I can’t even count the number of clients that have openly told me they’re terrified of getting their photo taken. Of all people, I can definitely resonate with their anxiety… it’s funny because me being a photographer has helped my own fears around being photographed! When it comes to your wedding day, you are choosing a photographer who you will place your trust in. Someone who will see who you are and will show that through the images. So the number one thing to remember is that your photographer is a professional and has worked with hundreds of people who probably felt the EXACT same way as you.
I always tell couples when I first meet with them that on their wedding day they are going to be waaaaay to loved up to care about me being there and how they look on camera. I assure them that I will guide them into positions that are flattering and attractive for both of them but without posing them in a cringe hard out kind of way. I know that it’s easy to look through all the real wedding features on blogs and in magazines and think about how effortless and relaxed all the couples look. Which I agree, they do! A big part of that is in the photographers work but also comes down to them being confident in the style they picked, and the overwhelming crazy emotions that getting married brings.
Having tied the knot myself earlier this year, I can assure you, I had a few nervous butterflies in my stomach. But not when it came to the photos. In-fact I knew well before the day that the time we spent photographing would be the most fun relaxing part of our day. To give us a feel for it, we had a couple of engagement shoots before our day. It was a great experience for me in a professional capacity as well as just listening to the photographer and working together to create great images for fun with no pressure. These shoots definitely filled me with confidence for our wedding day and calmed any nerves I might have had about the photos.
Even though engagement shoots can be a brilliant way to get a feel for the camera and your photographer. I encourage you to just let loose and have fun on your wedding day. Let your photographer worry about how the photos look, they will guide you. The best feeling for me when I rock up to a wedding is knowing that when I get the couple alone they won’t let go of each other and they will be puddles of love! Being relaxed and being yourselves always makes for the best images. There is always other options with your photos too, you don’t have to do it all in one day. On our wedding day we wanted to spend more time partying with our friends and family as they had all travelled so far to see us. For this reason we had our creative shoot the day after our wedding. This was one of the best decisions we made for our day, the next day was RUBBISH weather and completely different to the day before but it made for some seriously epic images. No regrets at all with our approach and it definitely eased a bit of the time pressure on our wedding day.
I hope this may have calmed any fears, honestly the best thing you can do is have a bubbly, enjoy yourself and spend the day with your loved ones and your new Husband or Wife!
