Your photographer is kind of like a ninja on your wedding day. We move quickly and unnoticed most of the time. We're so much of a wedding ninja that when you get your gallery of images back you will see images and events that were captured when you had no idea that your photographer was even right there on the wedding day. We are also pros at predicting when certain events will happen and knowing where to go at certain moments. We do many weddings per year so we can read minute cues and know exactly what's going to happen.
With that being said, even though we're ninjas and have some pretty amazing wedding ESP, there is one part of the day that's super important that you can help us with. That is the First Kiss. Now, your wedding photographer will be sure to capture this moment but there are a few things that you can do so that you can maximize your first kiss images.
1. Take Your Time
If you only remember one thing from this blog post, this is the thing to remember. Take your time during your first kiss. You just got married and it's time for you to take your first kiss as husband and wife! It's a super exciting time but it can also feel a bit awkward. You're kissing on demand in front of all of your friends and family and your officiant is probably just a step behind you. We get it, even though you're excited it's still kind of awkward. However, try to forget about everyone else and enjoy your first kiss. Try not to just do a quick peck and kiss for a bit longer than normal. It may feel like a lifetime but I promise you your kiss is not taking as long as you think. Your photographer is a ninja with some amazing wedding ESP so they will be able to capture that quick peck but that quick peck only really leaves us time for 1 image. If you take a bit longer we can get a few different shots such as a full length, close up, and horizontal image. This will give you more variety with your wedding gallery.
2. Try To Stay Centered To The Aisle
You should try to stay centered to the aisle as much as possible throughout your wedding ceremony so this is also true for your first kiss. Staying centered will help your ceremony images look more balanced and cohesive. However, besides that, if you have a small aisle sometimes your guests end up sticking in the aisle a bit so they can block your bottom half during the ceremony. Your ninja like photographer will be able to work around this but if you can try to stay centered it helps us out a lot. *Don't worry, we know thinking about centering yourself is the last thing that's on your mind so if you're not center don't fret too much.
3. Think Outside The Box
Although having a first kiss is a must have for most couples, it may not be for everyone. Maybe the thought of sharing a first kiss in front of everyone is extremely nerve-wracking for you or maybe you're having an offbeat wedding and want to do something completely unique, you don't have to have a first kiss. I had a couple who had a non-traditional wedding and instead of sharing a first kiss they high-fived! It was spectacular. They did share a kiss afterwards but all of their guests were still distracted by the high-five. As with every aspect of your wedding, feel free to make it your own. It's your wedding so make sure you have the wedding that you want to have. If you do decide to do something different, be sure to keep your photographer in the loop so they will know what is happening.
4. Re-Enacting Your First Kiss
Things can certainly happen and your photographer may miss your first kiss. This certainly does not happen a lot and your photographer will do everything in their power to get that kiss. Many things can happen like a missed focus, guest stepping into the aisle, corrupt memory card, flash not firing, etc. There also may be distractions in your first kiss images such as your officiant standing right behind you in in the middle of trying to move out of the way, an upset child running in front of you, etc. (Remember kissing longer will help out here.) So what do you do if it is missed or if there are distractions? If that does happen you can have your photographer take an image of you after the ceremony re-enacting your first kiss. This can also be helpful if you did a quick kiss and want some more images so you will have more variety.
