Disaster Alert: Essential Makeup Tips and Photography Guidelines to Communicate for Your Pre-Wedding Shoot and Wedding Day!

How to Take Ideal Wedding Photos That You Want to Look Back on Over and Over Again?

What do you think makes wedding photos, whether taken on the day or in advance or afterwards, satisfactory?

☑ Choosing the right photographer

☑ Practicing poses in front of the mirror alone

☑ Creating accessories

There are various methods to consider, but the most important thing is, above all:

"Share your ideal image with everyone involved and work together towards it!"

It’s just like the famous business book, "Good to Great" by Jim Collins.

But really, sharing ideals is crucial.

During the time of the wedding, the bride (the protagonist and client) who spends the most precious and irreplaceable moments is what matters most.

Therefore,

with the photographer,

with the assistant,

with the makeup artist,

with the husband,

everyone needs to share the ideal of "I want to take photos like this!" and coordinate their ideas accordingly.♡

What kind of failures can occur if your ideals are not communicated?

If you cannot do this, the results can be disastrous.

On the day, in terms of photography, the bride is just the subject.

All the staff should have 100% of the desire to create something good, but the definition of "good" varies from person to person.

The only correct answer exists in the bride’s mind. So it’s important to clearly explain:

"I want you to take it like this"

"I want this angle"

"I want this color"

It’s crucial to express your thoughts concretely.

Trusting that "they will make me look cute♡" and not giving any orders might seem ideal, but what if things go wrong...?

No matter how much you regret saying, "This isn't what I meant!" time cannot be rewound. Therefore, let's express our hopes clearly, even if it seems tedious, to minimize the chance of regrets.♡

If you don’t express your wishes, what kind of failure stories might arise?

Here are some common "failure stories caused by miscommunication of ideals" often heard in wedding photos, pre-shoots, and post-shoots.＊

Wedding Photo Failure Story 1: The makeup is too heavy!

Having makeup that is too heavy is one of the top common regrets among brides, following not liking their bangs.

If you don’t like your face, every photo will feel like a fail, leading to a terrible mood.

Especially, since wedding photos often involve makeup artists who want to "make it glamorous!", there can be no ill intentions on their part, but:

The eyeliner might be too thick and long,

The outer corner of the eyes might be exaggeratedly lifted,

False eyelashes may be added,

The eyeshadow can end up looking like a panda,

Or the cheek shading might be overdone...

The result may look like a glamorous show model, but often diverges significantly from the ideal image of a "cute and elegant bride♡."

I understand feeling hesitant about ordering too much, fearing the makeup artist might feel offended, but this is your one-in-a-lifetime event!!!

Therefore, express your likes and dislikes clearly.

Makeup artists are professionals too.

They surely want to make the bride satisfied above all.

So let them know:

"I want the eyeliner to be about this width,"

"Not black, but brown,"

"No lifting the outer corners, but flow them",

"Just shine for the eyeshadow, not so much color,"

"Keep the eyebrows bright with mascara but not overly defined,"

And propose solutions for your ideal look along with your dislikes.

Wedding Photo Failure Story 2: Blush and lips are too light!

Among regrets when looking back at wedding photos, just after eye makeup, the next biggest issue is:

"The color of blush and lipstick."

Often, feedback from brides about their disappointment with makeup includes:

1) The eye area is overly dramatic and black,

2) Cheeks are heavily shaded in brown,

3) Blush is applied very lightly from the cheeks to the temples at an angle,

4) Lips are shiny beige.

Conversely, if you consider that these elements serve as a baseline, you should be able to communicate how your preferences differ from this ideal.

Especially, the subtle colors of lipstick, and light pink blush might appear fine in close-up photos,

However, during location photos from a distance or in moments like first bites or entries and exits, these colors often become indistinguishable.

Especially in natural lighting during location shoots, colors can wash out.

Under orange lighting in banquet halls or lobbies, barely visible pink shades won't stand out.

As a result, while eye makeup can appear very strong and bold, cheeks and lips might look sickly pale and nude, which is quite common.

If you dislike this outcome, express your concerns clearly.

You can coordinate your makeup during a makeup rehearsal before the wedding, but for pre-shoots and post-shoots, there is often no coordination, making every moment critical!

Wedding Photo Failure Story 3: Overly directed poses!

Now, turning to points of caution regarding photography.

Typically, once the photo shoot begins, you hear instructions like:

"Please place your hands here!"

"Look slightly to the side!"

"Close your mouth and smile!"

