wedding-something: a phiLOVEdelphia story: Bridal Portraits (and Some Tips)

So...I was dressed, but we still had time before our first look. Now, bridal portraits weren't anything I seriously considered (heck, I didn't even have a list of requested shots), but in following the instructions given to me that afternoon...well, they happened!

If you know me, you know I'm not big on solo shots. I'll usually grab someone to join me and have been known to photoshop others into my pictures. Earlier this year I even tried to convince my coworkers to do a group headshot (fail). Blame it on years of posing solo for Turkey Mom.

We were dancing to "Car Wash" - the towel was my prop

I tell you this and share the below images to help other brides who might be nervous about this part of the day. You saw that the photos I loved most from our day were not posed or forced at all...so it would seem only reasonable that portraits would be my least favorite. However, this was not the case.

Just like during our engagement session, Gabe made me feel incredibly comfortable. Despite the fact that I had no idea where to put my hands or where to look, he helped me through the process and made it less awkward. I say less because, don't get me wrong, it was still slightly uncomfortable being the only one photographed (thank goodness the girls were doing their own photo shoot).

So, I'll do my best with the photos to share with you what I was told to do and you'll see just how easy it is to have the fancy bridal portraits. Model I am not. I simply followed basic instructions (and had a fabulous photographer).

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Shot desired: Ethereal photo through the veil

Take 1 - "I don't know what to do with my hands"

Now reflecting into the table

These were the first solo shots of the day, so I had NO idea what was going on. Gabe told me to put my hands into my veil and look down. If you look closely, my fingers / hands are kind of awkward. And if you see this shot in our trailer video, I'm actually talking the whole time he's snapping away!

Shot desired: Prominently featured bouquet

My lovely bouquet by Evantine Design with some unique elements (including succulents)

Many brides do the shot where they put their bouquet straight out in front of them, but Gabe instructed me to just hold it a bit higher than normal and look straight into the camera. It was a quick shot and I loved that it really required no styling whatsoever.

However, I think it set some bad habits for me...you'll notice that I held the bouquet a bit high for almost the entire wedding. Oops!

Another shot of the bouquet...just because - can you find the charm?

Shot desired: Over the shoulder

I'm normally not a fan of curtains, but have to say, the Rittenhouse ones worked well with our colors

I was worried about this one. Unable to pull out a head spin a la The Exorcist, I thought this shot would look awkward or put a permanent crick in my neck. Although my first reaction when told to "look over your shoulder" was to stretch as far to one side as possible, that was unnecessary.

It's all about how Gabe is shooting the image. I'm actually just looking slightly to my right. My chin is still behind my shoulder and I didn't require a trip to the chiropractor after the wedding. It is worth noting that someone styled my veil to be slightly in front of my face.

Shot desired: The pensive bride

Along with not liking solo shots, I also can't pull off the "serious" shot. The ones from our engagement session where Mr. Turkey and I were supposed to look serious were, um, hilarious. We look confused.

Can you imagine a save the date with this photo? We look unsure as to why we're getting married.

But for these shots, I was given some tips (by Gabe and Turkey Mom). First, don't "try" to look serious. Just close your mouth. Second, don't close your eyes or simply look down. Instead, choose a spot to focus your eyes. In the first photo, I'm looking at my bouquet and in the second, I was looking at someone's shoe.

Shot desired: The casual, relaxed bride

I just love this photo - moments before the first look

I think this shot only comes if you're actually feeling relaxed. My calm demeanor came from both the quiet morning to myself and time with my favorite ladies. Oh, and the fact that nothing else mattered because I was about to marry my best friend!