Updated now with added Smoke Bombs
The majority of these “trends” have come and now gone (thankfully). Here’s a modern one that is quite popular at the minute but I can’t imagine it’ll be around for long, SMOKE BOMBS, done well they look ok, it’s just doesn’t happen very often. Firstly, you're going to need to check it’s ok with the venue, it’s a pyrotechnic so they might not want couples wafting them around in the grounds of the venue, especially if it’s a public area. You’re going to need a wide open space away from people, luckily in the UK this won’t be too much of a problem with the weather but on th word chance it hasn’t rained for a while, the ground could be dry and potentially cause a fire so you’ll need a metal bucket and water just in case.
Secondly you’re relying on the weather playing ball, it’s going to need to blow the smoke in the right direction and not just send it drifting off out of shot or dissipating altogether. Thirdly, they can stain and it’s likely youre going to be wearing a white dress, not a good combination, they get VERY HOT, oh and they can spark when you first set them off so there’s a chance of a burn too.
You’re going to need to get quite a few, as I say they don’t always turn out well so it’s probably going to need a few attempts at it to get a good one- good ones aren’t cheap and cheap ones aren’t good. If you do want some apparently the Enola Gaye wire pull smoke grenades WP40 are the best bet, they burn cool, are non toxic and biodegradable.
Looking forward to looking back and thinking “what were we thinking?”
Let's Do This Thing I've Seen on Pinterest!!
A tongue in cheek look at some of the worst wedding photography clichés.
Pinterest is absolutely fantastic if you're planning your wedding, there's so many brilliant hints, tips and ideas whether it's wedding stationery or wedding decor, wedding cakes or wedding dresses, it's an invaluable resource for couples. That said, there are quite a few less than positive pins on there, I'm taking a look at some of the more recent wedding photography 'styles' that have come and thankfully gone along with one or two more that hopefully will be consigned to the "what was i thinking" history books sooner rather than later!
Firstly I have to say it's each to their own, you like what you like and there's absolutely nothing wrong in that at all, there's no judgement here, GO FOR IT!!
If these are the kind of shots you're wanting then there are plenty of photographers out there willing to shoot this type of thing but I can honestly say it's not what I do and it's not my style of photography. Every photographer has probably tried experimenting with one or more of these at some point during their career, I know I'm guilty of a few and being fair, some of them can look quite good if they're done well or for want of a better phrase, if they're done SUBTLY, but the ones you do see all too often are so overdone they look just awful, while others have been absolutely done to death these days.
I think for me, what it comes down to is that I don't want to have a couple look back at their wedding album in future and have them be disappointed because it's now incredibly dated. So while Pinterest really can be a Bride's best friend, it's great for getting wedding tips and ideas, wedding dress or wedding hair inspiration there's a lot on there that's just bit... REALLY!!??
Anyway, here's a few examples of the best (well the worst)....
The Hand Heart
This one actually wasn't too bad when it first appeared a few years ago but it very quickly became a case of, "meh, seen it before!" Oh look another Instagram pic, even the creative variations of it quickly became old hat to the point where you've even got footballers using it when they've scored a goal these days.
An extremely uncomfortable, un-natural, contorted hand position
The Love Fingers
Even worse than the Hand Heart, there's the LOVE Fingers. Asking a couple to pose awkwardly and contort their hands and fingers into uncomfortable positions that barely, vaguely resemble the word. Now if you could get them to spell out ouch or dislocate, that would be much more appropriate.
Well I guess it sorta, kinda looks like and spells out "LOVE" if you squint I guess!
The Colour Splash
Very popular a few years ago and now done to death, it can look quite nice when it's tastefully, subtly done, with soft pastel colours and creams with a black and white photograph but when it's Cadbury's purple, bright reds, oranges and other shocking colours, then it's just a big NO! DON'T DO IT.
In a black and white world, always carry a purple brolly and jump!
The You've Been Framed
This one should really be saved for Photobooths when everyone has had a few drinks later on in the night along with silly hats, moustaches on sticks, comedy speech bubbles and over-sized glasses.
Nice when it first came out but again it's been done to death and mostly badly.
If you can, always get children to hold the frame at a jaunty angle.
The 1...2...3... JUMP!!!!!
Nothing says "look how much fun we're having" more than getting the Bride and Groom to jump in the air and wave their arms and legs about, or even better get the whole Bridal Party to do it too!
Why, why....... why ???????
On three, jump as high as you can and throw the bouquets away!!
The Slippery Slope
Technically known as the Dutch Angle this is another style that needs to be done right, a very slight angle can really add impact to the shot but more often than not it's over sloped and it's another shot ruined or you could always get the Bridal Party to hold on to a pillar or two for dear life, just so they don't fall off the photo altogether!
