Relax in your wedding photos!

How on earth are you meant to relax when someone’s pointing a camera lens at you?

And… everyone’s staring at you while you have your photo taken (at least that’s how it feels)!

Honestly, there’s enough happening on your wedding day without worrying about how to relax and look great in your photos as well.

The problem

You want awesome wedding photos that capture the real you and make you look amazing.

If you’ve ever had your photo taken and been asked to ‘smile for the camera’ you’ll know how difficult it can be to give a natural smile.

That natural smile comes from being relaxed in front of the camera.

To be and look relaxed in your wedding photos your smile has to be in your eyes too.

Without that, there’ll be something that just doesn't quite ring true about the photo. Even though you won't be able to put your finger on exactly why, you’re unlikely to love the photo.

So with the above in mind here are my 5 top tips to help you on relax in front of the camera on your big day…

Have an engagement session

Chances are you’ve never had a professional photographer taking your photo before.

Having an engagement session does several things for you:

• You get used to having your photo taken

• You can practice different poses

• Your wedding photographer will guide you to learn what works best for you (every couple is different) to make you look great

• You get to know your photographer better so that it’s more like having a friend with you on your wedding day

• Simply spending time having your photo taken will mean that you’re more relaxed in front of the camera on your big day

Blush with me - Parmita

Parmita has a brilliant YouTube channel that teaches you, amongst other things, how to look your best in photos. I can’t recommend her enough.

Here’s a link to her channel videos on ‘how to pose’:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrLHadod7vE_qhjq2yWI6vFl783Dfday9

Once you’ve watched her videos I guarantee you’ll feel more relaxed about it all.

Use a professional hair and make up artist

There are two key benefits to having your hair and make up done by a professional.

Firstly, it’s one less thing for you to worry about on the day.

Secondly, a professional make up artist knows how to apply make your make up so that it looks great in your photos. Although you’re practiced at doing your make up on a regular basis, it’s just not the same.

Knowing that you’ll look great when you get your photos will build your confidence in front of the camera and relax you.

Practice mindfulness

If you already practice mindfulness you’ll know how effective it can be at relaxing you.

New to mindfulness? It’s probably not what you’re expecting it to be. It’s easier than you think to get good at it and you might just end up loving it so much that you use it every day, not just for your wedding.

Check out the podcast ‘HEADSPACE’ and give it a go to see if you like it!

Choose the right photographer

I often say to couples that the actual ‘taking the photo’ part of my job only makes up about a third of what goes into getting great wedding photos.

I know that this is an unusual thing for a photographer to say, but a large, incredibly important, element of producing photos you’ll love is ‘people management’.

If you’ve chosen the right photographer, they’ll be very skilled at using a whole bunch of techniques to relax you when you’re having your picture taken so that you look natural and the photos reflect the excitement and fun of your wedding day.

You won’t necessarily notice what they’re doing to relax you, which is the way it should be to be effective!

So, make sure your photographer has these skills (why not ask them to demonstrate some of them for you). If they do, then you can relax knowing that they’ve got it all in hand.

Summary

This article gives you five ways to help you relax in your wedding photos.

• Have an engagement session

• Watch the ‘Blush With Me - Parmita’ YouTube channel

• Use a professional hair and make up artist

• Practice mindfulness

• Choose the right photographer