How Can I Avoid Photography Nerves on my Wedding Day?

"I'm really nervous about being in front of the camera"

"I hate having my photograph taken, so I'm not really looking forward to it"

You'd be surprised how many of my brides and grooms mention things like this while we're chatting about their wedding.

My first thought is - great! You've told me!

Because if I know, I can help.

If we know that you're nervous about your photographs we can make extra efforts to ensure you feel confident and relaxed on your wedding day.

First off, let me tell you that we feel exactly. the. same! We duck for cover as soon as someone pulls out a camera because we're pretty camera-shy too. So we're not going to be expecting you to strut and pose with confidence, we'd just love you to relax when we're with you.

So, aside from telling your photographer how you feel, here are my tips to ridding yourself of your wedding photography nerves.

Get to know your photographer

Think about it, if your friend is taking photographs at a meal or on a day out with the girls, you don't get filled with dread about it, because you feel relaxed and content in their company and you trust them.

How great would it be to feel the same way about your wedding photographer?

As though you're being photographed by a friend, who is sharing all the joy and excitement of your wedding day with you.

So, chat to me by email. Tell me what's going on, about wedding plans, about life, about your kitten!

Add each other on social media

It might seem unusual to add your photographer on Instagram and Facebook, but I whole-heartedly invite it. I keep my social media as a mix of personal and professional, so you'll be able to see what I've been up to, the fun I've been having, as well as see photographs I've been working on. And if you're happy to, I'll add you back, so that I can get to know you a little bit too.Then, when it comes to your wedding day, you'll feel so much more familiar with me because you'll know what I've been up to (and vice versa) and we'll have loads to chat about.

The other great thing about adding each other is that you'll see your 'sneak peek' photographs as soon as they're online. With Facebook as it is, when a business posts photographs they can't tag people in them unless they're friends too, so if you'd love to see your photos as soon as they're added, and be tagged in them so that your friends will be able to see them too, and share in the excitement of seeing your first professional photographs, we'll add each other as friends. You can add me easily here:

Facebook: Janet Wareing Photography Facebook

Instagram: janet_wareing

Have an Engagement Shoot

Pre-wedding photo shoot, couple's shoot, engagement shoot - whatever you want to call it, I whole-heartedly recommend having one.

Here's what one of my girls said recently - "Honestly, I come from years of looking forward to and then being disappointed in event photos of myself. So I can't stop looking at these!!"

I had known that she was camera shy, but we chatted and laughed and enjoyed ourselves and the outcome - she has her first set of photographs where she loves the way she looks.

Have I edited them much? No.

Does she look just like herself, only relaxed, care-free and happy. Oh yes.

Our engagement shoots are much like the couple's shoot we offer on wedding days - they're relaxed and personal and we have a lot of fun.

Pick a gorgeous location, the perfect time of day (sunset or even sunrise if you're early birds) and we're set.

If you want to know more, read about them here: Sunset Sessions Once you receive your pre-wedding shoot photographs you'll see that you have nothing to worry about for your wedding day photographs. That's it! Tell me your worries, get to know us, and have a pre-wedding shoot. Easy steps to feeling confident on your wedding day. J x