Meta-description: Lisa Staff discusses how to make your wedding more fun. Find out what makes a great reception, and check out her tips for adding some excitement to the big day!

It’s super-easy to lay back in your armchair and make bold that you’re good to go with a bunch of over-priced photography equipment to capture shots of couples getting hitched. I promise you—it’s not. 

Don’t get me wrong though, some ‘couple-worthy’ photographic equipment is always a good start. Of course, you’re not waltzing to your wedding with a hilariously bad camera. And we’re heck sure you’re a lot smarter than to leave the capturing of such a momentous occasion to your long-time pal who should be in the thick of all the action with you! 🙂

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That said, the delicate sweet spot between craft and soul? That’s the real deal right there. Extra tips, learned over years of experience, on evoking the right feelings to create the perfect moments for the camera. From one wedding photographer to another, the perfect couple shots’re a big deal.

And even though we may have hashed out on the topic, if I did get to sit across from you today and talk, my guess is that you’d be like, “Okay Lisa. I get it, I like it… but can you just tell me where to start? What to do to ace these photoshoots?? I’m tired.” 

So, I’m lookin’ you straight in the eye right now, and I’m saying “Heck YEAH, I can!” Get ready to jot down your ideas! 🙂

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Make Prior Arrangements 

You see, we don’t always look the same in our photos. Not because our faces change every three days, but because our faces tend to betray whatever emotions we’re feeling at the moment. It explains why you might find yourself looking an absolute supermodel in your photos during happy moments, while other times, well, not so good!

What’s the take-away here? Well, as adults, decision-making piles on our stress levels 90% of the time. It’s ridiculously so especially when it’s your big day. With this in mind, the hassle of choosing what to wear, where to wear, and take the shots, is best undergone a lot earlier before the shoot, knowing that all of the stress lines would have been erased from your faces by the time you get in front of the camera. 

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Wear Something That You Love

Another emotion that totally sells couples out in photos is a lack of confidence, and this is defo connected with wardrobe choices. To get the best photos out of your couple’s photoshoot session, you want to make sure that you both’re rocking what you need to—the goal is to be the perfect pair. (Eyes on the goal!)

Picking only clothing and accessory pieces that you love is a good starting point. Every so often, we have to wear pieces that we’re not exactly keen on, either for our job or family or some other responsibility. This should not apply to your photoshoot. This is about you, and it’s got to be true-to-you. 

So, splurge on something special that you don’t get to wear on the regular. If you’ve enough time on your hands, I recommend bringing along 2-3 outfits to work out what’s you feel authentic and comfy in. Create something inspiring, that you feel like a million bucks in. Your love flowing dresses? You wanna channel your inner fashion guru? We’re here for it. Would you prefer bold colors for a statement shot? Bring it on! One thing you wanna be wary about is the clashing of colors. So, subtle hints would not be out of order. 

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— Don’t neglect color schemes 

Yes, I may have asked us to make bold choices, wear something you love, and not matching pieces. But we’re all still bound by the natural laws of color schemes and contrast.

Nobody made these rules. It isn’t something that came up for votes at Congress. We just know that putting contrasting colors like green and orange together is a sure-fire recipe for a fashion hoax. Karrie already had a lot of experience in this field, and evidently (the photos sure give her away), she’s a darn good planner herself, ( Really! An event planner. I kid you not.) opting for a decor that’ll embrace the beautiful backdrop of the dunes/beach and complement it with a simple design!

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Wear Outfits That Complement But Don’t Match 

One misgiving most couples make while posing for shots, is to wear matching clothing (It’s not Christmas in the 1980s!) Wearing matching clothes will only leave you and your partner looking clichéd, drab, and clumsy. 

You want that perfect picture? Switch it up! Wear items that complement each other. See how, in these photos, Wyatt wears jeans of a different color from Karrie? See how natural it gets them looking? Now, picture how tacky they would look if they had worn matching blue jeans. This leads to my next point.

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Break the ‘Pose’ Jinx (Hint: Get Intimate)

Here’s where we ixnay on the awkward poses and keep those hands moving. We totally get that open-ended poses are what they are—open-ended. This means you’re a tad deficient in how your poses will pan out. 

Poses are every bit as specific as they turn out to be when these shots are taken. And seeing that (from experience) it’ll be clunky-looking to hold specific poses for unduly long periods, we advise a free-reign of hand movements in any way that comes naturally. 

PS: Don’t fall into the trap of obsessing over a perfect pose. But if you ever fall short of tricks up your sleeve, and you feel you need some push, you can steal mine!

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Perfect poses are a product of those in-between moments where you’re engulfed in your partner’s gaze, fascination. Let’s keep it NATURAL AND FREE FLOWING. Just say “no” to awkwardness. Of course, we’d agree that some poses work wayy better than the others (RIP heart-shaped hand signs. Sorry Taylor Swift) but being natural is better than doubling a pose you stumbled upon in the posing guide. And…. GUESS WHAT? I’m here to help you with all of that. Honestly, you don’t have to think about “posing” for a minute. Do you know why? Because, we just roll with it and have fun. And on that journey of having fun I capture you both connecting with each other in the way that you naturally do. And laughing a lot! We make sure to get all of the chemistry and push it a little further to make sure that we don’t miss a moment of what makes your love story individualistically yours and yours alone. I may suggest, (Actually I will suggest. I can’t be stopped) a couple of things that will move you up to supermodel status. Own it!

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Get Your Pets On Board!

When Karrie and Wyatt commissioned me for their couple shots, not only did they want magical, storied photos that fully inked in bold prints, the extent of how gaga they are for each other, they also wanted their furry buddy to feature in the shots. 

What better way to show a story of how he got to ‘put a ring on it’ when you took your dog out for dinner than by popping out with adorable photographs of all three of you having a spine-crackin’ good time? The truth is, your pet could add sooo much more soulful spice to your photos. Whether cats or puppies, bring them along and work them into the set. It doesn’t even have to be only either. 

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Parting note

I’m going to leave you with this quote from an unknown 17^th-century sage—“life is short, make the most of it”. While your desire for perfect photos is valid, all of this is to celebrate the authentic affection between you and your partner. Focus on your love, and on having as much fun as you can while at it, and you will find that the perfect pictures will come naturally. 🙂 

Looking to cop YOUR own perfect couple shots? I’ll help you pull off stunning photos that’ll be the crowing encapsulation of how memorable your wedding went like Karrie & Wyatt’s. Here’s another wedding that reigned in the good feels.