How to Get Natural, Candid Wedding Photos You’ll Love Forever

Hi! I’m Molly, a Virginia wedding photographer who believes your wedding photos should feel real, like home. I specialize in documenting real moments, not just poses, so your gallery feels honest, deeply emotional, and totally you.

If you're anything like most of my couples, you don’t want your wedding to feel like a performance. You want it to feel honest, heartfelt, and a little messy in the best way. You want to actually live your wedding day, not spend it posing for photos.

Truth is, the photos you’ll love most are the ones that happen when you lean into experiencing your day as it comes. Creating space for those kinds of photos takes a little bit of planning (and a little bit of un-planning too). As a Virginia wedding photographer, this starts from the moment I meet with my couples. Everything is intentional, we plan for the photos that matter to you, but we make it feel fun and easy, too!

Here’s how to set yourself up for a day that feels like you, and wedding photos that could only be yours.

Hire a photographer you genuinely love and trust

This might sound obvious, but it’s a game-changer!

If you hire a photographer whose style makes you feel something, you won’t feel like you have to direct or overthink everything. You’ll be free to experience the day fully, knowing it’s being documented with care and heart. That trust creates the safety to just be yourself, and that’s what shows up in the photos. Not only that, but you get to be surprised by a gallery of photos you maybe didn’t even know were happening. That’s what I want for you, to be genuinely excited and surprised when you finally open up that gallery!

Build in buffer time (seriously).

The number one thing that makes candid photos feel tense instead of true is a packed timeline.

When you're running behind or rushing from one photo-op to the next, it's hard to relax into the moment. So build in cushion. Add 15–30 minutes of breathing room between events. Give yourself space to sit, sip your drink, and just feel the day. Those in-between moments are often the ones you’ll treasure most.

Keep your timeline simple and open to real life.

Want more candid photos? Fill your timeline with less.

The more boxes you feel like you have to check, the harder it is to stay present. Ask yourself:
Do I really want that matching robe photo with my bridesmaids? Or would I rather have a slow morning, talking and laughing while getting ready together, letting those photos happen naturally?
Would I feel more excited about a first look, or saving that moment for the aisle and sneaking off together later during cocktail hour?

You don’t have to do what Instagram says. The more your timeline reflects what you care about, the more personal and relaxed your photos will feel.

Let go of the “must-have” Pinterest shot list.

Unless we’re talking about family formals (which we’ll plan in advance!), you don’t need a checklist of every photo you’ve ever seen on Pinterest.

The way you love each other probably wasn’t scripted or planned ahead of time, and your photos shouldn’t be either. Let go of the need to get those trendy shots, and instead you’ll get the real, heartfelt, joy-filled moments that are totally unique to you. The way your best friend squeezes your hand before the ceremony. The tears your dad tries to hide during your vows. The way your new spouse looks at you when they think no one’s watching.

That’s the stuff we’re after.

Go to your cocktail hour!

This is one of the best parts of the day, and one of the most overlooked.

When you skip cocktail hour for extra portraits, you miss some of the most joyful, unfiltered moments of your whole wedding. You just got married. Everyone’s happy. You’re glowing. Let yourself be in that. Grab a drink. Hug your friends. Eat the good cheese. I’ll be there for every unscripted, love-soaked second of it.

(And don’t worry, we’ll build your timeline in a way that still gets you beautiful couple photos and that cocktail hour magic.)

Spend time together.

You don’t have to stay apart until the ceremony just because someone once said that’s how it’s done.

Some of the sweetest, most natural photos happen in the quiet moments before the big ones, when you're getting ready in nearby rooms, sneaking a hand squeeze during a transition, or just standing side-by-side as the night unfolds.

Your wedding is about your connection. Be around each other. Move through the day as a team. You’ll feel more grounded, and your photos will feel intimate.

Feel your feelings.

You don’t have to hold it together all day. You don’t have to be “chill.” You don’t have to be the cool, calm bride, groom or partner who smiles through everything. You’re allowed to cry. To be nervous. To laugh at the wrong moment. To be fully, completely in it.

Candid photos work best when you’re not trying to manage how you come across. You don’t have to perform joy for the camera, just feel what you’re feeling. That’s what makes it real.

Let’s make family photos feel more natural, too.

Nobody loves the idea of family formals, but we can still make them feel good and real and sweet.

We’ll move through them quickly and with intention. I’ll guide everyone clearly and keep the energy light. And when we can sneak in a little personality - a shared joke, a look, a squeeze, we will. These don’t have to feel like yearbook photos. They can still carry heart. They can genuinely add to the day and feel like quality time.

have fun, babe.

Let go! Dance like a goof. Toast a little too hard. You planned a whole wedding, and you made it. I know what a job that can feel like. So be the first ones on the dance floor if you want to be, you deserve it. Steal a cupcake. Kiss in the hallway. Wander outside just because you want to see the stars.

You don’t need to stage a moment to make it memorable.

The photos you love start with a day that feels like you.

If you’re searching for a wedding experience that feels emotionally rich, relaxed, full of genuine connection, then that’s exactly the kind of experience I’d love to give to you!

 

Hi, I’m Molly! I’m a Virginia Wedding Photographer serving couples from coast to coast who value an experience that is authentic to you - honoring your values and the people you hold closest. If my work speaks to you, and you’re planning your own Richmond wedding or somewhere else, don’t hesitate to reach out! I’d love to celebrate your day with you.

xo, M