Tattooed Bridesmaid - Are Visible Tattoos Wedding Appropriate?

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It's wedding season again; I blinked my eyes and now it's here. Over the past few wedding seasons, wedding forum questions related to visible tattoos on bridesmaids have increased significantly. Many of the forum questions were from either: a) the concerned bridesmaid, wondering if she should cover her own tattoos during the wedding or b) the bride desperately wanting her bridesmaids' tattoos concealed.

Whether you are in the shoes of A or B, you are not alone. According to a January 2008 Harris Interactive Poll, 32% of U.S. adults age 25-29 have at least one tattoo. With the average age of a first marriage in the U.S around 25-28 years of age, a visible tattoo may be affecting the dynamics of your upcoming wedding.

You are the bridesmaid

If you are the concerned bridesmaid, it's fantastic that you are open to concealing your tattoo for your friend's wedding day. Horror stories abound illustrating passive aggressive brides who never speak directly to the bridesmaid about covering visible tattoos, yet simply opt to air brush the tattoos out of the wedding photos. Imagine what the bridesmaid must think when she finds herself staring at unrecognizable photos of herself right after the wedding.

The best way to gauge the bride's opinion regarding your tattoo is to ask her. Open up the dialogue, ask what the bride's preference is and be open to what she says. Tattoos are every bit a part of you and the bride definitely understands what your ink represents. But, for this one day, turn the conversation to what your friendship represents and how you would do anything for the bride; the friend you are seeing off into marriage.

You are the bride

Quite possibly you are the the bride-to-be, distressing over your maid-of-honor's sleeve tattoo ruining your wedding photos. Relax, you can handle the no-tattoo chat with your friend; if you have a tactful plan:

1) Be fair. Think about your wedding party, are you going to ask all of the members to cover their tattoos too? Better yet, are you covering your own tattoos? If yes, carry on. If no, think about why you are asking your friend to cover her tattoo. Is there something within the tattoo that specifically offends you? Possibly a topless Betty Paige? If you are not going to ask the other members of the bridal party to cover up, then you need to tactfully convey your message to the bridesmaid in question.

2) Tell your bridesmaid that you know how important the tattoo is to her.

3) Come up with a plan. Will a shawl cover the tattoo for the wedding? Or will you purchase a tattoo cover up product such as Tattoo Camo (tattoocamo.com)? With either option, go online and take care of the purchase for your friend. We learned about Tattoo Camo through a study conducted by Joan Kneller, a woman embarking on her 2nd marriage with her ex husband's name still tattooed on her shoulder! You can read all about Joan's experience at tattoomakeup.org.

How to conceal tattoos with cover up

How do you cover up a tattoo with make-up? The make-up experts recommend that you purchase two shades of tattoo makeup, one lighter and one a tad darker than your skin tone. Start with the darker shade and briefly go over the bulk of the tattoo, then take the lighter shade and blend into the darker. Set with powder and you are good to go. Good luck and enjoy the wedding!

Ms. Eckard is a wedding planner in Dallas TX.

How to Pose a Bride and Groom

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Of all the pictures taken at a wedding, the one most important is the portrait of the bride and groom. Some wedding couples depend on a relative or a friend to take a few good photos for their album and others reserve a professional photographer to do the honors. This article is for both the real and wanna-be photographers at the wedding.

A good time to photograph the bride and groom is after the ceremony and before the reception. Ideal is an open lawn away from any building. Other photogenic locations are at the edge of a treed area, under an arcade or
at home in the backyard. Important is to choose an evenly lit background: one that does not contain light and dark areas. Place the couple in the shade at least thirty feet away from any background objects with their faces toward the main source of light.

Turn the bride thirty degrees away from the camera and fluff the train behind her so that only half of the train is visible from the camera position. Never pull the train around to the front of the bride since this is most unnatural and would never occur in real life. Pose the groom slightly facing the bride and have him offer his arm for her to pass her through. Make sure her ring is visible. The groom's outside hand can be in his pocket or touching the bride's hand. The bride should shift most of her weight to the foot furthest from the camera and the groom should have his weight evenly distributed on slightly spread feet. Never let his hand drop straight down at his side. The bride may hold her bouquet in her outside hand at a level below her waist with some daylight or background showing between her elbow and her waist. An alternate place for the bouquet is on the ground next to the groom's feet. Turn their faces toward the camera but not fully straight on, but at a slight angle toward each other. Their expressions should show their happiness, but not laughing.

Angles other than the view straight on without changing their positions often present another good composition for a portrait. Consider also a view from behind the couple, requesting them to turn their heads directly toward each other, giving the photographer a profile of their faces. A variety of shots are possible with this pose. A medium shot (at the knees) with their faces closer together and an even closer pose with the cheeks almost touching make wonderful portraits. Try having them look into each other's eyes with his arms around her. Natural light from the side is the most beautiful source as long as the reflector of some sort balances the light. Watch your cropping in the viewfinder carefully and leave some space over their heads. Pay attention to the position of the feet (no soles showing) and be sure only the sides of the bride's hands are presented to the camera. The groom's coat collar should fit snug to the neck.

A beautiful portrait of the bride and groom can be their most treasured reminder of the most important day in their lives. You can make it happen.

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