Your Wedding Photos Should Look Like Your Relationship, Not a Pinterest Board
If I had to describe Alyssa and Trevor’s relationship based solely on their questionnaire, I’d say this: It would make a terrible Hallmark movie. And I mean that as a compliment. 😂
They matched on Tinder, ghosted each other before they ever met, and then somehow ended up at the same questionable bar in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Alyssa wasn’t even there looking for a guy for herself. She was trying to find one for her friend. She pointed Trevor out and said he was cute. Her friend’s response? Basically: He’s more your type than mine. Apparently, she was right. They’ve been together since October 3, 2021. They moved in together after four months, which Alyssa herself followed up with, “Do not recommend, but we survived.”
And when Trevor eventually proposed? No elaborate setup. No photographer hiding in the bushes. No rose petals spelling out MARRY ME. He threw the ring at her while she was sitting on the couch. Romance is alive and well, people. 😂 But here’s the thing: It sounds exactly like them. And after more than 20 years of photographing weddings, I’ve become pretty convinced that’s what your wedding photographs should feel like, too. Not like Pinterest. Not like whatever is trending on TikTok this year. Not like the photographer’s last wedding. Like you.
You can check out their engagement session here.
Alyssa and Trevor’s October wedding at The Rose Cabin in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, was a perfect reminder of why the best wedding photography isn’t about recreating someone else’s beautiful photographs. It’s about creating photographs that couldn’t belong to anyone else. Their day included the traditional pieces, family photos, wedding-party portraits and time for photographs around the property, but it also deliberately left room for the actual wedding to happen. That’s where the good stuff usually lives.
Pinterest Is Inspiration. It Shouldn’t Be a Shot List.
Listen, I love a good Pinterest board. It’s incredibly useful for figuring out what you’re drawn to. Maybe you notice that you love photographs with movement. Maybe you prefer darker, moodier images. Maybe you keep saving photographs where nobody is looking at the camera. That tells me something. What I don’t want to do is spend your wedding day staring at someone else’s wedding on my phone trying to recreate it. Because you aren’t them. Your people aren’t their people. Your venue is different. Your light is different. Your relationships are different. And most importantly, the moments happening in front of me are different.
If I’m concentrating on recreating a photograph someone made at a wedding in California three years ago, I might miss your grandma laughing behind me. I’d rather photograph Grandma. Every single time.
Your Relationship Has Its Own Personality
Some couples are romantic. Some are quiet. Some roast each other relentlessly. Some cannot stand next to each other for twelve seconds without one of them grabbing the other’s butt. I’ve met all of you. 😂 That’s why I don’t believe every couple should be photographed the same way. Alyssa rides horses. Trevor likes basically anything with a motor. She works as a nurse but says she’d probably be a veterinarian or vet tech in another life. He works in law enforcement but would apparently be flying something if he’d chosen another path. Their relationship didn’t begin with some perfectly orchestrated first date. It was Tinder, mutual ghosting, a shady bar, a friend saying he’s more your type, and life doing its thing. That’s personality. And I want the photographs to have it too.
Natural Wedding Photos Still Need a Little Direction
There’s a misconception about documentary or candid wedding photography that I occasionally want to clear up. “Candid” doesn’t mean I show up and hide behind a tree for eight hours. I will absolutely tell you where to stand when you need me to. I’ll fix your dress. I’ll find good light. I’ll organize your giant family. I’ll give you something to do when suddenly you’ve forgotten what human beings normally do with their hands. I’ve been doing this a long time. But once I get you where I need you? I want something real to happen. Maybe I’ll give you movement instead of asking you to freeze. Maybe I’ll intentionally get you laughing. Sometimes I’ll back off completely because what’s happening without my involvement is better than anything I could manufacture. The skill isn’t simply knowing how to pose someone. It’s knowing when not to.
