Wedding days are all about big emotional moments! That’s what I love most about being in the Philadelphia wedding photography industry: I get to capture them all. Some of the most touching are between the couple and their parents. I’m always a sucker for father-daughter moments, myself. If you’re a daddy’s girl, here are a few ways you might be able to show your love for your father in your wedding photo!
Special Details
If you’ll be giving your parents gifts to show your love and appreciation on your wedding day, let me take some pictures first! I’ll add it to my list of detail shots, and I’ll also photograph you giving it to them and them opening your gift. Some ides for dad gifts include:
- A handkerchief embroidered with a heartfelt message
- Cufflinks inscribed with something sweet, like “father of the bride” and/or “I’ll always be your little girl”
- Personalized glassware makes a great gift–a stein if your dad’s a beer drinker, a snifter if he’s a brandy man, or a scotch glass if he likes a good single malt
- Engrave a sterling keychain with a cute message
- Give your father an engraved tie clip to wear
First Look
It’s not just for the bride and groom anymore! The first look between the bride and her father can also be incredibly touching, even if it’s a little more informal. The look on any father’s face when he sees his daughter in her dress for the first time is priceless! I always try to include that shot in a couple’s wedding story, if I can.
Before the Ceremony
The time leading up to the ceremony are some of the bride’s last few minutes with her father as an unmarried woman. Take advantage of it! Even if it’s just a quiet conversation while you prepare to walk down the aisle, the pictures will show the love you feel for one another. You can also take some extra time with your dad by traveling to the ceremony together. I recently had a bride and her father arrive at the church in a vintage Rolls Royce! It doesn’t get much more stylish than that.
Walking Down The Aisle
The father “giving away” his daughter after they walk down the aisle is one of the major highlights of any wedding ceremony. The looks exchanged between father and daughter, bride and groom, father of the bride and her soon-to-be husband always communicate so much. No words necessary!
Father-Daughter Dance
If I cry at a wedding, this is almost always the moment when it happens. Even after years in the Philadelphia wedding photography industry, I can’t seem to hold it together during father-daughter dances. If you want to inspire tears during yours, try “How You’ve Grown” by 10,000 Maniacs or “Father and Daughter” by Paul Simon. There won’t be a dry eye in the house!
What father-daughter moments do you have planned for your wedding? Tell me all about them in the comments!
