Embracing the Chaos: Why Kids Make the Best Wedding Guests (And How to Photograph Them)
There is an unspoken rule in wedding photography: if you want a perfect, quiet, highly controlled day, don't invite toddlers. But if you want a day filled with unscripted joy, unpredictable comedy, and genuine emotion, kids are the best guests you can have.
Couples often ask me how I handle photographing children, usually followed by, "We’re worried they won’t stand still and smile." My answer is always the same: I don't want them to stand still. As a documentary wedding photographer, my entire approach is built around capturing the day as it actually happens. Here is why abandoning the "say cheese" approach is the secret to getting the best photos of the little ones at your wedding.
"Where's Teddy gone?"
1. The Magic of Being Ignored If you point a camera at a four-year-old and tell them to smile, you will almost certainly get a forced, awkward grimace (or a flat-out refusal). My tactic? I completely ignore them. By blending into the background and letting them play under the tables, run across the lawns at Davyhulme Park, or steal a handful of cake, I capture their actual personalities.
2. Doing Group Shots on Their Terms If we are doing a traditional family group photo with kids, speed is the only metric that matters. I always shoot the groups with children first, before they get bored or hungry. And if they decide they want to pull a funny face or look the wrong way? Let them. Often, a photo where everyone is laughing at a toddler’s antics is far more cherished than a perfectly stiff, formal portrait.
Just taking a few minutes out of the chaos to play with some leaves
3. Give Them a Job (or a Camera) Kids love to feel involved. Giving them a specific task—like handing out confetti or carrying a sign—gives them focus and gives me great action shots. One of the best tricks I’ve seen is giving the older kids cheap disposable cameras. It keeps them entertained, and the photos they take from their knee-high perspective are usually hilarious.
A few compliments given to these little lads helped create this really cool shot
4. Embracing the Meltdowns Weddings are long, loud, and overwhelming for little ones. Tantrums happen. Tears happen. As a storyteller, I don't always put my camera down when a flower girl decides she's had enough and sits down in the middle of the dancefloor. Fast forward ten years, and that photo of a spectacular mid-reception meltdown usually becomes the family’s favorite picture.
Let Kids Be Kids You are throwing a massive celebration, not directing a movie. If the page boy has his shirt untucked by 1 pm, or the flower girl is asleep on two chairs by 8 pm, that is the authentic story of your day.
Chaos loading...
My "no-fuss" promise means I don’t direct, I don’t shout, and I certainly don't force kids to pose. I just let them be kids, and I document the magic that follows.
Hard to belive this was unposed
"Whats colour are your pretty flowers?"
Adds a little drama editied for Black and White