The Bride’s Questions, No. 2. A series answering, in plain words, the questions brides ask before they book.
Short answer: you do not need to be comfortable in front of a camera to have natural wedding photos. Choose a photographer who documents rather than directs, give yourself fifteen minutes to forget the lens, and let most of your photos come from moments with the people you love, not from poses.
Why do so many brides feel awkward in photos?
Because most of us are only photographed when someone asks us to smile. On a wedding day the opposite is true: you are busy, surrounded by family, moving from one moment to the next. That is good news. The less you think about the camera, the more natural you look, and a wedding day gives you plenty of reasons to think about something else.
What does a photographer do differently for a bride who hates being photographed?
Most of my work is observation. I rarely interrupt the day, so the majority of your gallery comes from real moments: your father’s face when he sees you, your friends laughing while you get ready, the two of you walking between the ceremony and the cocktail. When I do guide you, it is through movement rather than poses: walk together, turn around, whisper something to each other. Movement solves stiffness, because it is impossible to hold a forced smile while you are actually walking and talking.
How long does it take to feel comfortable?
About fifteen minutes. The first frames of any portrait session feel strange for almost everyone, including couples who look effortless in the final gallery. I build that time into the day and I do not expect those first images to be the ones you keep. By the time we reach the light I have planned for your portraits, you have usually stopped noticing me.
What can I do before the wedding to feel more at ease?
- Do an engagement session. It is a rehearsal for being photographed together, and couples who have done one are noticeably more relaxed on the day.
- Tell your photographer what worries you. A side you prefer, your hands, your smile: knowing it in advance changes how I compose.
- Keep portraits short. Twenty to thirty minutes for the two of you is enough. Long portrait sessions are where stiffness creeps in.
- Choose people, not places. The photos you will treasure are the ones with your family and friends, and those require no posing at all.
Will I like how I look?
The aim of documentary work is that you recognise yourself in every frame: the photographs look like you on the best day of your life, not like a stranger in a pose. Light helps too. Soft window light while you get ready and the hour before sunset are kind to everyone, which is why I plan the day around them.
In short
- Choose a photographer who documents more than they direct.
- Allow fifteen minutes to forget the camera.
- Prefer movement and real moments to poses.
- Keep couple portraits short and well timed.
Read why an engagement session helps, the 12 questions to ask your wedding photographer, or tell me about your wedding.
