How To Get Amazing Editorial Couples Photos - Even If You’re Nervous


Feeling camera shy? Here’s how to get relaxed, natural, and effortlessly editorial couples portraits that capture your connection and personality beautifully.



In my joyful job as a wedding photographer, one of the questions I get asked most often is around how your portraits will be structured, especially if you’re nervous or shy in front of the camera. It’s a totally normal concern - being in front of the lens can feel nerve-wracking! But, good news; my goal is to make your couples portraits feel relaxed, natural, and effortlessly editorial - those special moments between the two of you will look gorgeous and feel fun and easy. I’m going to share my favourite tricks for amazing editorial couples photos…


What do I mean by ‘couples portraits’?

Most wedding photographers set aside a specific part of your day to take the two of you off, wander around your venue, and snap gorgeous images of you newlyweds! We call these ‘portraits’ because you are the focus of the shots, as opposed to capturing your guests in action or the details of your dinner tables. The word ‘portrait’ can feel intimidating and conjure up archaic images of queens sitting hours-long for painters, but this part of the day can be really fun, intimate and produce some of your favourite photos from the whole wedding.


A romantic wedding couple poses together in front of a historic brick building with lush greenery.
A romantic black and white photo series showing tender moments between a couple sharing intimate glances and laughter.
Newlywed couple in formal wedding attire sharing a drink together in three candid sequential photos.

Find Your Portraits’ Love Language

One of the first and most important things to do is to lean into your love style - whether that’s silly, romantic, shy, or playful. This really helps me choose prompts that will help you relax at the very start of our session. For couples who are playful and silly, lots of jokes and playful movement (think walking with hip bumps or spontaneous laughter) help create real smiles and capture that joyful energy. For those who are more shy or romantic, I might encourage you to chat about your day so far, creating a calm and intimate atmosphere that allows you to really connect with each other.

Feeling nervous is completely normal, but it’s not a barrier to getting amazing editorial couples portraits - I make it a priority to keep things light and positive, chatting a lot throughout the session and offering lots of encouragement, helping you feel grounded and gorgeous while we capture those special moments. Many couples tell me that I feel like a friend behind the camera, which I think comes partly from the groundwork I do to build a relationship with you before your wedding. Every little thing I pick up in your personalities, about what makes you laugh and the little things that matter to you, help me tailor your portrait time with gentle direction and advice to help you relax..


A sequence of candid wedding photos showing a couple sharing joyful moments near their black luxury vehicle.
Bride and groom walk along the grounds of a Gothic cathedral with ornate stone architecture in the background.

Keeping Things Moving

Another key to editorial-style portraits is movement and variety. We don’t stay in one place or pose for too long, which helps you feel natural instead of overthinking what to do. Before the wedding, we chat about what you’re comfortable with - if lifts or dips aren’t your thing, I won’t ask you to start doing wedding day gymnastics! Instead, we can focus on poses and moments that feel natural for you, while still keeping things dynamic and visually interesting.

Ultimately, editorial portraits are all about storytelling. The best images come when couples feel relaxed, connected, and truly themselves. Whether that’s laughing uncontrollably at a private joke, holding hands in a quiet moment, or sharing a look that says everything without words, these are the portraits that tell your love story in the most beautiful, editorial way.

Browse my Portfolio to see some of the couples’ portraits I’ve captured for my previous pairs.


A series of black and white romantic wedding moments showing couples embracing and sharing intimate moments.
A bride and groom share a romantic moment outdoors during their wedding photo session.

Tips for Vanquishing The Nerves Around Couples Portraits

I’ll tell you a secret - even the most confident couples can feel jittery when it comes to being in the spotlight for their couples portraits, so you’re definitely not alone! These are my tips for ridding yourselves of the nerves and feeling grounded and centered:

  • Focus on each other, not the camera. Just do what you normally do, whether that’s holding hands, telling silly stories, giving piggyback rides or having a quiet moment
  • Keep breathing and keep moving. As I mentioned before, movement is your friend when it comes to couples portraits. Rigidity is the enemy of beautiful, natural looking photos, and if you’ve ever seen a professional model at a photoshoot you’ll know they almost never stay in one pose for more than a few seconds
  • Remember why you’re here - this is your wedding day, a celebration of you, and you’re not trying to impress anyone else. The best photographs come from your genuine connection, not stiff, posed perfection
  • Finally…trust your photographer! I’m an expert at making you feel comfortable, sparking real smiles, and architecting a relaxed atmosphere that really helps you shine

If you’ve been worrying about feeling nervous in front of the camera, particularly during your couples portraits, I hope your mind has been put at least. My aim is to make this part of the day relaxed, playful and memorable, with the end result being images you’ll treasure for the rest of your lives. Get in touch if you’d like to chat about your wedding plans, and have the sparkly Sophie experience at portrait time!