Wedding Couple Photos Q&A: Quick Tips for Fun, Authentic Portraits

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing some of my favourite wedding couple photos from recent years.

I’ll also be sharing tips and ideas to help you get the most out of your couple photos, along with my process for capturing them quickly and efficiently on a wedding day. 

Capturing Your Connection in a Natural Way

As a documentary wedding photographer, 90% of my time on a wedding day is dedicated to capturing real unposed moments. But for a very small portion of the day, I turn my attention to capturing couple portraits. Still, the same philosophy applies. My aim is to capture these photos in a way that feels natural, relaxed and genuine so the images flow nicely with the rest of the day.

My couples book me as their wedding photographer because they love the candid nature of the photographs I take. Often, when they get in touch, my couples tell me that they don’t want to spend lots of time away from their friends and family on the day, and they definitely don’t want overly ‘posed’ photographs. 

FAQs for Effortless Wedding Couple Photos

With that in mind, here are some questions I get asked on a regular basis. Hopefully, the answers will help you feel more comfortable with the idea of having your photos taken on your wedding!

Do We Need to Have Couple Photos at All?

You (hopefully) only get one shot at a wedding day so I’d strongly recommend having at least a few photos of the two of you together in your finery. It’s not very often that you get to have nice photos together as a couple so don’t waste the opportunity! Even if it’s just a quick smiley snapshot.

We Hate Having Our Photo Taken, Will We Look Awkward?

If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard this question, I would be able to retire!

The thing that most of my couples worry about beforehand is looking awkward in their couple photos. This is a totally normal response. We’re not used to having our photo taken in this way.

Most of the photos we take these days are selfies that we have control over so the idea of having ‘official’ wedding pictures can be a bit daunting. 

It’s About the Feeling

The key to not looking awkward in your wedding photos is not feeling awkward in your photos.

The best wedding photos come as a result of genuine emotion. As long as you’re comfortable with each other, your couple portrait session will be a breeze, and you’ll end up with photos that you’ll cherish forever.

It’s Not About Posing

Your wedding photos shouldn’t be about the photos; they should be about you! That’s why I don’t ‘pose’ my couples in the traditional sense. You can still get beautiful portraits from candid moments.

Instead, for the perfect shots, I look for interesting backdrops that show off the scenery and your venue, or great light, and then give you light direction on where and how to stand with each other.

I’ll encourage you to focus on each other. You’ll be able to laugh and chat about the day so far and before you know it, you’ll be back at the bar with your guests.

Top tip: Make sure you’re connected at all times, in whatever way is most comfortable to you both as a couple. This looks different to everyone. It could be holding hands, linking arms or hugging. Think about how you spend time together and what occurs naturally.

Couple Photos are Not Just for the Romantics

You don’t need to be “romantic” if that’s not your style; the best photos happen when you’re comfortable, whether that means laughing with each other, or doing something totally unique on your big day.

You can lean into the unconventional and do something fun that you both love. This couple had their wedding reception at an arcade. They were having a great time together and it made for a more unusual photo opportunity.

Their wedding memories from this moment are really special, which makes the photograph have even more sentimental value.

Why Not Have a Practice Run Before Your Special Day

If you’re still unsure about your couple photo session, why not book a pre-wedding shoot? This is a great way to help you get a feel for being in front of the camera.

You can find out more on my blog about why pre-wedding shoots are a great idea.

Does It Need to Be Just the Two of Us?

Yes. This is the one portion of the day where it should just be the two of you together with no distractions – so Auntie Joan and her iPad will have to stay behind at the bar and have another glass of Prosecco. 

Believe it or not, your couple session will likely be the only time you have to yourselves on the whole of your wedding day so you won’t want to miss out on those special moments. Having that breather is really important as it will help you reflect on the day so far. 

The only time I will make an exception to this rule is if your dogs want to get in on the action, because how could I say no to them?!

When Should We Have Our Photos Taken?

During the Day

In a more traditional wedding setting, I recommend taking care of your couple photos during the drinks reception, and after your group shots. That way, when you sit down to have your meal all the ‘formal’ photos will have been taken care of and you won’t have to think about photos at all for the rest of the day. 

Your venue usually allows 15 minutes before the start of the wedding breakfast to get all your guests in and seated before you make your entrance. This is the perfect time to disappear for your photos as your guests will be too busy going to the bar and the toilet to notice you’ve gone. 

