How can we make wedding pictures look nicer ... // a piece of advice for the bride and groom

pictures are from Pinterest

Wedding photography is a mixture of documentary and editorial approaches, when most pictures are taken spontaneously (except for the formal portraits) but in the most beautiful reality. Even if you don't hire wedding designers and stylists, lots of thought will be put into every little detail on how to make your wedding a beautiful and, at the same time, meaningful event that will reflect who you are as a couple. There are still some things, often overlooked, that can, from my point of view, either spoil or make the pictures outstanding. First of all, let's think, what do we love about pictures?

Composition

This is the task of the wedding photographer, who will frame the pictures nicely and intuitively, as everything will happen quickly with no time to think how to apply the composition rules. Trust your photographer (and hire the one whose style and aesthetic views inspire you).

Location

Every wedding location, be it a historic church or a villa at the lake, the garden of an ancient castle, or a farmhouse with olive trees, has its own special beautiful features. Make them present in the whole concept of your wedding, and use them. While selecting the venues, think also of the wedding timeline, and make sure that the open-air ceremony is not held at midday when the sun is at its highest point, thus creating strong contrast and shadows.

Details

Weddings are all about details, it might be a veil or antique brooch that has been in the family for generations, elements of the cake decor, or flower girl accessories - there is always something special. And this is what transforms a nice event into an unforgettable one.  Add special touches to show your own personal wedding style. Pick songs for the ceremony that are meaningful for you, write your own wedding vows, and make the menu based on your favourite food. Rent a beautiful oldtimer or a boat and decorate with flowers (and a "Just Married" sign! ). Decorate your exit from the church (civil registration office, etc) with flower confetti - there is no more beautiful way to make your ceremony pictures unforgettable than the shower of gorgeous flower petals, they are extremely photogenic! Repetition is key to creating a cohesive design. Even a few properly placed items in perfectly repetitive harmony can make a huge visual impact. Bring contrast to the chosen style. It could be a minimalist modern wedding with bold opulent silhouettes and wildly feminine details. Whether walking down the aisle in draped satin or layers of ruffles, embrace the elegant side of your personal style and give it a modern twist.

Stationary

When it comes to invitations and other wedding paper goods, less is really more, don't make it look complicated, try to not incorporate too many details into the design. I can highly recommend you Letterpress Manufaktur MiliaInk https://www.instagram.com/milia_ink/

Milia Ink Design http://miliaink.com

Please, please don't forget to indicate in your invitations the dress-code: "white-tie", "black-tie", "festive attire", "festlich elegant". Don't be shy to ask your guests to dress up, it's just a formality (though tuxedos, floor-length evening gowns or festive cocktail dresses will definitely do give a nice flair to the pictures!)

https://www.instagram.com/whiteveils/

Flowers

Add personal touches to your flowers - whether it's the feeling of your childhood home or a place you stayed and loved - jasmine vines, garden roses, the lilac in your schoolyard or clematis in the grandmother's garden. Loose shapes and soft feminine colours tied with velvet ribbon for a soft touch.

Getting ready 

The most important thing is you look like yourself, let the beauty you possess shine through by highlighting your best features. Avoid trying a completely different look or heavier makeup, keep it simple. Some muah artists think of weddings as long hours performances and prepare the brides like actresses for the stage - lots of long holding hairsprays, several layers of waterproof foundations and heavy eyelashes - so that a person sitting in the last raw in the church will be able to see you ... what about the person who will spend this Day closest to you, will he enjoy this dramatic appearnce? :)

Bride's dressing room can be a part of the hotel or your home. It certainly always helps if the room is beautiful in terms of interior and light, but in any case I would recommend to remove everything that clutters the space - unnecessary pieces of furniture, clothes and hangers, empty bags etc. The wedding dress deserves its own portrait as well as the shoes, the rings and the flowers (ask the florist to send all your wedding flowers to you in the morning), put aside the wedding invitations. I will take pictures of these beautiful details, have some shots of you and your bridesmaids doing your hair and makeup and document the whole atmosphere of the getting ready time, with all the family and close friends, who either with you in the room the whole time or visit you from time to time in anticipation of the coming ceremony.

During the preparation, there should be also some time dedicated just for you alone. How often do you hire a hair stylist, a makeup artist and a photographer? Even if you are shy in front of the camera, just trust the professionals and you will see beautiful portraits of yourself afterwards. For the boudoir shots I would recommend to have an "in-between" version of hair and makeup.

pictures are taken from Pinterest

After taking boudoir shots, I will go to the Groom's dressing room and then come back to the Bride to document the moment of putting on the dress. I would recommend to ask your mom or bridesmaids (with the hair done and dressed beforehand) to participate in this shot.

