Here’s How the Royal Photographer Got all the Kids to Smile in Photos

Getting a blissful bride and groom to smile on their wedding day is a breeze. Now, getting all the little ones to sit still and smile for the camera is a whole different animal, even for the best professional photographers. All parents know what a struggle that is. While quirky expressions can be fun, sometimes you just want a wide-eyed grin.

Following the royal wedding, we have some professional, proven insights. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding photographer Alexi Lubomirski shared his fool-proof photography trick. So, how did he get all those adorable pint-size royals to smile? Candy.

Sweet Smile

That’s right, the secret to smiles, royal or not, is as simple as a few sweet treats.

“[The children] were being bribed with one Smartie here, one Smartie there,” Lubomirski told Reuters. “So as soon as the kids came on to the set, I immediately just shouted out, ‘Who likes Smarties?’ and then everybody, hands up, smiles; even some adults put their hands up, so that was our magic word of the day.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjCr8SuF5ls/?hl=en&taken-by=alexilubomirski

In the U.K., Smarties are a hard-shelled chocolate candy similar to M&Ms. You probably already have them in your pantry, so you’re all set for a room full of smiles. Lubomirski was tight on time, so he had to go with a tried-and-true tactic to get all the family portraits.

Family Fun

That’s not all. Lubomirski shared that the excitement and genuine joy of the big day also helped. Like any wedding, the cheery gathering of family and friends meant natural smiles all around.

“The atmosphere in the room was obviously very joyful; there were a lot of smiles,” he told Reuters. “Some parents were trying to wrangle their children, other uncles and aunts were talking to their nephews and nieces. It was a family, that was essentially what it is.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjCr0EJF13e/?hl=en&taken-by=alexilubomirski

There you have it. For your next family photographs, remember the magic word isn’t cheese, just say candy and have a big bag of M&Ms on hand!