First off, you are most definitely not alone, We are totally with you on this one and it is a big reason why we started taking photos many years ago. In our minds, if we're the ones always taking the photos we are never in them. So, trust us when we say we get the pain and anxiety you feel.
A high percentage of our couples often tell us they hate having photographs taken and as a result often don't like the pictures they have ended up with on previous occasions. As a result, they suffer from wedding day photo anxiety.
There are many things you can do to help get you through this and here we discuss a few of the possibilities open to you.
"Helen kept me calm and didn’t allow the nerves to settle in and although I knew she was there taking photos it was easy to forget what she was doing and continue to enjoy the preparation time before the big moment and I know for a fact that Noel did the same for my then husband to be and his grooms party."
1. Choose the right photographer for you
This is probably the number one piece of advice you will hear on this subject and we cannot stress just how important it is. The best choice would be a documentary style wedding photographer. Their approach is much more relaxed with far less if any posed photographs. We often take our couples away from all the guests to give them a breathing space and time to be together as a couple. Also, with our zoom lenses we are still able to take photos of the couple together without being up close and personal posing them all the time. The photos as a result are very natural.
"Helen & Noel are absolutely wonderful, they really do give their all to ensure you get the day you'd always dreamed of. Nothing is too much and as the professionals they are, you don't even notice they are there."
2. Movement
Rather than standing stiffly, feeling totally awkward which will show in your photos move around with each other. If possible go for a short walk with your photographer, have a little dance together or be silly and tickle each other. It really does not matter what you do, but there will be zero stiffness in your photos as a result.
"They were there but not there, blended in with the guests and caught the most beautiful moments when we weren’t even looking. Having multiple camera’s meant that they split up and we had lots of photos from different angles They were also with us from start the finish, they had words of advice and managed to keep me calm before the big day."
3. Get close and intimate with your partner
There is absolutely no need to be staring down the lens of the camera looking like a deer in the headlights. Gaze into each others eyes, talk to each other, adjust the grooms tie...the ideas are endless, but the point is when you focus on each other you often forget the camera is there and are far more relaxed.
"They were both very helpful in assisting with the wedding cars, in the church, at the wedding venue and with the toastmaster too. They made our wedding party & guests feel very relaxed and at ease."
4. Props
Props can be brilliant as they give you something to do with your hands, which let's face it, is one of our biggest problems. So often we just don't know what to do with our hands in photographs.
"They were so professional but most of all they became our friends. On the big day they calmed our nerves and done their job in such a way you didn’t notice them."
5. Pre-wedding shoot
Over the course of several meetings we really get to know our couples and they us so by the time their wedding arrives they are relaxed in our company which makes the photography a lot easier. But, the final thing we do with all our couples now is offer them the opportunity to visit their venue with us and of course we take our cameras long too. This not only allows us to see the venue through their eyes and let them show us why they fell in love with the location, but also means we can try out some shoots with them so they know what to expect on the day.
"Despite the large number of photos taken, noone ever felt uncomfortable. The guests commented on how they barely noticed Helen and Noel were there but were amazed by the quality of the photos, even the candid ones were they hadn't posed."
Download our free accompanying guide "The 5 Steps To Go From Stiff, Broken Dolls To Relaxed Romance" here
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