Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day and a professional photographer should know all the tricks of the trade to make you and your new husband look great in the photos. They will find the most appropriate and flattering locations and backdrops and should be able to direct you on your poses. They should make the most of your wedding dress by taking some full length shots and some close-ups to capture and decorative details.

Lighting has a key role in all photographs and your photographer should be an expert in using it to your advantage. Pictures taken in bright mid-day sun can be harsh with dark shadows and a bleached out wedding dress so it's often better to wait for an overcast moment or to use a natural shade.

Angles are also important if you want to look your best. Why not take some tips from the stars, don't stand with your shoulders square to the camera, turn your body slightly by about 30 or 40 degrees for a much more flattering pose. Another trick is to tilt your face at a slight angle making it appear slimmer in the photographs.

When deciding on your wedding make-up it is a good idea to aim for a more polished version of your everyday look, you don't want your photos to look dated in a few years time. It's worth paying for a professional make-up artist, you'll be nervous on the morning of your wedding and a steadier hand will do a much better job. They will also be skilled at making the most of your features whilst maintaining a natural look. Make sure however that you have a trial run before the day, you don't want any surprises, just a more glamorous version of your everyday look. Here are a few tips to make sure you look your best on your big day.

• Don't forget to wear waterproof mascara as weddings can be very emotional and the last thing you'll want to do is have to start reapplying your make up after the ceremony
• If you are having black and white photographs steer clear of dark red lipstick and heavy blusher, as these will appear even darker while too pale pastel colours can fade out completely.
• Pinky-brown lipsticks will whiten teeth while orange and red tones will make them look brownish against your dress.
• Make sure that your jewellery, veil and headdress compliment each other too much fussiness will look cluttered in the photographs.
• Treat yourself to a professional manicure; your hands will be the focus of a few pictures from signing the register to cutting the cake and close up shots of your rings.
• Have your eyebrows and legs waxed at a salon at least 2 days before the day, this will allow time for any redness to calm down.
• Most importantly relax and enjoy your day it only happens once and if you're enjoying yourself this will really show in the photographs.