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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Father of the Bride Wedding Speech - Top Tips For the Perfect Brides Father Speech

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Weddings are one of the few places where telling lousy jokes won't get tomatoes thrown at you. It could be that one side of the audience don't know the other, so don't want to make anyone upset and therefore laugh politely out of respect, or everyone has had a few too many by the time the father of the bride wedding speech gets started, and they find everything funny at that point. Either way, it is safe to assume that starting your father of the bride wedding speech out with a few corny jokes will not get you thrown out of your daughter's wedding.

One of the most special positions in weddings, the father of the bride plays host, foots the bill, and other traditions deep set in most cultures. Nowadays, things have changed slightly. The father of the bride no longer has to foot the entire bill himself -- this is usually spread out and around. But one thing that cannot be spread out and around is the tradition of "giving his daugher away." Sure this is a hard role to play, and there have been many sightings of fathers turning away from their audience to dry their eyes at their daughter's nuptials.

As host at his daughter's wedding, the father of the bride must stand up to say a few things to keep things flowing smoothly throughout the evening. If the budget calls for it, the father of the bride may hire entertainers to do this for him. Even getting the best man, if he is so inclined to do so, will ease this burden from the father of the bride.

But nothing will replace the father himself when it comes time to give that time-honored speech at the reception following the wedding ceremony. So, if you are a father in the grips of fear at the prospect of "giving your daughter away" and having to talk about it, read on to find out some things that you can traditionally fall back on when giving the father of the bride wedding speech.

Every father of the bride wedding speech begins with some funny anecdote to get everyone to stop talking and listen up. From there you want to thank everyone for being a part of this memorable event, and all the love and support they have shown throughout. Mention some of the happenings of the day, especially any compliments sent to the ladies of the event, like the bride, the mother, the maidens.

Of course, in giving your father of the bride wedding speech, you want to let everyone know a little bit about what it feels like to be in this role. Especially if you have only one daughter, and this chance won't happen again (hopefully), you want to wax a little sentimental here. But keep it short.

No father of the bride wedding speech would be complete without a few phrases of endearment toward the bride. Here is the part of the speech that garners the most tears, mostly from the father of the bride himself. It's okay, let it flow.

Reminiscing now takes place in your father of the bride wedding speech, as you recall for everyone's benefit how the lovely couple met, how you kept the shotgun nearby but unloaded (just in case) and how you fully supported from the beginning the groom's idea to forget college and just hitch a ride across the country and see the sights. Then, humor aside, let everyone know the special feelings you have for the newly married couple.

This would be an appropriate time in your father of the bride wedding speech for you to raise a toast in welcoming the newest member of your family...the groom. You know, not losing a daughter, but gaining a son, that kind of sentiment.

Here at this point in your father of the bride wedding speech, it is important for you to touch upon the couple's plans for the future, and impart some pearls of wisdom to take with them. And of course, you want to wish them the best on the beginning of this part of life's journey they are about to take together.

Then comes the toasting of the bride and groom, to their future, and you might even want to include friends and relatives who couldn't make it to the wedding. After saying a few closing remarks to end your father of the bride wedding speech, you want to revert back to the role of host and wish everyone at the reception a very good evening for the rest of their time there.

As you can see, there really is not a whole lot that goes into a father of the bride wedding speech. They are short, heartfelt and warm, and to the point. Yet they are some of the most important and memorable moments in a father's life, next to his daughter's birth, and the births of any grandkids, so putting together a good father of the bride speech is very important. Just don't forget to mention Aunt Tilly's work on the cake, or family reunions will be the antithesis to your daughter's wedding for years to come.

Everything else about the wedding is paid for ... the flowers, the service, the limousines, the dinner, the wedding dress and so on. Why leave one of the most important parts of the entire wedding celebrations in the hands of an inexperienced speech writer.

Giving a speech is hard enough, but having to write it as well is sometimes just too much of to ask from a father of the bride. That is why we recommend that you purchase a professionally written father of the bride speech and then make some minor changes to personalize it.

If you do feel like you need some professional assistance then you should definitely check out the professionally written father of the bride speeches available at http://www.Need-A-Speech.com.