How to Feel Relaxed and Confident in Your Couple Photos

You don’t get many chances to have downtime with each other on your wedding day. Your couple photos are the perfect time to relax and enjoy each others company. And If you ask anyone who’s married for their number one piece of wedding day advice, I bet you they’ll say “make sure you get 10 minutes together, because the day goes SO fast!”

Bride and Groom kissing at Danby Castle Barn

Your couple photos provide you with your chance to take a breath, take it all in, and take a moment together away from the crowds. And I promise, that with a bit of planning, I can take a good variety of stunning pictures of you in just 10 minutes, so we don’t need to be away from your party for long.

Plan it in, but be flexible

The ideal time is at some point during your drinks reception. And it’s also a little bit weather dependent. Usually I’d suggest you both go and mingle for a while and enjoy your drinks reception, and I’ll come and grab you about 20 minutes before you are due to be seated for your meal.

This might not work with your timeline though, or you might prefer to just get on with it. So feel free to change it up – it’s your day. We’ll have a call to go through everything together before the big day, so we’ll chat about it then and find a time that works best.

Whatever we decide, prepare to be flexible on the day. Weather and light are unpredictable, and sometimes you’ve just got to play it by ear to get the best shots. But whatever happens, trust me!

Give yourself plenty of time

This is such an important part of the day. So don’t rush it! And don’t be tempted to cut it short if something else overruns. You need this time together, you deserve this time together! Set aside 20-30 minutes at least. And give yourself a 10 minute buffer afterwards, just in case you feel like extending your alone time a little while longer.

Dress to impress

At the start at least, you want to have your full wedding outfit on for at least the start of your couple’s shots. If you’re wearing a veil, keep it in. If you’re wearing a jacket, keep it on. Of course we can mix it up later. But it’s nice to have at least a few gorgeous shots of you together in the clothes you got married in.

Get inspired

Have a look on my Instagram for inspiration. What kind of photos ‘feel most like you’? Do you love the more playful ones? The more romantic ones? Or the natural ones?

Settle your nerves with a pre-wedding shoot

I’ve said this elsewhere in the guide, but it bears repeating here. Having an engagement shoot before your wedding day will do wonders for the look and feel of your couples portraits. You’ll enjoy the experience a whole lot more if you’ve done it all before. And all that extra confidence will shine through in the photos.

Let me know of any hang-ups

If there’s anything you feel self-conscious about, or if you have a favourite side, please tell me in advance. And listen, I know what it’s like to feel self conscious, but the person you are marrying LOVES YOU. I want you to look like the best, most relaxed and happy version of you in these photos. But I’ll never photoshop your body to make you look different.

That said, if you develop a huge spot just before the wedding, I will edit that off, since it’s not permanent and is definitely not worth stressing over.

The more I know about you and any hang ups you may have, the better I can pick and choose my angles to make sure you love the photos as much as possible.

Act natural and have fun!

Honestly, I’ll hardly ever get you to look at the camera, I just want to capture you being you. So relax, walk, talk, hold hands, kiss, cuddle. Just be yourselves and amazing photos will follow.

And don’t be afraid (or embarrassed) to be intimate. This is your chance to be vulnerable with each other, to let your guards down, and have a newly married smooch if you so feel. I want you to look at these photos in thirty years’ time and remember just how in love with each other you were in that moment.