The Secret to Looking Great in Your Wedding Photos (Without Trying Too Hard)

In all our combined experience as wedding photographers, it’s incredibly rare for a couple to say, ‘We can’t wait to be in front of the camera!’ More often than not, we hear, ‘We hate having our photo taken!’ And trust me, if I had a penny for every time I heard that, I’d have a hefty piggy bank. The point being, you're not alone, and as professional photographers we deal with this kind of thing all the time! One of the biggest parts of our job is just getting people comfortable around us, and thats why it's so important to actually get on with and actually like your wedding photographer as a person. Throughout this blog, i'm going to tell you about some of the things we will be doing to help make sure you feel comfortable, and things you guys can do to get the best photos on your wedding day.

1. Change your priority

I know, you're nervous about being in front of the camera because you want to make sure you get the best possible images, but i'm here to tell you that your priority should be on your partner, your family, your friends and having the best day of your life. Leave the photos to us. If you change your perspective from looking good in front of the camera, to having a good time with your new husband/wife, i guarantee you, you're going to look the best you possibly can in your photos.

2. Movement

Movement is the key to looking natural in your wedding photos. A good photographer will know this and guide you in this direction, but if at any point you're feeling rigid and and un-natural, suggest movement to your photographer. A little sway here, a walk along a path there to a quick spin or a big lift they are all going to help get rid of that rigid feeling.

Consider getting silly with it as well, if you guys feel like big enough fools that you start laughing at and with each other, and having a good time rather than trying to looking like a model, your natural emotions are going to shine.

3. Get Romantic!

You've just gotten married! So you better start acting like it. You've just had your first kiss in front of all your guests, it can't be any worse having your second, third and fourth in front of you photographer. Your couple portraiture session is going to be the closest thing you get to "Alone time" on your wedding day, so take the time to look into your partners eyes, give them that big squeeze you've been thinking about all day, chat about how your mornings have been and all the silly things that didn't go to plan during the ceremony. Just really take the time to remind each other why you're both here in the first place. It might feel a little strange sharing a kiss the first time you do it in front of your photographer, but the faster you get over that, the more natural it will start to feel and the more time you get to spend locking lips with your new husband/wife! Win win, right?

4. Trust your photographer

You've chosen your photographer for a reason, you like their work, you like their personality and you booked them. All the other couple in your photographer's photos, have most likely felt the same as you currently do at some point. If your photographer can make it work for them, they can definitely make it work for you too! You're going to be loved up, made up and dressed up better than you ever have been in your life, trust your photographer, they know what they're doing. I hope these few tips have helped change your perspective on having your photo taken, but if you're still unsure, drop us a message, we are always happy to chat and figure out how we can make the process as stress free and seamless as we can for you.

You can also book engagement shoots to have some practice, discuss points of worry, and figure out solutions that work for you guys.