Civil wedding ceremony

Choose an alternative place to register your marriage, there are lots of stunning authentic locations that will make you feel a part of Swiss history. 

The Zunfthaus zur Waag (the guild house of linen weavers) built in 1287 is one of four licensed wedding venues in Zurich. You can set your wedding date and make a booking at the Registry Office, Zurich Town Hall. 

Portraitsaal in Rathaus of Lucerne is one of the most beautiful places to register the marriage in the whole Switzerland. 

Outdoor celebration

pictures are taken from Pinterest

Outdoor weddings always have a very special ambience. They are beautifully intimate with warm and welcoming feel, they are about bringing your favourite people, sharing your favourite food and celebrating till the dawn under fabulous lanterns. Think of a big farm table adorned with rustic benches, beautiful fabric, antique cutlery, a handwritten or letter-pressed menu, timeless place-card holders that will rise the style.

Indoor celebration

Sometimes you hardly have freedom to express yourself celebrating indoors, you can do something about flower arrangements, chairs perhaps and paper goods (menus and escort cards), the chairs can transform the whole look of the space into something elegant and refined. Match your chair treatments to your wedding style. Consider decorating hairbacks with flowers.

to be continued ...

Some thoughts on photography services available in Switzerland

You may spent months preparing for your wedding, but the day itself will pass in a heartbeat. You will be able to re-live the joy and romance of it by looking through your wedding album. So don't take chances with your wedding photographer. You need a professional, whose work you admire, who understands your vision and whose style reflects your own. 

·       Expertise & style

 You may be searching for a wedding photographer for your wedding that will take place in Switzerland or a professional in destination weddings that will come to the place of your choice, or if you are looking for a family in-home session or for a studio staged photo shoot – in any case, I would recommend to choose a photographer, who is experienced in the area and, what is even more important, whose style resonates with your personality. Photographer’s portfolio speaks better than all the words about the style and expertise, so spend some significant time looking through the pictures. Photographers are creative people and happy to experiment, but even trying something new we will stay true to our personal taste and style. 

·       Packages & hidden costs

Most photographers offer a selection of packages. Packages may vary in coverage, number of photos edited, number of images printed, quality of printed pictures and photo albums, etc. So, before making a decision, be sure to find out what is included in a package and which services are available at extra cost. Check for hidden costs, you may be surprised, but sometimes family and portrait photo packages don’t include digital images, the price of a photo session covers just time and talent of the photographer, while products, either digital files or prints, are purchased separately. It's important that right from the beginning you are absolutely clear on how you are being charged, ask your prospective photographer what their policy is. All my collections include full-resolution digital images with a release for personal use (sharing, printing and posting on social media). If you need the pictures for commercial use, please contact me first. Photographers often use password-protected online galleries that are very convenient for displaying  pictures from the wedding celebration/photo shoot. I would also recommend to check, if you or your guests will have to pay additionally to be able to download the pictures and how much. The nice thing about the online galleries is that you as a wedding couple or family on the portraits can regulate who may have the access to the pictures as well as which exactly pictures you want to have accessible.  

·       Duration of a photo session & coverage

The duration of time when the pictures are taken is certainly a very important factor. Don’t fall for longer coverage all other things being equal, except price, while choosing a family photographer – you don’t need 3 hours of a family photo shoot, since your children will be not willing to cooperate after certain time. At the same time, don't expect a variety of pictures, if you book a one hour photo shoot at one location. As my experience shows, 2 hours is the ideal time, we will be able to change the outfits as well as locations. Regarding wedding photography, you do need at least 6-hour coverage for a wedding session and even more, if you want to have the memories of the different stages of the day. We are all different, think what will have more value for you - portraits of you while getting ready, pictures of your dress, shoes, rings and flower bouquet or rather shots from the dancing floor? Formal portraits of the guests are regarded to be essential part of the wedding photo coverage, but are these pictures really so necessary? Why not to limit the formal group pictures to maximum 1-2 and better assign one hour to couple portraits? If you plan your photographer to be present at the Apero, ask her (or ok, him :) to make portraits of the guests (couples, separate small groups of friends), this will be a nicer memory from the artistic point of view! :)

You can’t get what you want until you know exactly what you are searching for, right? :) So be specific. Also, be prepared to ask right questions for getting comprehensive answers that will help you choose the best photographer for your needs.

Family Photo Shoot in Switzerland: How to Get Prepared?

