If we had a dollar for every time one of our brides has told us that her fiancé hates pictures and is worried he’ll be awkward at their engagement session, let’s just say we’d probably be able to go on a nice vacation 😉 Haha! You guys, we have been told this SO many times by our sweet brides, and I think it’s no secret to us girls that our guys are not big fans of having photos done. (Or, at least, they probably don’t love it as much as we do, right?)
And you know what? That is totally okay. It’s completely common for guys not to be super comfortable in front of the camera, so today we’re rounding up a few of our top tips for helping your guy feel a little bit prepared for, excited for, and comfortable at your upcoming engagement session OR on your wedding day! Let’s get started. 🙂
Table of Contents
1. Show him a few photos ahead of time
Head to your wedding photographer’s blog and save or screenshot a few photos to show your guy before your session! As girls, we typically know what to expect from our wedding photographers because we follow their work so closely, but many guys have no IDEA what to expect. Some of our couples have even told us that they practiced a few poses they saw on our blog or on our social media so they felt a little more prepared for their session. I mean, how cute is that?! Honestly!! If you show your guy what to expect during your session or on your wedding day, he’ll be MUCH more comfortable when it’s time to shoot. We recommend showing your guy a few example photos before your engagement session AND before your wedding, just as a little refresher!
2. Get him involved
You ladies know that you instantly feel more confident and comfortable when you look amazing and feel amazing, right? If you force or beg your guy to wear something he hates, doesn’t love how he looks in, or he isn’t comfortable in, he’ll probably be miserable during your session! Can you even blame him?! Make sure the outfits your guy will wear for your engagement session are outfits he’s comfortable in, outfits that fit him well, and outfits that he actually likes. It’s so common for the groom to get left out of a lot of wedding-related decisions and conversations, so respect him by honoring his opinion and his input as much as possible. Whether it’s the dress shoes he’ll wear for your engagement session or the tie he’ll wear on your wedding day, genuinely ask his opinion! We can’t even express how much this will help you two and how much more comfortable he’ll be at your shoot.
3. Don’t get mad at him 🙂
Ohh, friends. If there’s something that breaks photographers’ hearts, it’s when couples got frustrated with one other or tell each another they “aren’t doing it right.” Decide right now that you’ll give each other grace at your engagement session or on your wedding day. Let’s be honest- you guys probably DON’T nuzzle under a blossoming tree next to a road with people driving by all that often, do you? Engagement sessions and wedding day portrait time can feel and look awkward, and neither of you guys have to be pros right away.
If your man goes in for a kiss on your cheek when your photographer told him to kiss your forehead instead, don’t stress. If he messes up your hair when he wraps his arms around your shoulders, don’t snap at him. If he’s being a little goofy and trying to get you to laugh during your wedding portraits, laugh with him and don’t try to shut him down. Being critical during your engagement session on your wedding day will never help your guy become more comfortable while we’re shooting, and it only makes him feel embarrassed and even more nervous. No fun, right? Make it a point to be encouraging and kind during your session, and you’ll see the benefits- we promise.
4. Plan something fun afterward
Ha… it sounds like we’re encouraging you to bribe your guy like a little kid after family pictures, but we promise we aren’t! 😉 It truly does help to have something fun to look forward to after your engagement session, whether it’s a dinner date or grabbing dessert on the drive home. Engagement sessions can last an hour or an hour and a half, and that is a long time to be in front of the camera when you think about it! Having something fun to look forward to afterward is always a good idea, and it gives your guy something to be excited about when the sun sets and your session is done. 🙂
5. Trust your photographer
Ultimately, it is your photographer’s job to make both you and your guy comfortable during your engagement session or on your wedding day. Luke is incredible at helping our guys relax, laugh and enjoy themselves during their engagement sessions and on their wedding days, and he works SO hard while we shoot to make sure our guys are comfortable and don’t feel awkward the entire time. It’s the best, and our images would NOT be the same without the way he interacts with our grooms! If you photographer is able to make you guys feel comfortable during your session, the hard work is done, and you just get to focus on having fun with your guy, looking totally amazing, and being insanely excited to get married. 🙂
. . .
Whether you’re counting down the days until your engagement session or your wedding, we hope these tips were helpful for you engaged couples! If you have other tips for making your guy feel comfortable on your wedding day, we want to hear them… leave us a comment below so that we can learn from you!
Xoxo!
Caitlin & Luke
