Photography Ideas for the Groom on Your Big Day
Make sure you get some great photos of the groom and his groomsmen by following these photography tips
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There’s lots of focus on the beautiful bride on a wedding day — but grooms spend plenty of time in front of the camera too.
We’ve compiled a handy guide to wedding photography for grooms: this should help the guys to shine in the spotlight and enjoy every moment. Say cheese!
Image: Benjamin Stuart Photography
How Grooms Can Prepare for Wedding Photography
Finding and choosing a great wedding photographer is crucial if you want amazing photographs — and it’s also important to pick someone you gel and feel at ease with. They will be with you throughout your wedding and the more relaxed you feel in their company, the more relaxed you’ll be when they’re photographing you.
Don’t be shy about asking questions when you meet and if you’re camera shy, be honest about it. That way your photographer can work around your concerns and take the photos in a way that makes you feel more comfortable.
If you feel daunted by the prospect of speaking to a professional photographer, make sure you’re up to speed on wedding photography terminology first.
Image: Benjamin Stuart Photography
Rehearsing for Your Wedding Photos
An engagement shoot is a great chance to work with and get to know your professional wedding photographer — and to sample time in the spotlight without any guests around. If you book an engagement and wedding shoot at the same time, your photographer may also offer you a discount or special “package price”.
You can also get your own camera at the ready and, with your fiancée or best man, practice taking photos of each other. Take as many as you can and study the results so you can see what angles of yourself you prefer on camera and whether you enjoy posing or being natural the best.
Image: Benjamin Stuart Photography
Grooms Looking Good in Wedding Photographs
The more confident — and handsome — you look and feel on the big day, the more enthusiastic about the wedding photography you’re going to be. This might call for a little preparation and pampering: why not book a spa day the week before the wedding and have a reviving massage and facial?
A good hair cut is also a must — but don’t risk having it chopped too close to the big day: book an appointment a couple of weeks before, so it has time to settle, and see your stylist on the wedding morning for a quick spruce, if possible.
Consider longer-term treatments too. If you’re self conscious of your smile, see an orthodontist for advice as soon as you can (treatment can take up to two years). Or you could try teeth whitening. Self tan can give you a healthy glow for the photos, but choose a product that builds up the tan gradually and go for a light, natural effect rather than turning yourself orange!
Image: Gavin Photography
Groom Photography on the Wedding Day
You may be feeling nervous and excited, with lots on your mind for the day ahead, but on the morning of the wedding there will be many moments that the bride will never see — unless they are captured on camera.
Talk to your photographer about shooting some reportage-style photographs of you and your best man/ushers before the ceremony. Moments not to miss include getting ready, travelling to the church or registry office and waiting for your bride to show up: this is once-in-a-lifetime stuff so you don’t want to miss it. If you’re getting ready at separate venues, and the photographer is busy with the bride, ask a trusted friend who is good with a camera to take lots of snaps, or speak to your photographer to see if he/she can send an assistant to take shots of you.
Image: Gavin Photography
How Should the Groom Pose for Wedding Photos?
Even if you choose a reportage style photographer, the opportunity to pose for a couple of traditional shots, with all your friends and family, shouldn’t be passed up.
If you’re after some posed pictures of yourself, photographer Paul Rogers suggests you set aside 10 to 15 minutes before the ceremony for the photographer to shoot a few different backgrounds. “One of the main reasons people feel uncomfortable when posing for photographs is because they don’t know what to do with their hands,” Paul says. “While you are in conversation with friends, or just being yourself, hands are not a problem. But as soon as you become conscious of them, that can change. Take a look in some style magazines to see how the pros do it then find a couple of poses that feel natural to you. The last thing you want is to try and position yourself in a way you never stand or sit naturally. It will look awkward, and won’t reflect who you are to the people who know you.”
Image: Rogers Pictures
Why Grooms Look Great in Reportage Photographs
It’s easy to say “act natural and be yourself’, but when you’re posing in front of the lens it can feel anything but comfortable. Paul Rogers suggests choosing a photographer who specialises in natural, candid photography. “They will be able to capture you at your most relaxed and in a way that your family and friends will recognise,” he says. “The best pictures will always be the natural, candid ones where you are being yourself. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to recreate a natural smile or laugh, so surround yourself with your mates and just let the pictures happen.”
