How to Feel Natural in Front of a Camera on Your Wedding Day (From a Photographer Who Hears "We're So Awkward" Every Single Week)
Let me tell you something I've learned after 15 years of photographing weddings: the couples who tell me "we're so awkward in photos" almost always end up with my favourite galleries.
I know that sounds like something a photographer says to make you feel better. But I mean it. The couples who are self-conscious, who laugh nervously, who don't know what to do with their hands — they're the ones who produce the most genuine, emotional, real images. Because they're not performing. They're just being themselves.
So if you're reading this because you're terrified of being in front of a camera on your wedding day, good. You're exactly who I love photographing.
Here's everything I tell my couples about how to make it easier.
1. Stop trying to look good and start trying to feel good
This sounds counterintuitive but it's the most important shift you can make. The couples who are thinking "do I look okay? Is my chin down? Where do I put my hands?" are the ones whose photos look stiff. The couples who are thinking "I can't believe I'm actually married right now" are the ones whose photos look stunning. Your photographer's job is to worry about how you look. Your job is to be present in the moment. Give yourself permission to completely hand that responsibility over.
2. Movement is your best friend
Standing still is genuinely one of the hardest things to do in front of a camera. It feels unnatural because it is unnatural. Nobody just stands still in real life.
So don't. Walk together. I'll walk with you. Talk to each other — tell your partner something about the day, point something out, make each other laugh. Dance badly. Spin. Run. Movement loosens nerves instantly, and it produces infinitely more interesting photos than any static pose ever could. When I'm shooting portraits with couples I'm constantly giving prompts like "walk toward me and tell them what you love most about today" or "pick them up, I don't care how, just go" — because movement creates moments, and moments create photos worth keeping forever.
3. Do an engagement session before your wedding
This is genuinely the single most effective thing you can do to feel comfortable on your wedding day. Your engagement session is essentially a rehearsal for being photographed. By the time your wedding arrives you already know what my prompts feel like, you know how I work, and you've already been through the slightly awkward first five minutes that every session has. Almost every couple I've worked with tells me the same thing after their engagement session: "Oh, that was actually really fun. I thought I'd hate it." That realization before your wedding day is invaluable. This is one of the reasons I include an engagement session in every wedding package. It's not a bonus — it's a necessity.
4. Build buffer time into your portrait slot
One of the biggest reasons couples look tense in their wedding photos is that they're rushed. They're thinking about the reception starting, or guests waiting, or the timeline running behind. When you build a genuine buffer into your portrait time — even just an extra 15 minutes — everything changes. You're not rushing through poses to get back to the party. You're actually experiencing the moment. And that ease shows in every single frame. Talk to your photographer about timeline before the wedding and make sure portrait time is protected, not squeezed.
5. Focus on your partner, not the camera
This is the simplest tip and the most effective. The less attention you give the camera, the better your photos will look. Look at your partner. Actually look at them — not a glance, a real look. Talk to them. Think about what you love about them. Think about the fact that you just married them. When couples are genuinely connected to each other rather than performing for the lens, the photos are immediate. You can feel it in the image.
6. Tell your photographer your insecurities
This one takes courage but it makes a real difference. If you hate your profile from the right, say so. If you feel self-conscious about your arms, mention it. A good photographer will never presume — they need you to tell them so they can adjust angles, lighting, and positioning to make you look and feel your best. There is nothing vain about this. It's practical. The more I know about what makes you feel confident, the better I can do my job.
7. Lean into the awkward
Here's my last and favourite tip: if a moment feels awkward, say it out loud. Laugh about it. Call it out. Nothing breaks tension faster than both of you giggling about the fact that you don't know what to do with your hands. And that giggle? That's the shot. That's the photo you'll frame. That's the one your kids will see in thirty years and think "that's exactly what they were like." The awkward moments aren't the problem. They're the point.
One last thing
Natural, relaxed wedding photos don't come from posing perfectly. They come from choosing a photographer who makes you feel safe, comfortable, and like yourself — and then trusting them to do their job while you focus on the best day of your life.
If you're planning a wedding in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and you want a photographer who specializes in making awkward couples feel completely at ease, I'd love to chat. Reach out at mariammalikphotography@gmail.com or visit mariammalikphoto.com to check your date.
