5 Wedding Photography Tips for Couples, from a Syracuse Photographer
Your wedding day is one of the few times in your life when you'll have a chance to get professional photographs of nearly every important person you love, all in one place. That's something to be excited about. But if you're planning a wedding, it can also come with a few worries.
Will I look good in my photos? What if I feel awkward in front of the camera? Will we have enough time for all the pictures we want? And how do we make sure those important family photographs don't get missed? How much time do we need? (Here's a helpful post to help decide!)
These are questions I hear from couples all the time, and they're completely understandable. After all, your wedding photographs are something you'll look back on for years to come. You want to love them.
After 12+ years working in the Syracuse wedding industry across Central New York, from Skaneateles lakefronts to downtown Syracuse ballrooms, I’ve learned that a great photography experience starts well before the wedding day.
Here are five common wedding photography concerns, and how I approach each one to help make the experience enjoyable, relaxed, and stress-free.
1. "I'm Worried About How I'll Look in My Wedding Photos."
This is first, because it's one of the most common concerns I hear. You’ll spend months choosing the dress, finalizing hair and makeup plans, and envisioning how every detail comes together. Naturally, you want to look your absolute best.
Looking great in photographs has almost nothing to do with being "photogenic." It comes down to lighting, angles, composition, and working with a photographer who knows how to put you at ease. Knowing how to pose couples in a flattering way is important, but I'm also watching what happens in between those poses. When you relax, laugh, or naturally settle into being together, those moments often make some of the best photographs, and I'm always watching for the.. In my experience, that's when some of the best shots are captured!
I'm also always watching for those moments when you're relaxed, laughing, or simply enjoying being together. You don't need to spend your wedding day worrying about your smile or wondering what to do with your hands. That's something I can help with.
My goal is to create beautiful, flattering portraits while capturing the genuine expressions and emotions that make your wedding photographs special and uniquely you as a couple. You may have noticed that I'm not trying to create a portfolio of stylized, "Vogue"-type images. I'm much more interested in capturing your love and your favorite people candidly having fun and being themselves. That's what truly makes a gallery of photos timeless, and likely what will matter most to you in the long run.
2. "I Feel Awkward in Front of a Camera."
You're certainly not alone. I hear this from couples regularly during our initial conversations.
Most people don't spend their everyday lives having professional photographs taken. So when the wedding day arrives and there's a photographer following you around, it's understandable to feel a little self-conscious!
The trick is not to make photography feel like a long, formal photoshoot.
During couple portraits, I'll give you simple direction when you need it, and in between those shots, I'll be snapping away capturing candid moments of being yourselves. That might mean walking together, looking at each other, holding hands, or taking a moment to relax and enjoy being together.
I also mix guided portraits with plenty of candid photography throughout the day. Some of my favorite wedding photographs happen when couples aren't thinking about the camera at all.
A little laughter, a quiet moment together, or a spontaneous embrace often makes for a much more meaningful photograph than a perfectly rehearsed pose.
The more comfortable you become, the more natural the photographs tend to look. And that's exactly what I'm going for.
3. "How Do I Make Sure We Actually Get the Photographs We Want?"
This is something you should never have to leave entirely to chance!
Every couple has different priorities. For some, it's getting beautiful portraits of the two of them together. For others, it's documenting all the little details, or making sure there are plenty of candid photographs of family and friends.
The best way to make sure those priorities are understood is to communicate them before the wedding. As soon as a couple gives me the green light, I'll create a login for your own online planning portal. In your planning portal you can not only build your shot-list for important family photos, but you'll have a place to enter specific table numbers of "VIP" guests! If Grandma is at Table 3, we’re keeping a sharp eye on her—and if she’s tearing up the dance floor later, we’ll be ready to capture it!
We'll plan a meeting ahead of your actual wedding date to go over your planning forms in detail to make sure I understand exactly what your wishes are, so nothing important is missed!
A few of the most important photos clients mention:
A first look or a special moment together before the ceremony.
Portraits with parents, grandparents, siblings, and other important family members.
Wedding party photographs.
Candid photos of guests.
Details of the wedding dress, rings, flowers, and other personal touches.
The more I understand what matters to you, the better prepared I am to photograph your day in a way that reflects your priorities.
You shouldn't have to spend your wedding day wondering whether your photographer knows what's important to you. I'll arrive on your wedding day with a clear understanding of your priorities and the people who are especially important to you.
4. "I Don't Want to Spend My Entire Wedding Day Taking Pictures, but I'm Afraid Important Family Photos Will Get Missed!"
I completely understand. Nobody wants to spend their entire cocktail hour being shuffled from one group photo to another! Neither does your wedding party or family!
As soon as your ceremony is over, it's a party!
