Wedding photos

I also hate having my photograph taken. My son is getting married this year. I wouldn't dream of making a scene about being on the photographs. It is their day, not mine.

I don't like looking at myself at all, especially as I have got older. I avoid my reflection in shop windows, mirrors etc. We have friends who post photos of themselves on social media all the time. They are constantly taking photos when we are out with them. I have told them not to take or post any pictures of me.

There is lots of info online and on YouTube on how to pose etc. to look better on photographs. An earlier poster has mentioned some e.g. don't stand straight on, don't smile to widely as it will scrunch up your eyes. I am going to look at this advice in more detail and apply it.

The "casual" photos at the two weddings I've been to recently seem to focus on anyone who's very animated!
Mainly young people!

Marydoll

I don't like getting my photo taken. However, I would not have dreamt of upsetting my children by not being in their wedding photos.

Sorry to be blunt, but it is their day, not yours. Do you raelly want to spoil the memory by either not being in the photos or even worse, not going at all.
It certainly doesn't bode well for your future relationship with your DIL

I agree with this. I don't photograph well, but being in a group of people won't kill you - and will give your son happy memories of you. So buy an outfit that you feel comfortable in, try to look pleasant (you don't have to grin) and accept being in a few group pictures...!

When I was working, every year we had to have our photo taken, to be displayed at the entrance of the school.
I always found an excuse not to have it taken. Consequently, my displayed photo was years old.
I am not at all photogenic and some of the staff were particularly stunning.

I sympathise with you. Good photos of me are rare. But a wedding should be a happy occasion. If you're wearing nice outfit, a professional photographer can make swans of us all!! hint - as grooms mother you can wear a larger hat to hide under. Which is what I did for our family wedding!

I haven’t read the full thread, but in response to the OP, I think it’s lovely your future DIL wants to ensure you are forever a visible figure on what will be the most important day of her and your son’s lives to date. She doesn’t want you missing from those memories. Maybe take the most important ones and avoid the rest. Compromise is just what we do for our loved ones.

How about a compromise? Say that you will be in the group photo where you can slip through to the back and then you will have to suck it up and be in a photo with the bride and groom and the other set of parents and then you can put your foot down and say no more photos. That will be your promise to them and theirs will be no more photos of you. You won't be able to escape other guests accidentally snapping you but you do need to be in those two formal photos. And as someone else has suggested, practice your photo face and how to stand, look on YouTube for tips.
In my daughter's wedding photos I look like a turquoise brick (shift dress) but everyone complimented me on my dress, there is also a photo from my sister's wedding where I look like Les Dawson with my arm just under one boob lifting it slightly and my mouth in a clamped straight line just like him and Roy Kinnear doing their gossiping neighbours sketch... I loathe that photo but it's out there now.