Every Philadelphia couple I work with says some version of the same thing before their wedding day: I just want to feel like myself. Not stiff, not overly posed, not like a styled shoot masquerading as a wedding. It’s a day you want to live in. To let loose, be yourself, and enjoy the moments that you’ll never be able to recreate. That’s why the candid wedding photos I bake into every gallery are so beloved by each of my couples.
Candid wedding photos don’t happen by accident, but luckily, they don’t require much from you either. A little prep, a few mindset shifts, and the right photographer in your corner go a long way. Here are five tips I share with every couple before we do this thing together.
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Let The Day Breathe
A great timeline is the foundation of a candid-friendly wedding day. When you’re not being rushed from the cake cutting to the bouquet toss with no room to exhale, the real moments have space to happen.
This is where a good wedding planner earns every penny. You and your guests can actually be present with each other, because someone who’s walked through hundreds of wedding days is handling everything behind the scenes. Those unhurried in-between moments — a quiet laugh with your dad before the ceremony, a spontaneous dance with your best friend at cocktail hour — are exactly what I’m there to catch.
When you let the day breathe, candid wedding photos naturally follow.
In that vein, I’ll echo astronaut Jim Lovell’s recent message to the Artemis II crew: “It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.”
Read More: 5 Super Important Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner
Don’t Leave Each Other’s Sides
You might be tempted to “divide and conquer” when it comes to making the rounds at your reception and greeting and mingling with guests. But if you’re hoping for the kind of candid wedding photos couples actually cry over, I’d strongly recommend staying within arm’s reach of each other all night. The stolen glances and cute romantic photos on the dance floor can only happen when you’re within arm’s length of each other!
Check out some recent examples of non traditional wedding photos captured at the Lake House Inn and tips on how to bake them into your day.
Put The Forks Down During Speeches
Your best man is mid-speech, his voice just cracked, half the room is desperately reaching for a napkin, and you’re… working through a plate of mashed potatoes. I’ll always put the camera down when couples are eating (nobody wants a gallery full of that), which means I miss your real, unguarded reaction to the most heartfelt moments of the night.
You might be wondering, “What other time are we supposed to eat?” 😅, to which I say, see item #1 on this list. A great wedding planner will see to it that you do not go hungry on your wedding day. Most will ensure that you get your own uninterrupted time to enjoy the catering you’ve been looking forward to since the tasting!
Philly Mag named a couple of my favorite planners in their recent writeup on 23 Philly wedding planners to help you dream up your big day.
Get The Sillies Out During Portraits
Portraits can feel a little out-of-body at first. Between stiff stilettos, formalwear, anticipation running high, and a camera pointed at your face, the awkward energy is running high. But it’s completely normal and honestly works in your favor! If you feel a giggle bubbling up, let it happen. If something is funny, say it out loud.
Some of my favorite candid wedding photos happen during those unplanned moments when couples stop trying to look good and just start being themselves. The formal shots will be beautiful. The real ones are the ones you come back to.
Zoe Larkin gives a good breakdown of what candid photography is and what it means to “be candid” in her post here.
Forget About The Camera
This is the one. Before your wedding day, pass along a simple ask to your wedding party and immediate family: unless Lindsey asks you to smile directly at her, act like she isn’t there.
Nothing ruins a good candid like someone cheesing back at me when they feel the camera pointed their way!
It’s a reflex, not a flaw — but it’s also the number one thing that pulls a photo out of documentary territory and back into portrait territory. The more your people can relax into the day, the more your gallery will look like the day actually felt.
Booking a Candid Wedding Photographer in Philadelphia
The thread running through all five of these? Trust. Trust your timeline, trust your photographer, trust that the moments worth keeping will happen — and that they’ll land in your gallery. That’s what I’m there for.
Want to see how this plays out in real galleries? Browse recent wedding work here and get a feel for what a relaxed, candid-forward wedding day actually looks like.
Lindsey Ford is a Pennsylvania and Delaware wedding photographer capturing engagement photos and weddings all over the East Coast, including Wilmington, DE, and is ready to document your special moments artfully. If you’re ready to book your Philadelphia wedding photography, inquire here!
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