Bridal wear: Colours that work great with Wedding Photos!

Mehak, over at Wed Me Good got in touch with me with a bunch of questions to help her readers be better informed when shopping for bridal outfits; particularly which colours we felt worked, and what are no-nos. Of course, Praerna and I were only too happy to help! As wedding photographers, we have a keen eye for colour – and know what works, and what doesn’t. Here is a reproduction of the interview with her -you can even check out the original article on her blog here.

 

So Arjun. Whats the deal with colors? Is it true that certain colors photograph better than others???

Me:  Well warm and bright colours look better than pastel colours, purely from a vibrancy point-of-view. In certain communities, white or cream is the norm and that also does well, but in terms of actual “colour”, the more saturated, rich and vibrant versions of any colour photographs better than it’s pastel version. Specifically, reds, oranges, pinks, purples, blues and greens are always wonderful colours to work with.

 

Hmmm. So how does one go about choosing a color? What should a bride keep in mind?

Me:   Here are a few pointers:

• Ideally, one colour should dominate the outfit rather than being a riot of various bright colours.
• The décor and theme are very important, with respect to the brides’ outfit. Big no-nos are for the brides outfit and the décor colour to be the same colour. She would just blend in.
• But having lighter, muted versions of related colours is always complimentary. E.g. if she is wearing a rich red and gold lehenga, then good colours to work with would be pale mithai yellow, peach, pastel orange or coral. Maybe some of the small detailing can be in bright red, but not the bulk of the drapes or flowers.
• Loud, bright colours are always better in small flashes and accents.

 

So Im guessing all of this also depends on whether you are having a morning/ night wedding? 

Me: Morning (or early evening) outdoor weddings trump night, indoor weddings any time of the year. Almost any kind of lighting effect can be simulated in the photography studio, but when it comes to weddings it’s not possible to replicate the effect of soft natural light that is available during early/ late morning and just before dusk by using lights and flashes. However high the specifications of a pro camera may be, flash or artificial light usage is unavoidable in many cases during an indoor, night wedding. If lights are used well, the effect can still be very good but not as good as an outdoor, natural light situation (not the harsh afternoon sun though. That would cause harsh shadows on everybody’s face.) In terms of outfit, a bride should still stick to vibrant colours even for an outdoor, day wedding. But make-up for an indoor night wedding should be a little more careful – too much shimmer or glitter would reflect in the flash and artificial lighting scenario, as would too much cover-up makeup. Whereas in the day, natural sunlight would hide a lot of flaws in the skin and reflectiveness will not be a big issue. As long as the make-up artist understands the kind of venue and lighting that will be a part of the wedding, he/she can approach the make-up strategy accordingly

Whats your take on the whole bride and groom matchy-matchy trend?

Me: Colour coordinate by wearing the same colour is a big no in our books. The bride and groom must both stand out in their own style or individuality and not blend into one another. But complimentary clothing is definitely a good idea. E.g. The embroidery or detailing on the groom’s outfit can be the same or similar colour as the bride’s outfit. Or, as another example, if the bride’s outfit is pink with blue detailing, the groom can wear a dark blue outfit. But there should be some sort of line between feminine and masculine colours and both must not be dressed in the same, bright and vibrant colour.

So one thing you guys and we guys have in common. We are both husband-wife teams? How is that working out for you?

Me: Well, to be honest, there is no absolute answer to this question. And we are not just being politically correct by saying this. There are advantages and disadvantages to working together. We feel that we manage to show different perspectives to the exact same moment during a ceremony or an event. So there is a sort of harmony there, in working in our own way to deliver a good final product through our varied approaches. Another advantage is that because we live our personal and work lives together, we often understand what the other wants us to do without any conversation required. When one of us needs the other to move out of the way or help with a shot or shoot from the opposite perspective, the other just gets it. On the other hand, disagreements or misunderstandings while working are also common because it’s very hard to separate our personal relationship with the working one! Despite it’s ups and downs, we do think it is a gift to be able to integrate various parts of our lives together and do what we love doing, together.

 

____

Originally written for WedMeGood – you can read the original article on the site here. Questions or comments? As always, ask away below!