If you’re like most of the brides we know, searching for the perfect dress was (or is) time-consuming, wonderful, and just a tad stressful. Since you’re only going to be wearing it once, make the most of your big day by taking all kinds of photos. While you’re working on a shot list to hand over to your photographer, be sure to spend time drafting up scenarios and events that’ll show your dress from the best angles possible. To help, we’ve rounded up some gorgeous pics to inspire you, including detail shots and pretty lighting you might not have thought of yet.
– Additional reporting by Sarah Wasilak
Getty / Roberto Westbrook
2. Being Zipped Up
Emotions come straight through a photo if you can get one of your mother or a close friend helping you into your dress.
Getty / Tobias Titz
3. From the Waist Down
If you’re besotted with your dress, let it have its own big moment. A classic shot from the waist down means viewers are forced to take in the gown in all its glory.
Getty / Sejal Singh / EyeEm
5. The Back
Plenty of dresses are just as stunning from the back. While options abound to get a picture of you walking away, consider playing with a few different poses, and even trying some in-action moments.
Getty / Hinterhaus Productions
7. The Buttons
A row of classic buttons is a gorgeous dress detail we love to see – especially if it’s an important part of your look. Be sure to capture an image of it during a special moment.
Getty / Reggie Casagrande
8. Delicate Veil Trimming
Lacy or embroidered edges are often the final finishing touch that offer just the right bit of romance. Zoom in on yours to get the full picture.
Getty / Anna Mardo
12. The Train Fanned Out
Dramatic trains are at their prettiest when fanned out. Contrasted against nature, it’s even more shocking.
Getty / ValaGrenier
13. The Glorious Train
If you really went for it with a long train, make sure you take images from all angles, even from the side when you’re getting set up to pose!
Getty / Aleksandr Kuzmin
15. An Aerial View
So you’ve instructed your photographer to take shots from the front, back, and side, but what about from up above? This bird’s-eye view puts your dress and accessories in a totally new perspective.
Getty / Ruslanshug
16. Alone By the Window
Quiet, solo shots have a serene vibe to them that we love, and they allow for more attention on your dress!
Getty / Nadtochiy
20. Movement While Walking
Professional models know just how to move to bring life to a picture. Give your wedding day some of that same energy by swishing or moving your gown as you walk.
Getty / Aliaksandr Lobach
24. Shoulder Details
You can lean on your partner in such a way that the shoulder details are the focal point of this photo, without it being too obvious.
Getty / Kelvin Murray
25. The Silhouette
One of the best moments for your photographer to capture the silhouette of your bridal look is when you and your partner are exchanging vows.
Getty / Yuttana Jaowattana / EyeEm
26. Shape Defining With Your Bouquet
Have your photographer stand behind you and go for a casual lean, letting your bouquet hang down to the side and trace your shape.
Getty / Eva-Katalin
27. The Mirror Shot
This one is of utmost importance. Make sure your photographer is in the room, positioned so as to be out of the photo (but with a full view of the mirror) the first time you look at yourself in your wedding dress on your big day.
Getty / Indeed
28. A Worm's Eye View
Capture the details from down low and use the bright blue sky as your backdrop. It’ll allow viewers to see your dress from a totally new perspective.
Getty / Deborah Jaffe
29. Show Off the Texture
Play with your skirt or touch it in such a way that the texture of your gown becomes palpable through the photo. People looking through your wedding album who never saw your dress in person will feel as if they were there.
