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A GUIDE TO RELAXED WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
One of the most frequently asked questions that I get from couples in relevance to relaxed wedding photography is an example like this: “We are really un-photogenic as a couple so are worried that our pictures won’t look natural”. It is one of the most asked questions and luckily it has one of the simplest answers.
Remember that the person that you are marrying loves you unconditionally and you are about to spend the rest of your lives together. That is the most important thing to not forget – even before worrying about relaxed wedding photography. The fact is that most people have not had their portrait taken by a professional before their wedding. It is bound to feel strange but hopefully my helpful tips will possibly help calm your butterflies.
My Three Top Tips For Relaxed Wedding Photography
Tip 1 : ALLOW ENOUGH TIME
There is nothing worse on your wedding day that being pulled from pillar to post. It is a day that goes by in the blink of an eye and there is no use wasting it by getting yourself stressed. This is why my first tip for your wedding photography is to allow enough time. I always advise couples to work back from their wedding timings – this way it is much easier to see where you can extend time for some portraits of the two of you without pressure. I suggest allowing 20 minutes to half an hour at the end of a drinks reception. This is when people are finding their seats and excusing themselves to the bathroom and no one will notice the two of you slipping away for some quiet time.
If you are worried that you only have five minutes in your reception for couples portraits, this worry is going to show up on your face. If you are concerned about posing naturally, take a walk together, move about, have a cuddle. There is no reason for you to stay rigid in one place. Remember wedding photography has evolved and is no longer a stoic portrait session from the 1900’s. This time for wedding portraits is not a time to be serious, it is a time to be together and have a moment.
The two of you need time to look at each other.
To take a breather from the whirlwind of your day together.
To LAUGH together and appreciate each others company.
The reason for allowing enough time for your portraits together is because relaxed people in real life look happy and relaxed on camera.
Tip 2 : LEARN TO LOVE YOURSELF IN PHOTOGRAPHS
This is possibly one of the hardest tips to take in and actually practise. It is so easy to focus on the parts of ourselves that we are not fond of. So conditioned are we to not love certain elements of ourselves that it seems to be the only part we zone in on. Many brides I have worked with are worried about their ‘back fat’ or that their arms are a funny shape or that they don’t like their chin / bum / smile.
Luckily you are hiring a professional and they will know how to take photographs of you that are flattering and wonderful. Focus on the fun and the happiness that your photographer will capture for you. Try not to zero in on the parts of you that you don’t like but concentrate on what is being captured in the image.
The only advice that I can give you that is the truth and that is that you will look at your wedding photographs differently to any other pictures of yourself – because you will remember the feeling. That feeling of walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time. That un-edited feeling of complete HAPPINESS. That feeling of LOVE.
Nothing else matters.
Tip 3 : CHOOSE SOMEONE WHO MAKES YOU FEEL RELAXED
This is the secret ingredient to achieve relaxed wedding photography. Choosing a photographer who makes you feel comfortable is the key. There is no point in booking someone that you both do not click with. Your wedding photographer is going to be your first point of call all day. There is no closer working relationship during your wedding day than that of you and your photographer. This is something that you should take into consideration when making your decisions.
Personally I have been there to help sew a bride into broken dress, I’ve booked emergency taxis when cars have failed to show up, liaised with the band about the first dance timings and these are to just name a few. I am not superman but my point is that you need to work with someone that you like and trust.
You must love their photographs of course, but ultimately you must also like them too.
There is no reason why you should have someone what you do not click with following you around all day. Likewise if your photographer asks you to perform in a certain way this might not be what you were after. This will just ruin your whole experience and will not produce relaxed photographs of the two of you.
So how do you avoid this happening? Once you have found a photographers work that you like, set up a meeting with them either over a Facetime call or in person. Have a chat, ask them some questions and get to know them a little. You will feel if the working chemistry between the three of you is right and then you can base your decisions on that. I always set up a meeting with potential couples before booking, I believe it is essential.
Your vibe attracts your tribe and you will know if you are the right match.
And There You Have IT!
My guide to achieving relaxed wedding photography. Ultimately it is a feeling. Relaxed people will produce relaxed wedding images, but these three steps will help you take certain elements into consideration that you previously might not have thought about.