7 Tips to Help You Pose Naturally on Your Wedding Day

By Joe Hall | UK Documentary Wedding and Elopement Photographer

Being confident and natural in front of the camera on your wedding day is something that a lot of people worry about. Generally, most people are concerned that they don’t want their wedding photos to be ‘posy’, which is completely understandable. Thankfully, there are a number of different ideas that both you and your photographer can talk about that will help things be a little more relaxed on your wedding day. I have complied a list of 7 different tips that I feel will help you pose naturally on your wedding day.

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Build a friendship with your photographer beforehand

Once you have booked your wedding photographer, it is so important to try and have a few conversations with them to allow you both to get to know each other better. By doing this, you can begin to feel a lot more comfortable with them before your wedding day rolls around, and hopefully you may even get to a stage where it feels like a friend is going to be there photographing your day. You will be able to talk with your photographer to let them know what you may not be so comfortable with when it comes to being photographed on your wedding day, and you can understand the process that they may have to try and make it all be as natural as possible. For me, it is so important to have had multiple conversations with a couple before their wedding day, as I wouldn’t want them to feel like a complete stranger was going to turn up to capture their special day.

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Try and forget the camera is there

This may seem pretty hard to imagine, but it’s something that will just come with time. If you have been around a photographer before, you might be able to switch off from it straight away, however if you have never experienced this then do not worry. Usually, if you are photographed during the getting ready stage of the day, it is likely that by the time that you are on your way to actually tie the knot, you will have had time to get used to the camera being there. However, if you feel a sense of anxiety knowing that you are hearing the noise of the camera a lot, then it is worth talking to your photographer beforehand as they may be able to turn on the ‘silent shutter noise’ function so that eliminates that problem. Just remember, your photographer will try all that they can to make you feel as comfortable for your wedding.

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Remember its about you and your partner

Often couples get consumed on their wedding, forgetting that it’s actually their day. It’s a day to celebrate your marriage to the one that you love - which is a key way to keeping the photos as natural as possible. Many times in the past I have taken couples away from the crowd for their couple session, and it has been a time where they can reflect and really begin to take in what their day has been like and what it has meant to them. This means you can begin to appreciate the love you have for each other, allowing you to just act naturally in front of the camera.

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Try and avoid feeling like you need to pose

If there would be one thing that I would try and say to remember on your wedding day, it’s that you are NOT on a photoshoot. You don’t need to make sure that you are smiling a certain way that feels uncomfortable to you but you hope looks better on the photos, or focusing on constantly being on your ‘good’ side. The photos that are able to show raw emotion and tell the story of your wedding day are the most important. When I’m out with a couple, to help them relax I often find it best to talk to them and get them smiling and laughing - that way I feel it makes the whole process feel a lot more natural. So if you are worried about being too stiff or ‘posed’, just have a little chat or joke with your partner, which should hopefully loosen you both up. 

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Think about having an engagement session as practice

Being comfortable in front of the camera isn’t something that comes natural to a lot of people, but there are ways in which you can change this before your wedding day arrives. One way that I have often tried to help couples is by offering to go out for an engagement shoot a couple of months beforehand. This will not only help you to get used to the idea of having your photo taken, but also to get used to your photographer and understand the ways in which they like to work. When it comes to my engagement sessions, I usually like to pick a spot which involves a little walk before, meaning I can talk to you first, without just having all of my camera gear out straight away. Then, once you feel a little more relaxed, you will feel a lot more comfortable with having your photos taken, which will be a massive way to be more natural in front of the camera when it comes your wedding day.

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Be yourself

It can be quite easy to forget to actually just be yourself when it comes to your wedding day. So many people consume themselves worrying about all of their friends and family who are going to be there watching them, and that they have to make sure that things don’t go wrong. However, when you being to feel this stress and pressure, it's going to force you to act in a certain way, when actually you don’t need to be worrying about anything. The truth is that the best photos of you and your partner are going to be the ones where you are both just being yourselves, allowing each other to act naturally on your wedding day. Whether that’s you two laughing until your stomach hurts, or having a little dance together whilst on your couple session, you need to make sure that you are remembering to just be yourself. 

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Relax and have fun

HAVE FUN! Your wedding day is meant to be one of the happiest days of your life. A day where you and your partner are surrounded by your closest friends and family celebrating the love you have for each other. When it comes to your couple session, find something that you both are going to enjoy and it will make the experience 10x better. Whether you want to wander off and find a quiet corner for your photos to be taken, or if you just want to go for a little walk nearby, this will make you feel so much more relaxed. As an example, with my couples I prefer to organise a short walk where I will capture everything as it unfolds, stopping a few times for some photos before carrying on.

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I hope that this blog has given you a good idea of different ways to help you pose naturally on your wedding day, and will hopefully make you feel less nervous about the whole process of being photographed.

As always, if you have any questions, or you would like to enquire about booking me for your wedding day then you can contact me by filling in my enquiries form here, e-mailing me at joehallmedia@gmail.com, or alternatively my phone number is +447947849480.