No. On a ten-hour wedding day I direct you for well under an hour. The rest of the time, I'm watching.
In short
- Ceremony, speeches, dinner, party: no direction at all.
- Getting ready: a few small suggestions, mostly about light.
- Couple session: 20 to 40 minutes of gentle guidance, usually at golden hour.
- You don't need to know how to pose. That's my job.
Do we have to pose for editorial wedding photography?
Almost every couple who writes to me asks whether they'll have to pose for editorial wedding photography, usually right after saying they like the editorial look. The worry makes sense. "Editorial" makes people think of fashion shoots, a stylist and someone calling out instructions. A wedding day doesn't work like that, and neither do I.
For me, editorial describes how a picture is composed: a clean background, the architecture of the venue, light chosen on purpose. It says nothing about how much you pose. Most of the images in an editorial gallery show things that happened on their own. My part was being in the right place when they did.
How the day actually splits
Getting ready: a little guidance
In the morning I might move a chair closer to the window, or ask you to put the dress on where the light is softer. That's about it. Your friends, your mother fixing the veil, the groom fighting with his cufflinks: I let all of that play out.
Ceremony, aperitivo and dinner: none
From the moment you walk down the aisle I stop giving instructions. I won't ask you to repeat the kiss or stop on the way out. If the planning is done right, I'm already standing where I need to be.
Couple session: twenty to forty minutes
This is the one part of the day where I actively guide you. We usually do it in the last hour of light, away from your guests. I give you something to do instead of a pose to hold: walk to the end of the terrace, tell each other something, fix his collar. When you're busy with each other, you stop thinking about the camera.
I don't ask you to hold a pose. I give you something to do.
What gentle direction sounds like
These are the kind of things I actually say during a couple session:
- "Walk slowly towards the railing. Don't look at me."
- "Turn your shoulders a little towards the sea."
- "Stay there, the light is good. Just talk."
- "Take her hand and go back to where you were."
None of this needs practice. Most couples tell me afterwards they didn't notice when the portraits had started.
If you're camera-shy
Shy couples often end up with the most intimate portraits, because they look at each other instead of at me. If you're really anxious, having me at your welcome dinner the evening before helps: you get used to how I work, and on the day we're no longer strangers.
There's more on this in how to feel comfortable in front of the camera.
What we plan together
One to two weeks before the wedding we build the timeline together, with your planner if you have one. That's where we decide when the couple session happens and how long it lasts, so it never eats into your time with your guests.
Tell me about your day
Send me your date and venue, and a few words about what you're imagining. I reply personally within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to pose for every photo?
No. Guidance is limited to part of the getting ready and the couple session. Everything else is photographed as it happens.
How long does the couple session take?
Usually 20 to 40 minutes, planned around the best light of the day.
Will our guests be left waiting?
No. We schedule portraits during the aperitivo, when guests are busy with food and drinks.
What if we don't know how to pose?
You don't need to. I tell you what to do, one small thing at a time.
Can we skip the couple session?
Yes. Some couples prefer a fully documentary day, and we plan around that.
