September 30, 2012 (Updated April 5, 2023)

Practice Wedding Photography Session!

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

29 comments

Hello and happy Sunday evening!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a normal post, but tonight I thought it would be fun to share some photos from a mini-practice wedding photography session that Matt and I had this morning with our wedding photographers, Ben and his fiancé Taylor!

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Since we didn’t do an engagement photo shoot, Ben and Taylor thought it would be a good idea to get together before the wedding and have a short practice session, talking through and practicing a few poses and seeing how we worked with the camera as a couple.

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It was fun and the fact that we did this will make things go more smoothly (and quickly) on the big day in 2 weeks.

We practiced some neutral faces vs. smiling…

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Got a little silly…

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Got some helpful tips from Ben and Taylor about positioning during the ceremony:

  • Don’t spend the whole time staring at your Officiant or else everyone will be looking at the back of your head the whole time!
  • Be sure to tilt my hand as he puts my wedding band on or else no one (including the camera) will be able to see.

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And practiced our kiss, too. 🙂 Initially we went for standard:

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Then tried one hand on my face:

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And then two hands! I think we have a winner. 🙂

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Thanks for the practice sesh, Ben and Taylor! We can’t wait to see what you come up with on the big day. 🙂

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Like I said — I’ll be back tomorrow with a normal post! Here ends the 5 million photos of us. 🙂

- anne

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29 comments
  • The 3rd kissing picture looks amazing :) I am soo happy for you and Matt :)
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  • You look gorgeous! Where's that dress from?
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    • Thanks! It's from The Limited but like... 8 years ago? Oldie but goodie!
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  • Anne: amazing pics, both are so romantic, I liked your dress and shoes.. and Matt looks really handsome. Good election with this photographer!
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  • Beautiful photos! You look sooooo gorgeous!!!!! I love the two hands on the face! ;-)
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  • Wow, amazing pictures! You two look soooo lovely!
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  • Rehearsing everything! You guys are too much. Wonderful pics, and great that you're thinking ahead like this. Most impressive, as is everything the two of you do! Two extremely attractive, fit, and nice people... Well done!
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  • So pretty!
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  • I really dig the happy-neutral faces that you and Matt have going on. Also, the two hands on face kiss is tres romantic -- good choice! Great photos (not that they wouldn't be, of course... I say in my totally unbiased way.)
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  • You two look so happy and in love! The best tip we received was to remember to smile during the ceremony, too often people get caught up in the readings and worrying they'll mess up... If ya mess up it'll be a silly memory :P
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  • I am partial to the two handed kiss. Beautiful pics. Anne, I have been reading your blog since you started it and I believe I have seen Ben's name in your blog before. Do you and Ben go back a ways? I have a pretty good memory and I believe when you were in Tampa he worked on your computer for you at one time.Anywho, He does fantastic work.
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    • Yes, good memory! Ben is one of my good friends from high school (and the brother of my matron of honor, Jenny) and he helped set me up on my own blogging host when I first started my blog. He also wrote the "photography 101 tips" series of guest posts I had going on here for awhile a year or so ago!
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      • I remember you and he sitting outside at a patio table basking in the sun working on your blog. Sometimes my family doesn't like it when I dig into my memory banks. haha
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  • Good idea to practice. I like the two handed kiss picture. Last year I attended a wedding where the groom held on to the back of the bride's neck for the kiss. I was not the only one who noticed and commented on it that evening. It was really creepy and I can't look at him without thinking of that threatening look. Would have been good to think that through and see it before hand.
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  • Cute!
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  • You look wonderful - so happy and so very much in love. Thanks for sharing!
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  • Amazing tips I'd NEVER think of on my wedding day! Can't wait to see the real deal in a couple weeks. :)
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  • You two look so good together! Love is in the air ~~ What a brilliant idea to have a practice session! I spent so much money on photography and videography (which btw we haven't even looked at since..eeks), and it sure would have helped if we were told some helpful tips as well! A lot of poses looked kinda awkward..Love the 2 hands! YES YES!
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  • Yay! Cuteness!!
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  • A few small bits of advice: Don't sweat the mistakes. Something always goes wrong but almost noone will ever know unless you call attention to it. Be in the moment; stop and take a mental photograph every fifteen minutes. What they say is true, time flies by but atleast this way you are stopping to enjoy that moment. When you wake up, take some time for yourself. Run, walk, have a cup of tea even for 15 minutes and just relish in the fact that it is your day! When you are at the altar, at least once or twice turn to the audience with a huge smile. It makes for the most amazing photo!! Have fun the whole day!!
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    • Thanks for the advice! :)
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