How to Pose for Wedding Photos: 6 Top Tips for Amazing Portraits

The idea of posing for photos often fills couples with dread. Let’s be honest, the majority of us don’t spend our lives in front of a professional photographer, let alone having a photo shoot all to ourselves.

Many of us (myself included) feel awkward in front of a camera – we stiffen up, have no idea what to do with our hands, and smile weirdly. As you’ll see from my portfolio and Instagram feed that doesn’t have to be the case, you can look amazing.

Here’s 6 top tips to get those amazing, natural couple portraits from your wedding photographer.

1 - Book a photographer you trust

To get natural, relaxed photos you need to be relaxed. The best way to make sure you’re comfortable while having your photo taken is by working with someone you trust. While it’s important you like your wedding photographer’s style (and price), you must make sure you also like their personality and would be happy spending a lot of your wedding day with them. That’s why I make sure I speak to my couples on a video call or over a coffee during the booking stage, and it’s also why I highly recommend an engagement shoot.

2 – Have an engagement shoot

 Although it might seem a bit contrived, an engagement shoot is a great opportunity to spend some time with your photographer getting used to how they take couple portraits. You also have an opportunity to see which photos work and which ones you’re not so keen on and feed that back to your photographer, which helps you to feel confident on your wedding day.

3 – Don’t pose

Yep, I know, this is an article about how to pose and I’m here saying don’t pose.

Do you want wooden looking perfectly-posed photos or a relaxed, natural, fun reflection of yourself?

My style of wedding photography is all about the relaxed, natural couple portraits, so I tend to avoid formally posing my couples. Posing, for me, creates this idea in the couples’ minds that they need to look perfect and have everything right where it should be, which then makes them start to feel stiff, which reflects in the photos.

Instead, just be yourselves, act natural, laugh at each other, and if you’re a bit camera shy, listen to your photographer’s direction, and check out the next few tips, which will help you to feel comfortable.

4 – Try to do a serious face

Some of the most popular wedding blogs around suggest that you should ‘smile naturally’. Have you ever tried to smile naturally? Most people struggle, they end up with a forced smile that looks awkward.

I suggest a different approach, pull a serious face, try your best not to smile. In the right spot, looking straight past the camera while standing a couple of feet apart holding hands, this is a fun ‘hipster pose’. Usually my couples manage about a second before they break out in a fit of giggles… and at that point they smile naturally! So we get two photos from one ‘pose’.

5 – Look at and hold each other

After holding hands looking straight ahead with your most serious face, I always suggest turning to face each other and getting close.

The best thing you can do when you feel nervous is grab on to your partner and give them a big cuddle. Nestle your heads together, kiss if you’re comfortable, but get close and feel safe. That’s photo number 3, and probably 4, 5 and 6.

Looking at each other, holding hands, and having a cuddle make for amazing emotional, genuine couple photos.

6 – Have fun

Finally, tip 6 is to have fun. Have a glass of bubbly before, take it with you, try to relax and have a fun time. If you’re up for it you’ll be sitting together chilling, lying in the grass and jumping for joy.

Couple portraits should be all about you and capturing the genuine connection between you on your wedding day, so make sure you fill out your couple questionnaire to give me all the clues I need to get an authentic, natural photograph of you and your partner.

If you’re getting married soon and love my natural couples portraits then get in touch to find out more about my availability, packages and prices.