One of the most fun parts of the whole wedding planning process is the pictures! And there’s lots of them; you have the engagement shoot, the wedding photography, the bridal party pictures, videos while getting ready and during the reception. Now, one is thing that I’ve found as a Pittsburgh wedding photographer: not everyone is comfortable in front a camera. Maybe you light up in front of a pink wall or any background that’s Instagram friendly, but you’ve noticed your partner is actually sort of camera shy. What can you do to get them to come out of their shell for the wedding photography?

In my years taking pictures in Pittsburgh weddings, I can assure you: It’s not about being photogenic. It’s all about the natural essence of the whole photo shoot. You should look at each other and not think about the camera being there, instead of posing or feeling unnatural.

We know that pretending there’s not a camera right in front of you is a difficult task, so here are some of my best tried and true tricks for getting bride and grooms comfortable during a photo shoot:

Connect with your partner

Remember, it’s your big day and you have to enjoy it. You have already invested a lot of time in organizing your wedding, now it’s time to have fun. Try looking into your partner’s eyes, because it makes the pictures ten times more intimate looking and actually makes the person you’re with relax and let themselves go! I find it best to look into each other’s eyes and try to see in the other that happiness you share.

Imagine you’re by yourselves

A great way to make things look natural is actually talking and laughing. Share some insight jokes and pretend the photographer is not even there: this is your moment. Also, a trick I tell couples that I think is key for actually believing you’re alone is imagining you’re traveling without anyone else, sightseeing and marveling at the landscape, looking at the horizon, hugging or kissing whenever you want.

It’s all about relaxing!

Now, remember, if your partner is tense it will show on camera. Try doing relaxing, fun activities you both enjoy before going to the photo shoot. Make sure your bodies are relaxed. Also, avoid thinking “and now what?”. The photographer wants raw, natural moments. You just have fun and the beautiful, memorable pictures will come!