A Good Wedding Timeline Makes Better Candid Photos
This probably sounds backward. If you want natural, spontaneous wedding photographs, why would we need a detailed timeline? Because it’s really hard to be present when everyone is running 45 minutes behind. A good photography timeline isn’t about controlling every minute of your wedding day. It’s about protecting enough time that we don’t have to control every minute. For Alyssa and Trevor, we intentionally built breathing room into the afternoon before their 4:00 ceremony. Afterward, we had dedicated time for family photographs, the wedding party and approximately 45 minutes to wander the property for photographs of just the two of them. Then they got to go be married. That’s important to me. I don’t want you spending your entire wedding day with your photographer. You should actually attend your wedding. Wild concept, I know. 😂
Pick the Photos That Matter to YOU
There are photographs that matter to almost everyone: your parents, grandparents, siblings, wedding party. And then there are photographs that specifically matter to your family. Those are the ones I want to know about. For Alyssa’s family, one request included photographs with her great-grandmother, Jerri, along with different generations of the family. That’s not something I could learn from Pinterest. It’s something I learn by getting to know my couples before their wedding. And someday, those may be among the most valuable photographs from the entire gallery. Not because they’re technically more impressive. Because people matter more with time.
The Photographs You Can’t Put on a Shot List
There are photographs I know I’m going to take before I arrive at a wedding. The dress. The rings. Family. Wedding party. The two of you. But some of my favorite photographs from more than two decades of photographing weddings are images I never could have planned. A parent’s expression. Someone wiping away a tear when they think nobody is watching. Your friends absolutely losing their minds on the dance floor. The way your grandmother looks at you. The split second after the formal photograph when everybody stops “posing” and becomes themselves again. Those images don’t exist on Pinterest yet. Because they haven’t happened yet. And that’s exactly why I’m watching for them.
So, Should You Send Your Photographer a Pinterest Board?
Sure. Send me inspiration. Tell me what you’re drawn to. Tell me you love movement or golden light or dramatic black-and-white photographs. Tell me you’re uncomfortable in front of a camera. Tell me your dad is probably going to cry. Tell me which grandparent means the world to you. And definitely tell me about the weird family situation before we’re lining everyone up. But then? Trust me enough to put the Pinterest board away. Because the goal isn’t to make your wedding look like everyone else’s wedding. It’s to create photographs that, years from now, couldn’t possibly belong to anyone but you.
Planning a Wedding in Western Pennsylvania?
I’m Jen McKen, a wedding photographer based in Blairsville, Pennsylvania, photographing weddings throughout Indiana County, the Laurel Highlands, Altoona/Hollidaysburg and Western Pennsylvania. My approach is a mix of documentary storytelling and intentional portraiture, which is a fancy way of saying I’ll step in and direct you when you need me, and I’ll disappear into the background when you don’t. Because I want the beautiful portraits. But I also want the weird laughs, Grandma’s expressions, your people being your people and all the little things you didn’t even realize were happening.
Real over perfect. Every time.
If that’s how you want your wedding remembered, I’d love to hear what you’re planning. Reach Out Here
Vendor Dream Team
A wedding like this doesn’t magically appear, and Alyssa and Trevor had one heck of a team behind the scenes.
- Wedding Coordination: Occasion Creation by Missy
- Venue + Ceremony: The Rose Cabin, Hollidaysburg, PA
- Tents + Rentals: Windswept
- Florals: Roots in the Cove
- Makeup: True Beauty by Laney
- Hair: Studio Bliss
- Cake + Catering: Amici’s Catering
- Entertainment: Second II None
- Videography: Lakeland Media
- Photography: Jen McKen Photography
FAQs About Getting Natural Wedding Photos
How do we get candid wedding photos if we’re awkward in front of the camera?
You don’t need to know what you’re doing—that’s my job. I’ll give direction when it’s helpful, especially during portraits, but I use movement, interaction and prompts rather than expecting you to magically know how to pose. As you get comfortable, I can give you more space and photograph what naturally unfolds.
Should I give my wedding photographer a shot list?
For family groupings and specific people or traditions that are important to you, absolutely. For every individual photograph throughout the wedding, usually not. Tell me what matters and what you’re drawn to, then give me enough freedom to photograph what’s actually happening.
Should we schedule time for sunset or golden-hour wedding photos?
If that look is important to you, yes. I prefer building a short sunset window into the timeline instead of disappearing with you for a huge chunk of the reception. Even 10–20 minutes in beautiful evening light can give us something completely different from your earlier portraits.
How much time should we allow for bride and groom portraits?
It depends on the wedding, location and whether we’re doing a first look, but I build portrait time into the timeline before the wedding. I also like having a little breathing room instead of scheduling every part of the day back-to-back. That gives us beautiful portraits without making your wedding feel like one giant photo shoot.