This is where a well-planned wedding photography shot-list and timeline makes all the difference. The key is planning ahead (See a helpful post about planning your timeline here). Before the wedding, we'll use your online planning portal to put together a list of the family groupings you'd like photographed. It doesn't need to include every possible combination, just the people and relationships that matter most to you.
For example:
The two of you with both sets of parents.
The bride with her immediate family.
The groom with his immediate family.
The two of you with grandparents.
The two of you with siblings and their families.
The entire wedding party.
I'll also recommend choosing a family member or member of the wedding party from each side who can help gather people when it's time for portraits. We call this person a "wrangler." Having someone who knows who's who can make a tremendous difference in keeping things organized and moving along.
We'll also plan your photography timeline around your ceremony time, whether you're having a first look, and how many family groupings you'd like. If you choose to have a first look, for example, we may be able to complete some couple and wedding party portraits before the ceremony, leaving more time afterward to enjoy your guests.
And don't worry, you don't need hours of couple portraits to get a beautiful variety of photographs. In just 15–20 minutes, we can take a walk, enjoy a little time together, and create a collection of natural, relaxed portraits without rushing.
The goal is simple: capture the family photographs that matter, give you beautiful portraits together, and get everyone back to enjoying the celebration. Your wedding party will love how fast we can breeze through these photos and get to party time! Your wedding photographs should document your day, not take you away from it.
"What If It Rains or the Lighting at Our Venue Isn't Ideal?"
If you're planning a wedding in Syracuse or anywhere throughout Central New York, you know the weather doesn't always cooperate.
You might envision beautiful outdoor portraits at a lakeside venue or on a garden terrace, only to see rain in the forecast as your wedding day approaches.
And even if the weather is perfect, not every wedding venue has ideal lighting. Some ceremonies take place in darker churches, while receptions may be held in historic buildings or ballrooms with limited natural light.
The important thing to remember is that beautiful wedding photography doesn't require perfect conditions.
It requires a photographer who knows how to work with the conditions available.
Here are a few things I consider when preparing for different situations:
Rain and unpredictable weather:
Having alternative locations in mind is important. A covered porch, an attractive indoor space, or even a brief break in the weather can provide opportunities for beautiful portraits.
Bright midday sunlight:
Most clients are more concerned about clouds, but direct sunlight can be even more challenging. It can create harsh shadows and uncomfortable squinting. Finding open shade, positioning subjects with the sun behind them, using a diffusion panel or choosing a different location can all make a big difference.
Overcast skies:
Cloudy weather isn't necessarily a problem. In fact, soft, diffused light can be wonderful for portraits!
Dark reception venues:
Once the sun goes down, additional lighting becomes important. Professional lighting equipment and an understanding of how to use it help capture everything from speeches and special dances to the energy of the dance floor.
Here's a blog post specifically about wedding photography darker venues. Spoiler alert, it's not a problem. In addition to having lighting equipment, we use fast-aperture prime lenses to let the maximum amount of light in.
You can't control the weather, or the lighting, but you can work with a photographer who knows how to adapt!
A Final "Wedding Photography Tip" Thought: You Should Be Enjoying Your Wedding, Not Worrying About Your Photos.
Your wedding photographs will become part of your family's history. They'll remind you of the people who celebrated with you, the emotions of the day, and all those little moments that might otherwise fade with time.
It's normal to have concerns about how you'll look, whether you'll feel comfortable, or whether everything will go according to plan. But you don't have to figure it all out on your own.
Perhaps the most important wedding photography tip I can offer is: Choose a photographer whose work you love, communicate what matters most to you, and trust the experience of the person behind the camera.
The best wedding photographs don't come from couples who never felt nervous. They come from couples who are able to relax, enjoy each other, and be present in the moment, with a photographer who knows how to capture it all.
Want more ideas? See my earlier post, 5 Top Wedding Photo & Video Tips, for more ways to get the most out of your wedding photography and film.
Looking for a Syracuse Wedding Photographer?
At Select Photo + Film, I provide Syracuse wedding photography that combines genuine emotion with relaxed, flattering portraits. I work directly with every couple to make sure their experience feels personal and their photographs reflect what matters most to them.
My approach is bright, timeless, and true to color, with an emphasis on natural light, authentic moments, and photographs you'll love looking back on for years to come.
I photograph weddings throughout Syracuse, Skaneateles, the Finger Lakes, and the surrounding Central New York region.
If you're planning your wedding and looking for a Syracuse wedding photographer who will take the time to understand your priorities and help make the photography experience enjoyable, I'd love to hear about your plans. About the author: Kirk Rothrum is the owner and lead photographer of Select Photo + Film, a Syracuse wedding photography and videography studio. He has spent 12+ years in the Central New York wedding industry, first as a wedding DJ and now behind the camera as Photographer and Videographer since 2019, so he knows how a wedding day flows from every angle. He photographs one wedding per date and works directly with every couple.
Explore my wedding photography portfolio or get in touch to check availability for your wedding date!
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