Getting great wedding portraits – Top Tips for people who hate posing and say “I don’t like being photographed”

Don’t feel comfy having your photo taken? Me neither! But it really doesn’t have to be something you worry about on your wedding day. If you are thinking “I don’t like being photographed” then this post is for you. I’ll explain how to look your best in wedding photos and how to pose without posing.

One of the most common things I hear when I first meet couples is: “I hate having my photo taken” or “Can you please tell me the best way to stand/look?” I get it, I really do. You don’t often meet a photographer who likes having their photo taken! Here we are, living through our camera phone apps and capturing more photos than ever before. Taking a selfie is a very common thing but having photos taken professionally still scares the life out of many people. Or it certainly seems to be the case for the lovely couples who I meet and work with.

Here are some of the things I hear a lot from my couples:

“I don’t like being photographed”

“I feel so uncomfortable in front of the camera.”

“I hate having my photo taken.”

“You know that episode of Friends when Chandler pulls that face when having a photo taken…that’s me!”

“I never know what to do in front of the camera.”

“How do I stand and what do I do with my hands?”

The pressure to look a certain way

When I hear these things I know it can partly be the social pressure of feeling like you have to look a certain way (I’m looking at you, social media), and partly some elements of the wedding industry to blame. Happily things are starting to change in the wedding industry and weddings are more unique than ever with couples truly making their own choices about how they get married and celebrate. But there is still the implication sometimes that there is a certain way we ‘should’ look for our wedding day. Whether that is the big white dress we think we should wear or the full-on glam make-up with the classic up-do. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely think that these things have their place and if that’s right for you then embrace it (I have a post here on how to look your best for your wedding with practical tips here). But this isn’t right for everyone and it is the idea of what we think we ‘should’ look like and ‘should’ be doing that I think is a little wrong. This is where many people start worrying about having photos taken.

When we see pictures of ourselves we are often hypercritical of what we look like (I do it too). But try to look past what you look like and focus on what you are feeling when you look at the photo. We should remember how we felt in that moment and that then transcends into how we see ourselves in the picture. If it was a happy moment and we were smiling and relaxed then this will be exactly what we see and therefore fall in love with that moment and the photos all over again. Conversely, if it was a stressful moment and we are captured smiling but a little uptight and not relaxed then that is exactly the moment and feeling we will be transported back to when we look at the picture again. So, the best tip for your wedding day and wedding photos… relax and have fun.

How do you think you will feel on your wedding day? I’m pretty confident you are going to be feeling excited and more than a bit happy!  This is what is going to shine through in your photos. So I don’t spend loads of time telling you how to ‘look’ because you will feel and look absolutely amazing!

Yes, we all have what we think are our good sides and ways to make our bingo wings a little less obvious, but I promise you on your wedding day these are going to be the furthest thing from your mind. You just got married to the love of your life!! So rather than fixating on the feeling of “I don’t like being photographed”, you are going to look amazingly happy whatever the angle so take the pressure off and just enjoy the moment.

It’s time for the two of you

At some point during the day, I will whisk you both off (but not for very long) to take some pictures of just you two. I like to call it ‘time out’ and a chance to spend some time together. We will simply go for a walk in some (hopefully) beautiful sunlight, with a drink in your hand and your new husband/wife at your side. This is time for you to really speak to each other and chat to each other about your memories and favourite bits so far, what you got up to in the morning and just how incredible you both feel.  You’ll be surprised on your wedding day how little time you actually get to spend with each other one on one, apart from the exchange of vows bit which is obviously a very important part. The rest of the time all your guests will be vying for your attention.

This is it. This is your time. The time when you can look at each other and say… wow we did it!!

From time to time during these photos, I may ask you to hold hands, give each other a cuddle, stand in a particular spot (because it looks fabulous or the light is amazing), or take a stroll hand in hand. It is a gentle bit of direction that can help you to feel a little less nervous or give a little focus. In the main, I will simply be in the background capturing the moments between you and when you look back at your pictures it will be these feelings and memories you remember. From the happy cuddles, to the excited giggles and everything in between.

I hope that helps a bit with explaining why it doesn’t matter if you feel like “I don’t like being photographed” because looking a certain way and posing is something that you definitely don’t need to be stressing over. You will look amazing, be amazing and most importantly FEEL AMAZING and it is my job to simply document this so you can remember this incredible moment forever.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like my advice on making your wedding as unique as you are.

Thanks for stopping by

Fee x