This kind of direction comes mostly from the photographer, but it shouldn’t be all about that!

Posed photos are mostly standard, cliché shots that have been taken for ages.

While there’s nothing wrong with shots resembling those from an idol’s photo collection, too many of them can feel stiff, don’t you think???

Additionally, there’s a personal feeling that:

Not everyone will look beautiful in those standard poses.

Often you’re told to smile with teeth, while the charm and cuteness of individuals can’t strictly adhere to such templates.

Some people look cute when they grin broadly,

Others might have a strikingly beautiful serious face,

While some prefer a soft smile as their favorite expression.

Preferences in expressions vary for everyone.

So instead of conforming to only standard poses, create a guideline,

"I want poses like this,"

"I want expressions like this,"

"I want photos from this perspective."

Make sure to communicate that clearly.

During the shoot, the photographer aims to reproduce their ideal angles and balance.

However, it’s uncertain whether the photographer’s ideals perfectly align with the bride’s.

Collecting various experiences from past brides shows that brides should express more than just eye and hand positions or standing spots:

☑ Ensure there’s no lipstick on the teeth,

☑ Check if the bangs are split,

☑ Ensure fingers aren't awkwardly poised,

☑ Confirm that lipstick hasn’t worn off,

☑ Ensure the dress isn’t slipping,

☑ Ensure eyes are not closed,

☑ Make sure the same expressions aren’t being repeated,

☑ Ensure smiles don’t seem forced.

It seems better to request these aspects to be addressed instead.

Capturing many variations in favorites poses and expressions will likely yield high satisfaction! Wouldn't that be the case?

Wedding Photo Failure Story 4: Fluffy tulle dress is ruined!

When it comes to popular wedding dress designs, the voluminous princess line dress made of fluffy tulle is highly sought after.

Many brides fall in love with the crinkly, fluffy tulle fabric and pick that dress.

But many brides end up regretting not being able to capture that soft texture in photos!

I think everyone wants to take a picture like this, where they're seemingly surrounded by their dress while sitting down...

Some brides chose fluffy tulle dresses specifically to capture photos that look like they're in a tulle bubble bath.

However, if you don’t consciously communicate this wish to your photographer, the reality is that such fluffy, crinkly photos won't be captured.

From a professional perspective, dresses are usually photographed in a neatly defined shape, recreating the ideal product image, rather than in a crinkled state.

When sitting in a chair,

When lounging on a sofa,

Or when perched on a staircase,

At all times, the train is kept in a well-extended and wrinkle-free condition for photos.

Instead of a desirable crumpled tulle look that many brides dream of, the photography often ends up being overly polished.

At times like these, I always think, "Nooooo!!! I wanted to capture the crumpled tulle look..."

While it feels wrong to mess up the meticulous adjustments made by the assistant...

That’s why from the beginning, expressing your ideals clearly to both the photographer and the assistant is so crucial, so they can work towards that same vision.

Wedding Photo Failure Story 5: They won't take candid shots!

Today’s 20 and 30-something brides are accustomed to digital images.

Unlike the past where people thought, "We can only take 20 photos with this film!"

Rather, they are from the video generation and want to capture every moment through multiple clicks of the shutter.

Thus, more photos delivered as data are always better,

Whether it's a photo where your eyes are closed, sharing all the photos taken is desired.

In the past, photos with closed eyes would often be discarded,

Yet now, it’s trendy to capture moments with eyes closed during self-shoots.

The perception of what makes a “good” photo is shifting from conservative and traditional styles to casual and natural ones, while traditional photo studios primarily offer classic posed portraits as "products."

If you prefer more natural photos, make sure to express that clearly,

Asking for lots of candid shots as well!

If you don’t say this, you might end up with only a few typical shots and poses, leading to the tragic outcome of a poorly memorable pre-shoot or post-shoot album.

Above all, the important thing is to "share your ideals!"

Whether on the wedding day, pre-shoot, or post-shoot, everyone involved in the makeup and photography are professionals!

They specialize in capturing beautiful, high-quality photos to make the bride look stunning, but everyone has their own preferences. Only the bride knows what her personal ideal is.

Sometimes you might worry, "What if I annoy them with all these opinions...?"

But there’s no need to worry about that♡

Both the photographer and makeup artist want the bride to feel happy, satisfied, and to think, "I'm glad, I got beautiful photos taken!" Any hint of dissatisfaction will make them concerned.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime wedding.

Ensure you are genuinely satisfied, and leave with a smile saying, "I'm so glad I chose this photographer for capturing my wedding photos!"♡