If you’re worried about how to get comfortable for wedding photos, then the thought of photography on your wedding day may be causing you some serious stress. Believe us when we say you will not be the first person, or couple, to feel that way. In fact, a lot of our couples start out by telling us how much they don’t like having their photos taken!

And, if you’ve taken a peek at any of the images we share here, we’re sure you’ll agree they all look incredible. In fact, we bet you can’t even pick out which of them were the ones that normally feel awkward in front of the camera, can you? That’s because they’ve all learned our tried and tested ways to get comfortable for wedding photos. And that’s exactly what we’re going to share here with you today.

#1: Start With Your Photographer

It may be that you’ve already booked your photographer, which is great. You can totally skip over this one! But, if you’re still on the hunt, we’d say this is the most important place to start when you know the idea of photography makes you feel nervous.

Choosing the right photographer to get comfortable for wedding photos will make the biggest difference. If you’re comfortable with the person (or people) who’ll be spending most of your wedding day with you and a camera, then you’re halfway there in the comfort stakes.

The last thing you need is to work with a photographer who makes you feel awkward and more uncomfortable than you already are with having your picture taken.

So, spend some time searching for and researching the right photographer for you guys. You know the kind of couple you are. So are you looking for someone who sets up a lot of shots and formal lineups? Or would you prefer a photographer with a more candid or documentary approach? Choose a few whose images and website stand out to you. Do they have the kind of personality that you think you might connect with? Then get in touch with them and arrange a meeting!

Remember, your photographer will be spending the largest part of the day with you, besides your partner and guests. So, it’s super important that you like them! We love meeting our couples when they first inquire. Whether that’s face to face or through a video chat, it helps you get to know us a little before you decide whether to work with us or not.

#2: Do An Engagement Session to Get Comfortable for Wedding Photos

You might be thinking that getting in front of the camera once, on your wedding day, is already more than you’re comfortable with. But we’re actually going to recommend you do it twice! Before you run, screaming, for the hills, we promise you that having an engagement session will help calm those nerves on the day itself and get you comfortable for wedding photos.

Engagement sessions are, ultimately, a practice session before your wedding day. They’re the best way to get to know your New York wedding photographers. You can learn how your photographer works and find out what you can expect from them on your wedding day. And you’ll also get some fabulous non-wedding professional photos of the two of you. Isn’t that a great bundle all rolled into one?!

Including an Engagement Session with Every Wedding Photography Package

Whether you book a wedding photographer who includes an engagement session or offers it as an add on, we’d recommend not skipping out on having one. We promise you won’t regret doing it.

We take our couples to some incredible locations around New York City for their engagement photos. But we also show them some great poses they can easily fall into for beautiful photographs. We make sure we have plenty of time for chatting and getting to know one another, too, because an engagement session is as much about that as anything else.

Remember what we said earlier about needing to like your photographer because you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them on your wedding day? Take this as your chance to ask us anything you want to know. Chat with us about your day, family, friends, the things you love to do, what helps you relax, and anything else that pops into your head. This is all great stuff for us as we can also use it on the day to keep you feeling chilled and confident and enjoying it all.

Address Those Insecurities

Your engagement session is also a great point to address any insecurities you might have with your photographer. Honestly, we’ve heard it all, so please don’t be afraid to let us know if you’re worried about something. We’ll come up with ways to capture you that won’t highlight anything you’re concerned about, or we can avoid certain poses if you prefer. We’ll talk it all out with you. We want you to love your photos, not worry about how you look in them!

If you’re looking for inspiration on where to have your New York engagement session, then have a read of this post!

#3: Remember To Relax

It’s your wedding day, there’s a lot going on, a lot of people around you and the stress levels can be flying high. We get it. But stress and tension show in your beautiful faces, and we know that’s not the look you’ll be going for. When you look back at your photos, we want you to see all the love, emotions and fun you were having that day, not how uncomfortable you are with having your picture taken.

If you feel yourself tensing up, take a minute. Stop what you’re doing, go and find a quiet, private space (a bathroom is always a great place to catch five minutes alone!) and take a beat. Close your eyes. Focus on taking slow, deep breaths and let your muscles unclench and relax. And remind yourself, this is your wedding day. All that matters is you’re getting married to the person you love. And, when you’re ready, get back out there and enjoy every moment.

We’ll also remind you during the day if we see you looking a bit tense or uncomfortable. In fact, when we take you off for your couples shoot or your first look, you’ll get some time to have those deep breaths and relax.

#4: Be In The Moment

When it comes down to it, there are way more important things happening than for you to worry about photos. On your wedding day, there’s going to be so much happening. For the most part, you won’t even need to worry about us at all because we’ll be capturing everything as it happens.

You’ll be looking your absolute best selves. You’ll have had your hair and makeup done, and you’ll be wearing gorgeous wedding outfits, so there’s no need to worry about your appearance. Truthfully, you’ll be caught up in all the love and emotion too, and that always puts the best glow on everyone’s faces.

So, be in the moment. Enjoy what’s going on around you. Savor the love of all the people sharing that special day with you. Listen to the words being spoken. Cherish the hugs and kisses and hand squeezes. Focus on each other when all eyes are on you. And just ignore the clicking of shutters as we work to capture it all happening around you. The day will go by so fast. Focus on preserving those memories, thoughts, and feelings as you experience your day. We’ll focus on recording it all for you. You won’t even have to think about getting comfortable for wedding photos if you’re focusing on each other.

#5: Don’t Rush

If you’ve planned a full, traditional wedding day, it can be tempting to try and squeeze your schedule. But that feeling of being rushed can leave you feeling uncomfortable when we’re posing you for some photos.

If you allow space and time to get comfortable for wedding photos, you’ll feel much calmer about everything. We recommend planning your morning so you’re all ready and dressed with at least 30 minutes to spare. This gives us time to capture pretty portraits. Plus, it gives you time to take a breath before the important bit happens!

If you’re planning a first look, give yourself plenty of time to do that, so you’re not rushing to get to your ceremony. After the ceremony, during cocktail hour, allow enough time for those group shots. Then, budget a little more for us to scoot you off for some couple photos.

Ask us about timings before you schedule everything. We’re always happy to give you guidance about how long things can take.

At the end of the day, nothing matters more to us than you being happy, comfortable and confident. We want you to experience every moment of your wedding day without nerves. And we promise all these things will allow you to feel comfortable having your wedding photos taken. Plus, you’ll love every single photograph when they’re delivered!

So, if we sound like the kind of photographers you want to capture your day, then let’s chat! We can’t wait to hear all about your plans.