Posing a couple for their big day can be daunting, especially if you’re new to the lens or tackling your first wedding gig. How do you handle a couple who aren’t natural posers? What are the go-to poses? And how about arranging family members for those all-important group shots? These are just a few challenges you’ll encounter as you embark on your wedding photography journey. But fear not! You’re in good company. Tons of new photographers feel exactly how you’re feeling! This was precisely my own experience when I first stepped behind the camera. Over the years, however, I’ve mentored numerous fledgling photographers, equipping them with an arsenal of wedding photography posing tips for first-time photographers. These insights ease the stress of their debut shoots and sharpen their photographic instincts, transforming anxious beginners into confident visual storytellers.

A Philosophy of Posing

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Before we get into the nitty-gritty of all the wedding photography posing tips, let me first explain my philosophy of photography posing. If you’ve never worked with me before or are new, my name is Tess Gearhart. I love capturing moments of raw emotion and visual storytelling. For me, shooting a wedding, a portrait, or a unique moment is more than just taking photos; it’s about documenting precious moments that mean the world to my clients. 

I launched my business in 2018, and I’ve never glanced back. I was in college, on a steadfast path to becoming a teacher, when it struck me—I simply didn’t love it. The rigid structure lacked the freedom I desperately sought for happiness. So, I dove headfirst into entrepreneurship, transforming a passion that had ignited my spirit since I was 13 into a flourishing career. It was, unequivocally, the best decision I’ve ever made.

Over the last six years, I’ve shot hundreds of documentary-style weddings, couples photo shoots, engagements, and elopements. I’ve also shot weddings in the rain and at destinations. You name it, I’ve done it. 

Each of these experiences, and countless others, has taught me that the most important thing when posing couples for wedding photography is to embrace expression. 

What I mean by that is that as a wedding photographer, your job isn’t to provide photos but to capture moments. Therefore, the first rule of wedding photography posing is to embrace storytelling.

This philosophy leads me to my next point: the role of the photographer.

The Role of the Photographer in Wedding Posing

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As I mentioned, your role as a wedding photographer is to capture moments. This profound responsibility cultivates a strong rapport with your clients long before the camera shutter clicks. Establishing this connection ensures that each photo captures the genuine essence of their special day.

When you pair this understanding with your creative vision, posing becomes a natural, seamless part of the day, allowing you to capture their wedding journey’s authentic beauty and emotion.

Wedding Photography Posing for Documentary-Style Candid Photos

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Okay, let’s start with my favorite style of wedding photography, documentary-style photography, to get your wedding photography posing tips started right. 

Documentary-style photography has existed since the camera’s inception. Much documentary-style wedding photography is influenced by photojournalism. 

A few core concepts from photojournalism that have influenced documentary-style wedding photography include:

Snap a Lot: It’s a well-known principle: Photography often requires hundreds of shots to capture just a few exceptional ones. Persistence is key to achieving remarkable results.

Think Creatively: It’s tempting for photographers to stick to what’s familiar in journalism or weddings. Yet, relying too much on clichés can undermine the impact of your work. True excellence lies in thinking creatively in every moment. Developing this skill takes time, but it significantly enhances the quality of your photographs.

Be Confident: Photojournalists need confidence to capture powerful images up close. Balancing this confidence with the need to blend into the event can be challenging for wedding photographers. It’s crucial to distinguish between blending in and lacking confidence. As your photography skills grow, so will your confidence—embrace it!

Identify Your Subjects: Whether you’re a photojournalist or capturing a wedding, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by your surroundings. Remember, not every moment demands your attention. Focus on the compelling stories around you and capture those that resonate most.

But let’s take this concept further when posing for photography. A few tips to help you improve wedding photography posing, especially for candid, documentary-style moments, include: 

Encourage Interaction: Instead of stiff poses, encourage the couple to interact naturally with each other. This interaction could be through gentle prompts like whispering something funny or romantic to each other.

Movement and Flow: Incorporate movement into poses to make them feel more dynamic and less static. Walking together, holding hands, or dancing can evoke natural expressions.

Focus on Emotions: The couple should think about their emotions toward each other rather than focusing solely on the camera. This helps capture genuine smiles and expressions. I can’t suggest this enough to capture raw and real moments. 

Use the Environment: Creatively utilize the wedding venue or location. Whether sitting on a bench, leaning against a tree, or walking along a path, using the surroundings can make poses feel more natural.

Encourage Authenticity: Emphasize that it’s okay for the couple to be themselves. Natural poses often arise when couples feel comfortable and express their true personalities. 

Minimal Direction: This one’s a bit tricky and can sound counterintuitive. However, providing minimal direction allows the couple to interpret the pose in their way, allowing them to showcase their unique connection.

Review and Adjust: Review the images with the couple to see what they like and adjust accordingly. This collaboration ensures that the poses authentically reflect their personalities and relationships.

Wedding Photography Posing Tips for Groups

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I know what you’re thinking. Posing couples is the easy part. The stress of a wedding photo shoot is when you’ve got to capture everyone, from the bride’s second cousin who doesn’t want to be photographed to the groom’s mother who wants a completely different style from the bride and the groom. 

