Your wedding photos should feel like you; not like you’re awkwardly posing for a high school yearbook. If you’ve ever wondered how to look natural in wedding photos, and the thought of being in front of the camera makes you nervous, you’re not alone. The good news? There are so many ways to feel relaxed, confident, and genuinely happy in your photos (yes, even if you’ve never loved having your picture taken).

Below, I’m sharing my best tips from 10+ years as an Austin wedding photographer to help you look and feel your absolute best.

Here’s what you’ll find in this article:

• How to choose a location and outfit that makes you feel confident

• Why an engagement session is your secret weapon for natural wedding photos

• My go-to poses and prompts for candid, genuine expressions

• Common mistakes to avoid so your photos feel relaxed

• How I guide you through portraits so you never feel stiff or staged

1. Book an Engagement Session With Your Actual Wedding Photographer

I can’t say this enough: your engagement session with your actual wedding photographer is a game changer for feeling natural on your wedding day. Even if you’ve done other sessions before, working with the person who will actually be photographing your wedding is key. While the two may seem unrelated, they actually go hand-in-hand. Here’s why:

1. We build trust. I love getting to know my couples before the wedding, and the engagement session allows me to do just that! You get to know me and see firsthand how I work, while I get to know you.  Building this relationship will help you feel more comfortable having me around during sentimental moments when your wedding day arrives.

2. I learn your best angles. This session gives me an opportunity to observe the two of you together: how you love each other and what body language you naturally fall into as a couple. Since the wedding day will have a tight schedule, having this time together will give me insight on which poses to avoid and which you’ll pull off flawlessly! Every couple is different. Your height difference, body language, and natural way of interacting will influence how I pose you specifically.

3. You gain confidence. When you see your engagement photos (which are a test run to your wedding images), you’ll trust me to only put you in flattering poses and capture your best sides on the wedding day. It’s that confidence that lets couples truly be themselves on their wedding day and have such a great connection with the camera!

Pro tip: Hire a photographer whose reviews mention that they made their clients feel comfortable and confident.  This is what Carly, the bride above, had to say: “Mylah was the most amazing wedding photographer! We did our engagement photos with her first, and we’re so glad we did—it made us feel completely comfortable with her on our wedding day.”

2. Choose Locations & Outfits That Make You Feel Like Yourself

The quickest way to look uncomfortable in photos is to feel uncomfortable in real life. Pick a location where you’d actually spend time together, somewhere that feels familiar and fun. Avoid places that make you feel out of place or self-conscious.

Your outfit matters just as much. Wear something you feel confident in from every angle. If you feel good, you’ll look good! The same is true in the opposite. If you feel weird at a location you’ve never been to or are tugging on your outfit the whole time, you won’t feel confident and comfortable.

Spend some time going through a few engagement session blog posts from your Austin wedding photographer to get an idea of what to expect at your session.

Pro tip: Get your hair and makeup done by your actual wedding day beauty team for your engagement session. They’ll know exactly what photographs best for your features and skin tone, giving you a boost of confidence before you even step in front of my camera.  Lola Beauty got Caitlin here glammed up for her engagement session at The Vineyard at Florence.

3. Use Familiar, Easy Prompts to Break the Ice

When you arrive for portraits, I never start with stiff, formal poses. Instead, we ease in with something you already naturally do all the time: walking together (to the grocery store, to church, on date nights). From there, I’ll give prompts like:

• Walk with your arms around each other, smile at each other, then at me.

• Hip bump right there (this one always makes couples giggle).

• Walk across the camera instead of toward it.

• Lead your partner toward the camera so you’re not side by side

• Walk away from the camera (to show the back of the outfit).

These simple movements create candid smiles, natural body language, both close-up and far-away shots, and a ton of photo variety without you even realizing you’re “posing” – all from walking.

Bonus: Videographers LOVE the motion too!  This means you’re not repeating poses for video on your wedding day!

4. Avoid These Common Mistakes That Kill the Natural Vibe

If you want your photos to feel relaxed and connected, skip:

• Spectators during portraits. They can make you self-conscious and give unhelpful pose suggestions because their vantage point is different than my camera angle. Inviting people to watch you during your portraits will also be a distraction.  Instead of focusing on your partner, you’ll be trying to be polite and interact with the guest who is making comments. When your eyes are elsewhere, it can look like you’re disconnected from your person, which is not the goal!

• A mismatched video team. Different lighting styles mean doing everything twice (once for the light the photographer needs, and once for the light the videographer needs).  It’s not fun. This takes up too much time on the wedding day and can feel anything but natural. Every photographer has a videographer they love to work with, so be sure to ask them who they recommend.

• Distracting clothing. No graphics, neon colors, tiny prints, or stripes (they photograph weirdly and are not favorable for portraits). This is especially true for guy’s shirts and jackets that look like a solid color from a distance but are actually tiny stripes.

• Bulky pockets. Keep phones and wallets out of sight.

• Spray tans. Even pro ones can streak, leave unnaturally pale areas on your skin, or look orange on camera. We don’t want Oompa Loompa vibes here!

5. Trust Your Photographer’s Direction

I talk to my couples the entire time I’m photographing them – seriously. Silence leads to second-guessing in your head, and we’re not here for awkward pauses. Think about a bad date gone wrong…did it start with an awkward silence? Exactly. 😅

You’ll never hear me say “just act lovey-dovey” (cringe). Most people aren’t models. They want specific, clear, calm, confident direction so they know exactly what to do. That’s why you hire a professional instead of handing a friend an iPhone. You want to look beautiful in your photos, and that starts with trusting your photographer to guide you.

I talk non-stop so you don’t have time to overthink how you look or wonder if a pose feels awkward. I will authentically hype you up the entire time, calling out what’s working and complimenting the things that look beautiful.  If it’s gorgeous, you should know it!

Also, collaborating and co-creating with my couples is one of my favorite things to do! If there’s a pose you’ve seen and loved, or a creative idea you’ve been dreaming about trying, we’ll make it happen! You don’t have to learn how to pose (I’ve got that covered), but every couple has that one must-have photo, and I want you to feel free to go for it. This is your wedding day, and you get to do whatever you want!

Looking natural in your wedding photos isn’t about striking the perfect pose or pretending to be a model. It’s about trusting your photographer, feeling completely confident in your own skin, and focusing on the person you’re about to marry. When you let yourself be present and enjoy the moment, the genuine smiles, laughter, and connection will shine through every image.

Ready to feel like the best version of yourself in your wedding photos? Let’s chat about how I can capture your love story in a way that feels effortless, beautiful, and completely you. Contact me here to get started!

About the Author: Mylah Renae

Mylah Renae is an Austin Wedding Photographer with over ten years experience photographing weddings full time in Austin and the Texas Hill Country. With over 140 five-star reviews, wedding clients love her artistic vision, personalized storytelling, meticulous attention to detail, and crazy fast turnaround times. When not behind the camera, you’ll find her adventuring to new places with her husband, trying new Sourdough Recipes, or snuggling her velcro Great Dane.