Pick the wardrobe for your pre-wedding shoot
You’re young and in love and you want to freeze this moment forever in a pre-wedding shoot! But how are you going to style it?
While they’re clear about their wedding trousseau, “what should we wear to the engagement shoot” is one of the most common questions we hear from to-be-weds. After all, the shoot doesn’t have the ‘formal’ stamp of the actual wedding and it is supposed to capture your personalities and tell the story of your love in its purest, most natural form.
After watching and advising hundreds of young couples, WeddingSutra has a handy list of tips that will help you not only look your best, but most importantly, have fun at your shoot!
Photo Courtesy- Lin and Jirsa, Banga Studios and WeddingNama
You’re most comfortable when you’re YOU!
Remember, you’ll ‘look how you feel’ and so the pre-wedding shoot is not the occasion to drastically reinvent yourself. The photographers and your fiancé want you ‘just the way you are’ so get primped at the salon, buy a new outfit and new shoes, but stay you. Make sure your outfit is easy to move around in and fits beautifully so you can concentrate on being candid and making pretty pictures with that boy or girl you’re in love with! Let your personality shine and direct the mood in the photos!
Photo Courtesy- Photo Tantra
Photo Courtesy- Photobooth9
Photo Courtesy- Photobooth9
Photo Courtesy- Candid Tales, Rishabh Sood
Tell us a fairytale
You want to tell a story and you’re looking for dreamy silhouettes and whimsical frames with your Prince Charming; so pick fabrics that play with the breeze and the light like tulle or other translucents in pastels or saturated hues. A flared skirt will bring movement and playfulness at the right angles and bring a light touch with an air of sophistication. The final pictures will prove that dreams do really come true!
Photo Courtesy- Anoop Padalkar
Photo Courtesy- Ifpixelscouldtalk
Photo Courtesy- WeddingNama
Photo Courtesy- WeddingNama
Be a vision in white
There’s a purity and elegance to keeping the palette pristine. What sort of white are you planning on? A glowing pearly white? Or a hint of vintage in ivory? A luscious cream? Or a crisp, shining frost? You’ll want to consider bringing in texture to give depth to the pictures – use lace or a textured stole, maybe a cardigan. Don’t forget to add a pique of interest with subtle accessories – the classic Mediterranean touch of turquoise stones or a St Tropez bronze or gold metal. Your partner can completment you by teaming his white shirt with denim or coloured trousers and maybe a casual blazer in a subtle shade.
Photo Courtesy- Sutra Snapperz
Photo Courtesy- Shades
Photo Courtesy- Reels and Frames
Photo Courtesy- The Cheesecake Project
Bold as Love
Bring some colour to your shoot. Bright, saturated hues really pop on camera! Wear complementary shades or eye-catching contrasts and you’ll stand out beautifully from any backdrop not to mention be the centre of attention! Pop the cork on the colour wheel and add a fresh, funky feel to your pre-wedding shoot.
Photo Courtesy- KK Photography
Photo Courtesy- Mukesh Vyas Photography
Photo Courtesy- Candid Tales, Rishabh Sood
Photo Courtesy- Romesh Dhamija Productions
The Prints Princess
The runways are buzzing with prints – classic and abstract florals, digital art, animal prints, quirky fruit and map reproductions, stripes, stars – and you’re picking a stand-out dress that flatters your figure and shows your personality! Make sure the dress isn’t so loud that it overpowers your faces and the backdrops… and have your partner wear a solid colour to bring balance to the composition and you’ll have a set of wonderfully dramatic pictures to look back on.
Photo Courtesy- Dev’s Photography
Photo Courtesy- Chandni Dua photography
Picking Proper Props
Most celebrities joke saying they never know what to do with their hands when they’re being photographed. We have the solution for you, the celebrities for the day! Throw in a bunch of props into the mix. Umbrellas, flowers, balloons, silly signs, your favourite books, your own camera, even your pets! Bring your bike or car or bicycles too… It tells a story about who you are and has the added advantage of helping you be comfortable by giving your hands something to do when you’re not busy holding on to your fiancé!
Photo Courtesy- The WeddingSalad
Photo Courtesy- Malhotra Movies (MM Studio)
Photo Courtesy- Nishith Dayal’s Photography
Photo Courtesy- The WeddingSalad
Celebrate your heritage
Pre-wedding photos in ethnic clothing have the potential to be dramatic and whimsical in their own special way. If your desi wardrobe brings out a special something in your personality, why not choose a gorgeous light saree, a playful salwar or even a lehenga… You’ll get swirl and movement of fabric, print or pop of colour and you can tell your fairytale with just the right twist of ‘you’!
Photo Courtesy- WeddingNama
Photo Courtesy- Shades
Photo Courtesy- Romesh Dhamija Productions
Photo Courtesy- Candid Tales, Rishabh Sood
Photo Courtesy- Picture Perfect India
Photo Courtesy- Reels and Frames
Consider an outfit change
Still can’t decide? Well, it’s your pre-wedding shoot and you can change outfits if you want to! Discuss timings and locations with your photographer so you can schedule a space and budget for time to change in a private, comfortable space and you can have the best of both worlds!
Photo Courtesy- Shades
Photo Courtesy- Shades
Do a private practice run
If you’re still undecided, get an enthusiastic supporter – maybe one of the bridesmaids or the best man – give them a phone camera and do a quick little pre-shoot prep to help you decide which outfits will do the trick? Try the regular and the dramatic outfits – from casual chic jeans and tees to the formal blazers and heels…
And a few little “Don’t”s
Don’t be match-y
Even though you two are a ‘perfect match’, don’t let your clothes be! It’s twee and doesn’t let your individuality shine. Co-ordinate your outfits around a theme- maybe an activity like hiking, cycling or any other shared interest or the seasons – winter, monsoon, spring. Choose complementary colours using the colour wheel and picking colours that work well with each other – orange and blue or pinks and greys… a little subtle co-ordination will go a long way.
Don’t suffer for fashion
If you’re uncomfortable in high heels or short skirts or glamorous lehengas, give them a skip. You want to be you, you want to have fun and eventually your discomfort will make it to your face and give your photos a strained, artificial look.
Don’t be loud!
Bold motifs, busy patterns, massive logos over your outfits are a complete and total no-no for your pre-wedding shoot. They will only draw attention from your faces and backdrop.
No to Neon
Sure, the fluorescent palette stands out in the wardrobe but neon colours are super luminous and reflect weird hues onto parts of your face like your chin or under the nose or your skin in general. The result is that the photographer will have to spend precious time and effort correcting the neon glow off your skin tone and you may risk getting over-processed pictures.
Don’t carbon-date the picture with current trends
These pictures are a keepsake for you and maybe your children and grandchildren to look at. You want them to stay as relatable as they are today so keep your outfits stylish and classic and avoid very fleeting trends. Talk to anyone who was a teenager in the eighties about acid-wash denim, chunky plastic jewellery or MC Hammer pants and they’ll give you some tips on how to avoid future generations ROFLing at your romantic photos!
Have fun!!!
