Photographer: Ethan Watts
Generally, Ethan Watts creates his bridal-party and family portraits between the ceremony and reception—but it’s a decision he ultimately leaves up to the clients, asking them what will work best with their timeline for the day. What’s not up to the clients is having fun. That’s mandatory. “These are the closest people to the bride and groom. I want them to have a great experience and feel like they’re part of the day,” he says. “It gets them excited.”
Giving the group a calculated balance of guidance and freedom helps make that happen. For each shot, the subjects know whether they’re going for a more candid look with natural interactions or something with more of a stylish, fashionable edge.
If he feels like the guys are really on his side, Ethan has the groom kneel down and pretend he just got engaged and is excitedly showing off the ring to his best friends. Then, he asks the guys to show him a reaction that tops anything they have ever seen from a girl. “I’ve had guys jump in the air, clap their hands, and even pretend to cry,” he says. “All the while, I’m shouting, ‘Oh come on! Give me more! I want to hear you scream!’ I feel like if I’m going to ask for a really strong reaction from them, I have to give really strong energy to the group.”
Make It a Good Time
“I like to do lots of fun, goofy shots to get people started,” says Ethan. “I’ll have everyone make silly faces and do a few shots that way, then we’ll move into something else. I like to get a lot of different emotions. At every wedding, I want a great shot of the bride laughing with her bridesmaids—and a shot of the groom laughing with his attendants. These are candid looks at the real personalities.”
Make a Bold Statement
“I also want to have an image of each wedding party that makes a bold statement—something fierce and powerful,” he says. In the color shot above, notice how he spread out the pairs of attendants. While the bride and groom are central and larger in the frame, each couple in the background has a unique pose. Along with the rim light and advancing shadows, this produced a look with an editorial edge and a lot of personality. He took a similar approach for the black & white shot above, placing the groom in the power position but this time using identical poses for the groomsmen for a look that is strong and totally masculine.