In the Evening

If you’re lucky enough to have a golden hour on your wedding day, then I’d jump at the chance to have a few more wedding couple photos at this time.

Depending on the time of year you’re getting married and your timeline this may take place during your meal. I will always ask if you’d like to step outside for 5 minutes in this case, but it’s absolutely your decision.

This is a great way to have more variation in your couple photos without venturing to a new location. The light can make all the difference!

If you’d like to see how a wedding photographer like me plans ahead for these photos, check out this golden hour TikTok I made. Here is one of the final photos from this session!

Where Should We Go for Our Couple Photos?

Explore your Wedding Venue

I encourage my couples to stay close by for their wedding pictures where possible.

Chances are, you’ve chosen your wedding venue because of the location or the outside space, so be sure your wedding photographer makes the most of that.

Explore the area surrounding the venue you’ve chosen. The session will normally involve a short stroll around your venue, stopping off at various points for photos. 

The best backdrops won’t always be the obvious ones. This is because a lot of the time it will depend on the quality of light in that location. Sometimes that does mean waiting until later in the day to revisit locations when the light is less harsh.

For example, I waited until the evening to take this photo with the castle as a backdrop as the sun was lower in the sky and there were no harsh shadows on the couple. 

You won’t need to worry about any of this as I know what will work, and I’ll be able to guide you to the spots that will look the best for the time of day. Even if it’s not an obvious location, lighting can make a simple backdrop stand out!

Choose a Special Location

If you’re visiting multiple locations throughout your wedding day you can have a quick session in each place, or pick one location specifically for photos.

This couple got married at the York Register Office and decided to venture over to the museum gardens for photos afterwards. I love this photo of them both backlit under the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey! 

How Long Will Our Couple Portrait Session Take?

My recommendation is to set aside 10-20 minutes for your couple photos on your wedding day.

This amount of time is short enough so that you’re not away from guests for too long, but it still gives me enough time to capture wedding photos with a little variation. 

The Choice is Yours

The time you set aside can be split into two or even 3 short, snappy sessions throughout the day.

This usually depends on your personal preference, the timings of your day, the locations you’re visiting and sometimes even the weather.

You can spend as much or as little time on your wedding couple photos as you like. If you’d rather just have one quick session, that’s absolutely fine! If you want to spend longer than recommended, that’s ok too.

How you spend your time on your wedding day is completely up to you. 

The photos are about the wedding, the wedding isn’t about the photos.

How Will the Weather Affect Our Couple Photos?

If It’s Raining 

I’ll encourage you to grab an umbrella and embrace it as much as you can! I always have clear umbrellas with me on a wedding day, just in case. That’s exactly what we did here and I love these photos. 

If the weather is really bad or there’s no outside space, you can still get beautiful couple photos inside. Often, I’ll look for a bit of window light to keep the photos looking as natural as possible.

Here are a few examples of wedding photos taken indoors.

If It’s Too Sunny

If it’s a very bright day with no available shade, I may recommend leaving your photos until later when the sun is lower in the sky and the light is more flattering.

Always trust your wedding photographer’s judgement if they suggest this!

More Wedding Photo Ideas: Creative Portraits in the Dark

Sometimes I’m drawn to a particular scene for its creative potential!

Here’s an example of a couple photo taken at night in front of their venue. I used lighting inside to illuminate the feature windows from the inside, and light the couple outside separately. This took a few minutes to set up, but once I’d done so, the couple were only outside for a few minutes to get the shot. 

Similarly, I set up this shot inside the venue and only had the couple in place for a few minutes to get the photo. If you have lots of fairy lights in your wedding venue, these look lovely in wedding photos.

If you like the idea of trying something more creative when it gets dark on your wedding day I’d love to hear your wedding photo ideas! 

You can get awesome couple photos no matter the weather, time or day of time of year!

Relaxed Couple Photos Are Just the Beginning

Whether you’re aiming for natural or more unconventional, your wedding day portraits will reflect who you are as a couple.

I hope this post has been helpful and answers some of the questions you have about couple photos. Here are some other blog posts you may find helpful!

Wedding Group Photos: The Guide to a Stress-Free Experience

Dogs at Weddings: The Guide to Cute Dog Photos at Your Wedding

The Best Advice for Epic Confetti Photos on Your Wedding Day!

See more awesome wedding couple photos below!

Wedding Photography for Laid-Back Couples

If you love the look and feel of these wedding couple photos, and want to see if I’m available on your wedding date, I’d love for you to get in touch!