What do you feel when looking through family photo albums? A blend of sweet nostalgia, gentle sadness and warmth of memories... Family photos seal the most important moments, significant events and small life pleasures in our memory. That’s why family photography is one of the most vibrant types of sessions though featuring some peculiarities. When being with close people, we experience the most sincere and warm emotions, which can turn the pictures to real magic – and a professional family photographer in Switzerland just has to create an appropriate atmosphere, add some entourage and capture right moments.

But how to achieve this in the real world? Any family photographer in Zurich will tell you that a successful photo shoot is a result of photographer and models’ joint work. The process begins long before a photo shoot, when you discuss and search for places, ideas, clothes and other details. But when the big day comes, try to follow these simple recommendations:

Have a good sleep, relax and eat well. These are the key factors for matching with "a sound mind in a sound body" rule, which is especially true for families with small children. Even if you plan to arrange a kind of picnic in the process of shooting, have a snack prior to the photo session.

If your family photographer in Zurich offers to choose morning or evening time for your photo session, consider his opinion - natural light is the most favorable during these hours for shooting outdoor. Besides, your younger kids will be full of energy after a night sleep or nap.

Manage your time. Often, mothers are so engaged in getting the whole family ready for a session, that they have no time left for their own hairstyle and makeup. Don’t try to put this away for later, as at the last moment some emergencies may happen preventing mother from brushing up. Make sure that you have enough time for yourself, since mother is usually the glue of the family.

Take some time to cheer up a daddy. As an experienced family photographer in Switzerland, I learnt that in most cases the initiative of arranging a family photo shoot belongs to a wife and mother, while men tend to take such ideas with suspicion. Do try to convince your spouse and father that for a successful family photo shoot you need more that just his presence, but his love, support and an ingenuous smile :)

Hochzeit in der schweiz - meisterhaftes vorbild - authentische, emotionale Hochzeitsfotos in der Schweiz

Planen Sie Ihre Hochzeit im Ausland feiern? Sie sind jedoch im Erraten, welches der europäischen Länder Vorrang hat? Dann wetten Sie auf fabelhafte Schweiz, Sie werden nie die falsche Wahl treffen. Es ist nur notwendig, sich eine Ehe vor dem Hintergrund der atemberaubenden Natur, alten Burgen und Schneealpen vorzustellen, und das Brautpaar kann der Verlockung nicht widerstehen. Und all diese unvergesslichen Momente bleiben in Erinnerung, wenn sie auf dem Film zuverlässig und qualitativ festgehalten sind. Bei solchen Feierlichkeiten wird der Hochzeitsfotograf in der Schweiz unersetzlich sein, dessen Dienste zu einem magischen „Zauberstab - Helfer“ werden.

Schließlich kann ein solcher Künstler das Fest auf höchstem Niveau verewigen und ihm eine fehlende Realität und attraktive Faszination geben. Von Anfang ab der bis zu Ende der Hochzeit wird er alles tun, um die wichtigsten Szenen und einzigartigen Momente nicht zu verpassen. Und sein professioneller Rat wird übrigens sehr zupass kommen. Dank der Fähigkeiten des Fotografen können die Jungverheirateten und die Hochzeitsgäste das Hochzeitsereignis noch einmal erleben und größten Gefallen finden. Ist es möglich, eine anständige Gelegenheit zu verpassen, immer Hochzeitsfotos zu genießen?

Hochzeitsfotosession - eine riesige und schicke Auswahl für einzigartige Inszenierungen

Genau in der Schweiz werden ungewöhnliche und erstaunliche Möglichkeiten für eine Fotosession eröffnet werden. Zu den beliebtesten gehören der Panoramablick auf die Alpen, verschiedene Ansichten von grünen Wiesen, Frontalrahmen von Plätzen und Straßen. Und das ist nicht alles, was das Paradies auf Erden zu bieten hat. Vor allem Hochzeitsfotos, die vor dem Hintergrund von Berggipfeln und herrlichen Seen gemacht wurden, sind jedoch von besonderem Nutzen. In einem unübertroffenen Tandem mit Landschaft und Natur werden die Jungverheirateten erstaunlich aussehen und echte Begeisterung für ihre Umgebung hervorrufen.

Ebenso interessant in Bezug auf Design und Attraktivität sind die alten Schlösser und majestätischen Kathedralen, in denen Sie den perfekten Ort für eine auswärtige Fotosession finden. Mit dem kompetenten Hinweis des Fotografen werden unübertroffene und malerische Szenen geschaffen, von denen jeder Braut und Bräutigam träumen. Am Ende erhält das junge Paar garantiert das begehrte und qualitativ hochwertige Fotoalbum, das den Liebsten sicher gefallen und angenehme Erinnerungen vermitteln wird. Nutzen Sie den Service eines Fotografen und Ihre Hochzeit wird davon definitiv profitieren!