Barbie's Dream Wedding Album

Between singing for weddings, attending weddings, having photographer friends, wearing the old bridesmaid dress, and also having had my own Big Fat Catholic Wedding, I've seen and/or posed for plenty of wedding photos, and I've noticed that there are always some key stock poses scattered throughout the sets. It's inevitable. See, even though every couple is different, most weddings aren't. Sure, the venues and themes change, but I think we can agree that you're more than likely going to have the kiss, the cake (or dessert of some sort. I hear pie is coming into fashion), the first dance, the bouquet toss, and the couple's exit. According to Rock n Roll Bride,

"There are certain photo set-ups that you see all over wedding photography (the shoe shot, the dress shot, the bridal portraits just after she’s got ready, the groom getting ready with his boys etc…)"  

You know, key ingredients. Hence the key stock poses. This is not a lack of creativity on anyone's part. It's just documentation. Can you name one bride who wouldn't be completely miffed not to have a picture of herself in her wedding gown, or with her new husband in those first few minutes of marital bliss? 

Of course, good photogs know how to spice things up with personalized shots based on the couple's tastes and personalities, and the wedding's location, theme, etc. Really good ones can even grab those sparkling candids that become so precious to us. I have a couple of fantastic shots of the bouquet toss, when some kidlets ran in and snapped up the flowers before any of the single ladies knew what hit them. I also know that somewhere, floating around, there's an awesome shot of just my heels coming out from underneath a friend's bridal gown, when I had to crawl under her skirt to adjust her inner lacings. It's probably, like my photos, wedged between a photo of the pearls on her veil, and one with the bridesmaids holding out their bouquets. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

French photographer Beatrice de Guigne understands the situation, and decided to have a little fun with one of her couples: Barbie and Ken. Really. In this, believe it or not, beautifully shot album, the photographer explores all those stock poses we've come to expect, and shows us why they're so loved. It's witty, artful, and surprisingly sweet. See below for a taste. More photos are available at Glamour.com (or click the above link). 

Photo Credit (All): Glamour