Wedding Photo Pose checklist

Thanks to sites like pinterest it's now incredibly easy to find and share ideas for wedding pictures. But sometimes that can be a bit overwhelming and what if you forget to do one in the moment? Here's some easy tips to make sure you get the perfect smiles you want.
1. If you're still looking for a photographer, pick out 10~15 poses and bring then with you when you interview them. You'd be surprised at how picky some photographers are when it comes to things like using your own props, sparklers our different camera effects. If they seem hesitant, move on. They consider your wedding to be an expansion of their work, so their own judgments on color, angles and poses can outweigh your wants.
2. If you have a photographer already, print out a medium sized checklist of poses you want. Remember a photographer will take hundreds of pictures, so a list of 20+ really isn't crazy. Plus with a larger list, if a few are skipped do to time or the photographers bias then at least you have a good chunk of pictures you like in the mix.
3. Try for a good mix. Some people are strictly traditional or only candid but most of us are somewhere in between. Even if you are leaning one way over the other, be sure to have just a few shots of the other side of the spectrum. This way when you're showing off your pictures everyone looking at them will be pleased and you will have a more complete collection of moments from the wedding.
4. Do something fun. Be it sexy, just for the two of you shots or silly faces with the moms. There is something about staged entertainment that will leave you laughing for years to come.
5. Let the bridal party pick a few poses. These people are the ones who have probably seen the best and worst of you and your other half. Shots showing off your relationship with them will surely be part of the favorites

Smile big
-the southside bride

Irish Weddings

There are many ways to give a wedding an Irish touch from a little piece of jewelry to an all out traditional celebration. My advice is to pick and choose the traditions that mean the most to you and your partner because having a traditional ceremony simply to say you are really will just cause headaches in the future.

The Ring-Claddagh

(from http://www.thecountiesofireland.com)

The claddagh ring is known across the world as an Irish symbol of love, but few know the meaning behind the symbol or how to properly. The ring is composed of a heart being held by a pair of hands. The heart is also wearing a crown. The heart represents the wearers love and when worn with the point pointing out on the right hand the hands seem to be pushing love out to the world. This position tends to mean that the wearer is single. When worn on the right hand with the point in, it means that the person is in a relationship. When the ring is moved to the left hand, point out means engaged and point in means married. The crown on the ring stands for God, and it is thought that when you wear the ring pointed in the crown is on the outside sealing and protecting the heart.


The Dress-A little Something Blue

(from: http://img.alibaba.com/)

Before white, blue was the color of purity. A lot of Irish brides will work in a blue sash or pendant to represent this. Brides in blue used to walk to the church with their groom and people would recognize the marriage colors and throw everything from rice to pots and pans to bring luck to their journey.

The Flowers-Lavender or Belles of Ireland

(from gardenflowers.com)

Depending on your color scheme, both lavender and green belles are popular at Irish weddings. Lavender stands for loyalty, love and devotion. Also Irish brides tend to wear these flowers in their hair or a flowered headpiece. The Belles of Ireland are great for a green wedding but tend to be a bit expensive, so mixing them with other flowers would be best.

Traditions- Hand Fasting and Bells

(from: http://weddingbycolor.com/)

Two popular Irish traditions include the binding of the bride and grooms hands and the blessing of the matriomnal bell. The hands are bound by various colored cords that have various meaning. It is a physical and visual symbol of the bonds on marriage being created. The bell is blessed during the ceremony and placed in the newlyweds Home to reprsent their wedding vows. It is also said that during a fight the bride or groom can choose to ring the bell and the topic is dropped for the day. But it is only used in serious occasions.

I hope you're wedding and lives together are lucky!
--The Southside Bride