What do I do With My Hands: A Guide to Candid Wedding Photos!

Imagine laying eyes on the love of your life as you prepare to finally say “I do.” You’ve spent years waiting, falling more and more in love, and it’s all brought you to this special moment.

Between this divine wedding venue, the stunning decor, and a perfect day spent with your soul mate, you should be enjoying your wedding day in all its beauty. But as you pose and prep for the wedding photos, there’s only one thing on your mind:

“What do I do with my hands?!?“

As professional wedding photographers, we love making sure that our couples have an authentic experience. With candid wedding photos, we strive to ensure that you never have to ask this question yourself.

What are candid wedding photos?

In essence, candid wedding photography is the art of capturing real moments on your special day. Rather than relying on stiff, staged poses, candid wedding photographers lean into the natural connections between you and your loved ones.

Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so you shouldn’t have to waste time wondering if you look the part. This day is all about YOUR love story, and you deserve a record that celebrates your real, authentic selves.

How to get candid wedding photos

1. Discover your vision

Your wedding day should reflect the unique love story that you and your partner share. If you’re a couple that values honesty and meaningful experiences, it’s important to work out your vision beforehand.

Creating a mood board or wedding Pinterest can help you to find a theme that fits your personal style. When your vision and story are well-represented, it’s easier to capture candid images that look and feel like you.

2. Choose the perfect location

To get the best candid photos, it’s a good idea to choose a location that makes you feel comfortable. At your dream wedding venue, you two are more likely to experience genuine emotions of joy and excitement.

From the wedding ceremony to the grand exit, the right location can completely transform your special day. For this reason, we highly suggest finding a venue that will make for some truly unforgettable moments.

3. Find the right photographer

Finally, your wedding photographer should have plenty of experience capturing candid, intimate moments. Instead of spending the day posing and prodding you, they can help you to find positions that look and feel natural.

As candid wedding photographers, we prefer to take a documentarian approach to the wedding day. This means that you can actually enjoy spending time with your loved ones, while we capture all of those genuine moments!

Finding a candid wedding photographer

Check out their portfolio

While this may seem like a common skill, you’ll notice that not all photographers prioritize capturing real, candid moments. If you’re searching for a candid wedding photography team, we highly recommend reviewing their work beforehand to ensure that it fits your style.

Read the reviews

Next to speaking with the photographer directly, the best thing you can do is check out what their former clients are saying. This can give you great insight into their reputation, client experience, and process for taking natural photos.

Meet with them

The most important step in this journey is communicating with the photographer yourself. When it comes to celebrating candid moments, it’s all about creating an environment of comfort and trust; this can only happen when you’ve found a photographer that you can truly connect with and rely on to honor your story.

Why is candid photography better than posed?

As a bride-to-be with a clear vision for your wedding, candid photos are the perfect way to ensure that vision is valued on the big day. This highly-personalized photography style lets you shine as your authentic self, celebrating the things that make you and your partner original.

From the wedding party photos to the dance floor shots, some moments should be remembered in all their glory. When you’re really having fun, there’s no time for traditional poses or boring, basic movements.

You deserve a wedding photography experience that allows you to be present in the moment on your special day. Candid wedding photos are the best way to capture genuine moments while enjoying your celebration.

In conclusion

When you’re soaking up the beauty of your wedding day, perfect posing should be the last thing on your mind. Rather than wondering what to do with your hands, you’ll be interacting with your loved ones in the most natural way possible.

More than just another photography style, candid shots are built on a solid relationship of trust and respect. Candid wedding photographers make it their mission to honor true emotions, natural expressions, and real, beautiful moments.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the experience and images that you want to hold onto forever. If you want a wedding album that’s uniquely you, candid wedding photography is the only way to go.