I totally get it. Wedding photography stress can be difficult. 

Posing families, especially big families, can feel especially difficult. 

Yet, despite the task’s intimidating nature, with just a handful of straightforward guidelines, you can master the art of perfectly posing a family.

Let’s start with the most accessible guideline: composition. 

Wedding Photography Posing Tip: Consider Composition

Whether you need to arrange the bride’s family, the groom’s family, or everything in between, a visually pleasing composition is essential. 

Photography composition refers to how elements within a photograph are arranged and organized. It’s a fundamental aspect of creating visually compelling and impactful images. These fundamental aspects include:

Rule of Thirds: One of the most basic principles is dividing the frame into a grid of nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing key elements along these lines or at their intersections often creates more balanced and visually appealing compositions.

Balance: Achieving visual balance by distributing elements evenly throughout the frame. This consideration can be symmetrical (where elements are evenly placed on both sides of the frame) or asymmetrical. 

Depth: By including foreground, middle ground, and background elements, you can create a sense of depth within a two-dimensional photograph. This concept helps add context and dimension to the image.

Wedding Photography Posing Tip: Encourage Natural Interaction

I know it’s difficult, but interactions naturally interpret a photograph. How often have you felt stiff in your smile only to find that the photo you just snapped of yourself doesn’t appeal to the look you were looking for? The camera never lies, which is exactly why you want to encourage the most natural interactions when posing families for a wedding. 

A few posing tips for natural interactions include:

Encourage Authenticity: Prompt family members to interact naturally with each other. This could include simple actions like hugging, holding hands, or sharing a laugh. Genuine interactions often result in authentic expressions.

Use Prompts, Not Commands: Instead of giving rigid commands for poses, use prompts that encourage natural movements and expressions. For example, ask family members to walk towards the camera, whisper something funny to each other, or share a story. As a photographer, now is the time for your personality to shine through. 

Focus on Relationships: Capture the relationships between family members by positioning them in ways that reflect their connections. For instance, parents with their children, siblings interacting playfully, or grandparents surrounded by their grandchildren.

Wedding Photography Posing Tip: Use a Variety of Poses

As I discussed earlier about the importance of composition in photography, choosing a variety of poses and posing elements is crucial to capturing all of the moments during a wedding so that photos don’t feel stagnant. 

But how do you adjust poses so they don’t all look the same?

Start with a Base Pose: Begin with a basic pose as a foundation. This could be a standing pose with relaxed shoulders and a natural posture. Once family members or couples get the feel of the look, start making minor adjustments. 

Hands and Arms: Guide family members on where to place their hands and how to position their arms naturally. Avoid rigid arm positions and encourage gentle touches or linking of arms.

Posing Flow: Plan a flow of poses that feels natural and allows for smooth transitions between different groupings (e.g., entire family, immediate family, individual families).

Patience and Flexibility: Be patient and flexible throughout the process. Some family members may feel more comfortable or expressive than others, so adjust poses and interactions accordingly to capture authentic moments.

Wedding Photography Posing Tip: Be the Trusted Advisor

Let’s be honest. Photography is less about the actual shooting and more about allowing your personality to come through to inspire your clients. 

I would argue that a good portion of your job is to be your clients’ trusted confidant, allowing them to feel engaged, relaxed, and at ease. 

So how exactly do you do that?

Build Rapport: Building rapport is one of the easiest ways to inspire great photography. As you go through the consultation, sales, and photography process with your clients, getting to know them early can dramatically affect the success of your later photoshoot. Get to know your clients early, and be personable with them often!

Explain the Process: One way I put clients at ease is to talk them through what to expect during the photography session. Explain how you will guide them through poses, suggest locations or props, and address any concerns they may have. It’s always so much easier for someone to feel comfortable when they know what is going to happen and when. 

Be Patient and Flexible: Clients may feel nervous or self-conscious initially. Be patient, offer encouragement, and be flexible with timing or adjustments to ensure they feel comfortable throughout the session!

Show Positivity and Confidence: No one likes a drill sergeant or unsolicited criticism. Maintain a positive attitude and confident demeanor throughout the session. Your enthusiasm and assurance can reassure clients and help them relax.

Wedding Photography Posing Tip: Be Yourself

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Here’s the secret sauce of perfectly brilliant wedding photography posing, no one knows if you mess up. 

If you have your couple pose differently and it doesn’t come off how you like it, no one will have any clue other than you!

As you continue to shoot weddings, engagements, or couples sessions you will get a better feel for what does or doesn’t work. Better yet, as you get really good, you will better know when to utilize what works and when not. Once your photo shoots start feeling like the latter, then you will truly know you are getting great at when you do.

Until then, I would love to help you out. I have an immense passion for photography, but I have an even greater passion for paying it forward to my fellow artists. 

One way I do that is by teaching my photography clients to feel confident on every shoot with the Intuitive Posing Course. 

With this course, you’ll transition from relying on external sources of inspiration to discovering it organically within the interactions and the environment, transforming each session into a vibrant canvas of creativity.

This course enables you to harness your instincts, welcome spontaneity, and push the limits of your artistic expression.

To enroll in the course, click here!