Looking comfortable in photos is all about feeling comfortable. And you can only feel comfortable if you are actually enjoying yourself. This is never more true than with wedding photography!
When you are thinking about putting together the photography part of your day, I always make sure to talk through a photo list with couples before their wedding. Even the most intimate gathering will have family groupings or high school friends that deserve to be documented as part of your celebration. Those photos with grandma only becomes more important as years go on.
But as you plan your wedding, don’t get too caught up in the specific lists. There are a ton of articles and lists focused on “wedding photos you want” or “must have wedding photos”, and those can be useful, but they only tell part of the story.
Planning for comfortable wedding photos and all the other photos you don’t know you want
What the lists can’t tell you is how to plan for the photos you don’t know you want yet – the moments you don’t know are going to happen. And while I take family groupings very seriously, I also spend most of my day documenting the hilarious and sweet and gentle ways that your guests interact with you, that you interact with each other, and how you interact with your spaces.
Jackie and Michael’s James J Hill Library wedding was full of those moments – full of emotion during the ceremony, and joy at being together, and laughter during the reception, followed by some seriously exuberant dancing. The two of them were so comfortable, it was a pleasure to document their celebration.
I don’t know how many of those moments can be planned for, but I’m thrilled that Jackie and Michael had me along for the ride.
If you want to see more about my love for weddings at the JJ Hill Library, you can read my top recommendations.
Ceremony: Church of St Patrick
Reception: JJ Hill Reference Library
A quiet, comfortable moment during Jackie and Michael’s wedding day in St Paul 
Michael finishes writing his vows in the church before the ceremony. 
Seeing your spouse for the first time from the altar can be a big deal – Michael looks so comfortable waiting for Jackie. 
Jackie and Michael wanted to use the space around their reception for some portraits of the two of them – this is a favorite from the library. 
A quiet moment in the stairwell of the library 
Nothing says “this is going great” quite like a thumbs up from the groom. 
Getting comfortable reactions from parents during the reception is always a major goal. 
A little moment in the stacks of the library – comfortable wedding photography 
Jackie and Michael shared many little moments of connection, even during their wedding ceremony 
Under a favorite bridge in St Paul with these two! 
First dance, its a big deal. Comfortable wedding photography in St Paul. 
