamer if your venue doesn’t already have one. You can get a handheld steamer at Target for less than $100!
© Andie Freeman Photography
- Air your dress out: I can’t stress this enough, air your dress out. Don’t leave it in a bag up until the wedding day. It needs to fluff and be pretty. So let it hang bagless for about a week. If you can’t do that in your home, leave it at your parent’s house or a bridesmaid’s house. And then be sure not to put it in a plastic bag after it’s steamed. It will instantly begin to wrinkle again. Honestly, I would only have it in a fabric bag long enough to transport it to the venue and then take it out as soon as it arrives. This goes for bridesmaid’s dressed and mother of the bride/groom dresses as well.
© Andie Freeman Photography
And lastly, just have fun with it. Don’t be stressed. If it isn’t done by that day, it’s not going to get done. And if you are stressed or upset, it will show up in your pictures. Remember, at the end of the day, you’ll be married. And that’s the whole point right?
um…i couldn’t tell if this was being satirical or not. Getting botox or even worse, surgery to look “picture perfect” is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. What about the risks of bleeding, infection or some other horrible complication happening during an elective surgical procedure? Unreal.
Botox or plastic surgery wouldn’t be something that would be for every bride, as I stated in the article. For example, I personally have chosen elective plastic surgery procedures but have not yet used Botox. I have friends that use Botox but haven’t had cosmetic procedures, and I have friends (and brides) that have done both. I am simply putting that out there as something to think about. There are risks, and those risks should be discussed with a licensed professional before the decision is made. I am simply saying not to leave it up to your photographer to fix things you don’t like about yourself in pictures. Both of these options are FDA approved and many, many, many women as well as men choose to have them. Some will choose to, some will not. That is personal preference and I don’t judge one way or the other.