Work The Gown: A Wedding March-In Workshop
Our wedding photography studio has been in the trade for many years and has seen numerous wedding gowns and wedding gown fashion trends come and go. We have shot wedding gowns for weddings, couples, corporations, portfolios, catalogues, and advertisements.
There are many reasons why a bride would choose a wedding gown. The first reaction would purely be for aesthetic reasons, why shortlist it if it isn’t gorgeous. This thought set me thinking, aesthetic reasons are just a static value. What they see, what we photograph, down to how they wear it, the wedding gown would be draping them in a static manner. It is worked onto the bride, like the frame on a photograph so to speak. Yet, these two elements, the bride and the gown, do not necessarily work with each other.
To me, brides wear wedding gowns for two purposes, pre-wedding photography shoots (what I would describe as static rentals) and donning them for the wedding banquet.
For pre-wedding photography, the professionalism of my photography team will ensure our brides work magic with their wedding gowns. In pre-wedding photography shoots, my photographer will guide our wedding couples and provide directions. The images will therefore be composed to invoke a good “feel”.
With these still pictures, most wedding boutiques are selling or renting wedding gowns for a static reason: pre-wedding photography. This then doubles up as usage on the actual day.
What is missing in this equation? No one is teaching wedding couples how to work the wedding gown. To wear it, there will be assistants and makeup artists on the day of the shoot. To work it when you’re marching down the aisle with the groom, it’s left to the bride’s instinct. Unfortunately, we are not all super models, grooms included.
1. How do wedding couples walk down the aisle?
2. How would the bride and groom present themselves in front of all their guests?
3. How do we present our best personal image?
4. What is the purpose of a wedding march-in ceremony to begin with?
5. What should wedding couples focus on so that they can tell others who you are, and who you are with?
It came as a relief that I have partnered with Z Wedding, because they have been conducting personal image workshops to master the art of walking down the aisle. Joey, Director of Z Wedding, will teach you the small details many wedding couples never realized they needed to know. She conducts these classes so that wedding couples can perfect the march-in, and brides can work the wedding gown. There are 18 important points to take note of, and practice sessions are part of the curriculum. She will ensure that you rock the wedding gown, instead of having the wedding gown wear you!
There is finally a bridal boutique that can bring together the hardware (wedding gowns) and software (personal image) for you to perfect your wedding.
I encourage you to visit Z Wedding and learn more!
