Because your wedding photos should feel like you – not like you’re trying to pose for them.
If the thought of being in front of a camera makes you feel a little nervous, I promise you’re not alone.
Maybe you don’t know where to place your hands, you’re worried you may feel awkward kissing in front of someone else, or you’re wondering how on earth people manage to look so effortlessly in love in photos. Well, here’s a little secret: you don’t have to know how to pose to have beautiful, meaningful photographs. In fact, my favorite images happen when couples forget that I’m there with the camera altogether. The quiet glances, the uncontrollable laughter, the way your person reaches for your hand without even thinking about it…those are the moments I love to preserve for couples.
If you’re getting married and feeling a little camera-shy, here are some important things I want you to know.
1.) You don’t have to know what to do
One of the biggest misconceptions about wedding photography is that you need to know how to pose. I’m here to tell you, you don’t.
My approach is much more intentional than just posing. I like to create little moments for you to experience together, rather than placing you into a series of stiff poses that don’t really resonate with you. I’ll offer gentle direction and prompts for unique interactions when you need it, but I also want to provide you the space to simply be together. Sometimes that looks like walking hand in hand, pulling your partner in slowly for a hug or a kiss, or whispering the most ridiculous thing you can think of to make them laugh. Sometimes it means doing absolutely nothing but holding each other for a moment and taking it all in.
There’s no perfect way to do it. There’s just your way.
2.) Focus on each other
When you’re feeling nervous, it’s easy to become overly aware of the camera, your smile, the way you’re standing, and whether you’re doing everything “right.”
Instead, try shifting your attention back to the person you’re marrying. Look at them. Notice the all the things you love about them. Remember why you’re standing there together in the first place and inhale the moment. Hold their hand the way you always do. Rest your forehead against theirs. Tell them something you love about them.
The more you focus on the connection between you, the less you’ll notice the camera and the more your photos will honestly reflect the relationship you’re actually celebrating.
3.) Give yourselves permission to have fun and be silly
Not every photo needs to be romantic, quiet or perfectly composed.
Some of the most authentic moments come from the unexpected ones. Your inside jokes, ridiculous dance moves, or the whispered comments that make absolutely no sense to anyone else. Laugh loudly. Squeeze each other just a little too tightly. Plant way too many kisses on their cheek. Let your personalities shine. You don’t need to spend your wedding day trying to look like somebody else’s idea of the perfect couple.
I want your photographs to remind you of what it truly felt like being together.
4.) Trust that I’ll guide you when needed
You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
I’ll provide help with where to stand, how to move, where the pockets of light fall and little adjustments that make a photo feel effortless. But, I’ll also pay attention to the moments unfolding naturally around you. My goal isn’t to interrupt every beautiful moment to make it look a certain way, but to recognize what’s already happening and preserve it with intention.
Think of me as someone who is there to gently guide you when you need and quietly document the magic when you don’t.
5.) Leave a little breathing room in your timeline
This one is so important.
Your wedding day will be filled with your people, emotions, excitement and a lot of little things happening all at once. If every minute is accounted for and meticulously planned, it can become difficult to slow down and actually experience it. Whenever possible, leave a little breathing room around your portraits of the two of you. That extra time offers space to settle in, enjoy each others’s presence and let the moments unfold without feeling rushed.
Some of the sweetest and most genuine photos happen when there’s no immediate next thing to get to. Even if we only have a few minutes, we can still make them meaningful.
6.) Remember that the imperfect moments are part of your story too
You don’t need to become someone different for your photographs.
You don’t need to practice being romantic, learn a hundred different poses, or worry about whether you’re photogenic enough. You only need to show up as yourselves.
I’ll take care of the rest as best I can and together we will create images that truly feel like a chapter of your story. Honest, heartfelt and full of the moments you’ll want to revisit all over again.
Because the best photos don’t just show what your wedding day looked like; they bring you right back to how it felt.
