Last updated on April 5th, 2024 at 05:46 pm

How to feel comfortable in front of the camera at your wedding

How many of you have had a professional photograph taken of you? If you are like most couples, you are not a model. The last time you got your photo taken was either at a friend’s wedding, a headshot for work, or maybe the last photo you had was your senior picture. One concern I see almost every couple have is that they will look awkward in their wedding photos. Since it’s something they have never done before there is a general anxiety about having photos taken. Here are 5 tips on how to feel comfortable in front of the camera at your wedding.

Choose a photographer you feel comfortable with

Before we even get to being on camera, one of the biggest things to feel comfortable in front of the camera at your wedding is finding a photographer you feel at ease with. Often I see couples pick a photographer solely on the quality of their work but they fail to consider how they relate with them as a person.

During your wedding, the person you will spend the most time with is your photographer. So if you don’t enjoy them before you book odds are you will feel at least a bit uncomfortable during your wedding. And trust me, this shows through in the photos! Now I’m not saying your photographer needs to be your BFF, but they need to be someone you enjoy and trust. This will lower your stress level for the rest of the day, allowing the photographer to create the best photographs possible!

Do an engagement session

Most of the time, I encourage couples to do an engagement session with the same photographer who will photograph their wedding. This allows all three of you to build a relationship [See point 1] with the photographer and figure out what works and doesn’t. Early on in my career, before I made it a policy to meet face to-face or over video call with all my couples prior to booking, I ran into the problem of getting to the wedding and not knowing who the bride was. Embarrassing right?

This always made the first hour or two a touch awkward. We would be doing all the normal get-to-know-you questions, while I would be taking bridal with intimate moments happening nonstop. For many, it’s hard enough to let their guard down, and experience the emotions of the day as they come, add in a random person who you have never met, it gets uncomfortable very quickly.

By having an engagement session you have already spent time with this photographer. you have gotten the basic pleasantries out of the way and you have developed a measure of trust since you have seen them already create killer engagement photos of you two. When they arrive on the wedding day, it will be like greeting an old friend. From there you can go back and be fully present with your loved ones.

Another reason an engagement session is a great option to feel more comfortable on camera is that you and your photographer will learn what works best for you, so when you get to the wedding portrait it won’t be your first rodeo. The photos will go much quicker and look way more natural.

I will never forget a wedding I had where during the portraits, the bride wrapped her husband in a hug and started crying tears of joy. Because we had done an engagement session prior and had built that trust, she felt fully at ease to be herself. You can see their full wedding here to get an idea of what I am talking about.

First Looks can help!

This is not for everyone but, sometimes a first look can be a great option to calm the nerves and help you feel comfortable in front of the camera at your wedding. While I am a sucker for the tradition of not seeing each other until the ceremony, if that is too stressful for you, I highly recommend a first look.

I remember one time a bride was completely overwhelmed by the wedding. She was a fairly quiet person and hated being the center of attention. All the nerves kept building. In each photo, you could see her get a little stiffer. But once the first look happened everything changed. Her shoulders dropped and she was back to being herself. Just seeing her person made a good portion of the stress and pressure melt away.

Tell your photographer if there is something you are self-conscious about

Almost every bride and groom I have worked with are self-conscious about something. They worry they will have a double chin, they are self-conscious about their weight, an acne scar, or any number of things. For you to feel at ease it’s important to let your photographer know this. As professionals, we are told about people’s insecurities all the time. Trust me, we won’t judge! By knowing what makes you uncomfortable we can choose the right angles to make you look your best.

For many people, it is hard to share this with someone face to face. This is why I include this question in my get-to-know-you questionnaire that I send out to every couple I work with. That way you can share this information from the comfort of your home.

Focus on your partner and the people you love – Ultimately how you can feel comfortable in front of the camera at your wedding

Before every engagement session, I tell the couples I work with, “focus on each other, not the camera. These photos are about your relationship with each other, not you and the camera.” Usually, this gets a laugh, then, over the next 10 minutes, they begin to forget I am there. This holds even truer when it comes to your wedding day. Your job is to be fully present with your loved ones. Laugh. Dance. Cry. Whatever happens, simply just be in the moment and keep the main thing the main thing.

If you have hired the right photographer, one who won’t stop moments and make you redo them because they missed it or want to stage something better, the photographer will melt into the background. Couples will often tell me, they forgot I was even there, even though I was right beside them the whole time.

Conclusion

If you want to feel comfortable in front of the camera at your wedding it largely boils down to finding the right photographer, someone who you trust, and focusing on your partner and those you love. Sure there are plenty of other tips I could give, but if you enjoy yourself and your loved ones you will feel at ease and get killer wedding photos!