Keep tight hold of those posts to stop you falling and rolling away!
The BIG Heart Shape
I think I've seen this one done well about, Errrrrrm let me think.....Once! From a photographers' point of view it's a nightmare to organise and you rarely get the shot that you've got in your head anyway. Trying to organise 100 bored and hungry people that have either had, or want to have a drink, to stand in a straight line and all look at the camera at the same time for the group shot is hard enough as it is but when you're trying to get them into the right place to form a heart shape from a vantage point that's high enough for you to actually get the shot right, you then need a megaphone to shout them into position and your guests won't appreciate that at all. I've attempted it, in future think I'll give it a miss.
Line up all the poor wedding guests into a wonky heart-ish shape!
The Look I Can Photoshop
Normally Photoshop is used for removing unwanted objects from a shot and very good it is too but just because you can Photoshop something into a photograph doesn't mean you should. Unless you're actually having a Jurassic Park themed wedding, looking back through your wedding album in 30 years, is that really what you want from your photographer? Having the Bridal Party running across a field, in high heels, they'll love that and was T-Rex even actually on the guest list because I doubt he'd be able to RSVP with those little arms anyway! Rawrrrrrr!!
Who doesn't want chasing by a wedding guest that wasn't at the wedding?
The Heavy Vignette
A slight black vignette you can just about get away with, it can look really good and will draw your attention to the subject while hiding some of the distractions around it but again, only if it's subtle, a white one just looks like it's straight out of a 1980's wedding album, all that's missing is the gold leaf effect around the edge, great if that's what you're going for, otherwise avoid it like 80's fashion, fluorescent leggings and shell suits anyone?
Can you even buy oval photo mounts from anywhere these days?
The Forced Perspective
Why not have the Groom holding his tiny Bride or the Bride holding a little Groom in her shoe? Another why, why, why, why, why? How about you have the Bride stepping on the Groomsmen, or pinching the teeny tiny Groom between her fingers and picking him up by the collar. You could try to set it up and just miss out on lining it up properly to prove that yes, you can make a bad shot even worse!
So close... almost nailed it. holding onto his teeny Bride, ALMOST!!
The Dip and Kiss
Also known as the Back Breaker or the Chiropractor's Delight (great for putting food on his/her table and feeding the kids), this classic pose is often seen in the most romantic 1940's Hollywood movies yet doesn't really work in the real world, does anyone actually kiss like this, honestly? Oh and who wants to risk a slipped disc before the Honeymoon? Gone with the wind...along with the other fads!
Advanced Yoga Position Number 101, call the chiropractor quick!
The Awkward and Uncomfortable
This one comes in many variations, such as the rather strange, having the Groom stand on a bench while the Bride strangles him with his tie in order to plant one on him or the poor Bride lying there thinking "don't you dare drop me in my beautiful dress or I will go absolutely mental" and the Groomsmen thinking "wow she's heavier than she looks, please don't let me drop her in that dress or she'll go absolutely mental!"
To the Groom, "stand on bench", to the Bride "pull tie, kiss him"...
The Hide Behind The Door
Kind of cute in a strange kind of way. Hold hands either side of a random door because you're not meant to see each other before the wedding, it can work I suppose if the door is a big, fancy, ornate one but it doesn't really work either side of a Travelodge hotel room door. Also, if you do happen to be getting married in a field you can always take the door off the hinges and bring it along with you, bizarre!
Insert random door between couple for no reason whatsoever!!
The Hide and Seek
Also known as the "she's always late" pose. Get the Bride to hide playfully around the corner while the Groom pretends to check the time on his watch. Most likely the couple are already married at this point as speaking from experience as a photographer, the Bride and Groom just want to get into the church as quickly as possible and get married. Catching a shot of the Groom waiting and genuinely looking at the time is one thing but these staged shots, a bit like the forced fun jumpy shots, just come across as a bit cringy really.
Don't really have time for Hide and Seek before the ceremony tho!
And Lastly...
The Drag Him To Church
Should you really even be getting married?
Probably the worst kind of staged, posed photograph you'll ever see for a wedding, yes it's meant to be a bit of fun but if a Bride has to drag her future husband down the aisle then really you could do with looking at your life choices and if that really is the case, you're more likely to be dragging him off to the divorce lawyer in a year or two.
Such a quirky, fun-loving couple. "WE'RE DEAD MAD US YANNO!!"
Buttonholes, those tricky little flowers you’ll usually see wedding guests fiddling with before the ceremony. I’ve put together a short guide to hopefully help out on the