If you are currently planning your wedding and researching the right Essex wedding photographer for you, you may also be searching for advice on how to look natural in wedding photos. In this blog I’m going to reassure you that you do not need to practice wedding couple poses for hours in the mirror ahead of your wedding. In fact, you don’t need to pose at all on your wedding day – at least not in the rigid and unnatural way you’re probably anticipating.
The best wedding photos always happen when couples feel safe to lean into who they are and how they feel in each moment, even if a little nerves and anxiety are present at first. So keep reading and by the end of this blog, you’ll feel a deep sense of relief and confident about having natural wedding photography that doesn’t centre on you trying to be someone you aren’t.
Why So Many Couples Worry About Posing
Trust me, if you’re a little worried about posing, you are not alone. Most of my couples feel anxious about the idea of having to pose on their wedding day. This fear stems from the idea that posing is about having to get things right or perform in a certain way. If you’re concerned that you need to know exactly what to do on camera, and have been desperately trying to learn how to pose for wedding photos, relax. With me, we avoid posing in the traditional sense, preferring more instinctive movements and interactions.
The Difference Between Posing And Direction
When it comes to my approach to capturing your day – particularly the wedding portraits – I think in terms of direction rather than posing. Instead of placing you in static and traditional wedding photography poses, where you are told exactly how to stand and what to do with your hands, I give gentle prompts that lead to movement and natural interaction. This is never anything more complex than ‘hold hands and walk towards the camera’ or ‘whisper something in your partners ear to make them laugh.’
These directions are easy to follow, and allow you to be photographed in beautiful locations with gorgeous, flattering light. Yet you do not feel like you are having to ‘become’ another version of yourself, or having to know how to act on camera. Many couples book me because they love my relaxed wedding photography style, and it is my calm direction and guidance and key touchpoint throughout the day that creates this style.
The Biggest Myth About Wedding Photography
The biggest myth about wedding photography is that there is a right or wrong way to capture your day. Wedding photography styles and approaches vary greatly and it is about finding what is right for you. You do not have to choose between documentary coverage that captures unscripted moments and editorial imagery featuring more carefully styled portraits. I shoot both on a wedding day – stepping in to curate when needed, and stepping back when natural moments are unfolding.
There is also a huge misconception that in order to get the best wedding photos you have to be an extrovert. If you are a more introverted couple, please know that quietness and the low-key moments of a wedding day photograph wonderfully. Even morning nerves have their own kind of beauty and I much prefer photographing quiet couples rather than ones who show up ready to perform.
What Happens If We’ve Never Been Photographed Before?
If you’ve never been photographed before that can be a huge advantage. I much prefer that you arrive and little nervous and unsure, rather than showing up with dozens of rehearsed wedding photography poses and facial expressions that take away from the real and fabulous you.
Maybe for the first 5 minutes you won’t look or feel comfortable on camera, but with my reassurance and encouragement you will very quickly relax into it. For the rest of the day you will feel comfortable simply enjoying the day and forgetting any notion of how you ‘should’ be acting on camera.
If you are particularly anxious about the thought of being photographed, a pre-wedding shoot can be a wonderful opportunity to get used to being professionally photographed. I can provide some tips on how to calm your nervous system, and you can get used to working with me. You’ll receive a gallery of wonderfully natural couple portraits.
Why Natural Interaction Always Wins
When you look back on your wedding photos I want you to experience two things. First, I want you to look back on your wedding photos and recognise yourself in them. Not you as a ‘wedding couple’ but the real, everyday you (albeit a slightly elevated version). I also want you to have fond memories of the experience of being photographed. Not ‘Wasn’t that an ordeal?’ but ‘That was so much fun wasn’t it?’
In order for you to experience your wedding gallery in this way, its super important for me to facilitate a safe space for you to interact naturally. So we start with learning how you naturally interact with each other – are you hand holders or huggers? Are you Mickey-takers or passionate kissers. Once I know how you behave together I’ll ensure these are the cornerstone of your portrait session.
You can read more about your couple portrait session here.
What If We Feel Silly?
I always (jokingly) remind my couples that the better I make them look, the better I make myself as a wedding photographer look. I have a vested interest in producing images that show you looking your best. If I suggest something that feels silly it is because it works from a photography perspective so please trust in me and the process. Joking aside, often couple become so relaxed in my company, that they feel comfortable showing their silly and humorous side and this can lead to incredibly emotive images. I’ll never force you to act in a way that feels alien, but laughter is always a welcome feature of my shoots.
The Goal Isn’t Perfect Posing
The goal is not to get posing right or to look perfect. The goal is always to capture your connection, your love and the joy that you feel on such a special day. As a wedding photographer Essex couples trust to capture them in a stylish and sensitive manner, I can promise you that you cannot really get it wrong when it comes to your wedding photos.
Final Thoughts
I hope that this blog has helped you feel a little calmer knowing that posing or performing on camera is not at all necessary in order to have beautiful wedding photographs. Instead of learning how to pose for wedding photos, concentrate on finding a photographer who enables you to lean into what makes you special.
If you want to read more about me you can visit my Essex wedding photographer page here.
SHARE YOUR WEDDING PLANS WITH ME
If you’re planning your wedding and want to chat about how I would capture your day with empathy and creativity, please click below. I’ll be in touch within 24 hours with more information.