Easy Wedding Poses You Need to Know
photo by D-Keine via iStock
Wedding season has come back with a vengeance. Most wedding photographers that I know are completely booked through 2021 and 2022.
I’ve even seen a lot of Instagram posts recommending that couples getting married in 2023 get their venues, photographers, and caterers picked out now to get ahead of the rush.
So, if you’ve ever thought about getting into wedding photography, there has never been a better time.
But, if you’ve never shot a wedding before, then you’ll need some help, both with some basic wedding photography tips, but also with wedding photography poses.
In this wedding photography posing guide, I’m going to give you a few easy wedding poses to get you started. To get more details on these and other wedding posing tips, check out the video above by John Branch IV Photography.
Chest-to-Chest
photo by Delmaine Donson via iStock
One of my favorite easy wedding poses is chest-to-chest. This is exactly what it sounds like. You have the couple stand with their chests as close together as possible.
This is a good pose because it feels really natural for your couple, which means that you will get the most honest expressions from them during it.
If you’re shooting with a straight couple, then it’s a good idea to have the bride on your right hand side. This is because her hands will naturally gravitate to his arms or chest and if she is located on your right side, then you’ll be able to get a good shot that includes her wedding band.
photo by LumiNola via iStock
In this position, the groom will likely have his arms wrapped around his bride’s waist. If you have an especially shy groom, you can ask him to whisper something ridiculous into her ear so that you can get a shot without his face, while simultaneously getting a great shot of the bride laughing.
If the bride is a lot shorter than the groom, it may be easier for you to have her rest her head against his chest.
Bear Hug
photo by Pollyana Ventura via iStock
Another one of my favorite easy wedding poses is the Bear Hug. This is where one person, or the taller individual in the couple, is behind the other, or the shorter individual in the couple, giving them a hug.
With the Bear Hug, you do need to make sure that it doesn’t look too much like a bad prom photo. So, ensure that your couple is comfortable while doing this pose.
photo by MEDITERRANEAN via iStock
If it helps, you don’t have to position them directly in front of the camera. For instance, you can have them facing to the right or to the left of the camera so that they aren’t focusing too much on its presence.
You can have one person hold the other by their arm, waist, or shoulders, but if it’s a straight couple, don’t have the groom hold the bride around her stomach because it will look like she is pregnant. You can also have the couple sit down rather than stand.
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Walking Towards the Camera
photo by Pollyana Ventura via iStock
Once you’ve gotten the more traditional poses down, you’ll need some easy wedding poses that will help your photography to look more modern.
One way to do this is to simply add movement into your photos.
One of the most popular poses for this is when you have your couple hold hands and walk towards the camera. It’s important that they are not looking at the camera for this pose. So, you can direct them to simply hold hands and talk to each other as if you weren’t there.
Out of all these easy wedding poses, I like this one the best because it helps teach the couple how to interact with the camera by basically forgetting it’s there.
You’ll need to use continuous autofocus with this pose so that your subjects are always in focus. Also, make sure that you take as many photos as you can, since you never know when the most natural interaction will occur, which will make for the best shot.
Hipster Pose
photo by merteren via iStock
I don’t recommend this pose for every couple, which is probably why it’s called the “hipster pose.” In the hipster pose, you’ll have both members of the couple stand a few feet apart from one another and they’ll both be staring at the camera.
The hipster pose is a great pose for a couple who is getting married in a particularly beautiful place because it will show off their background more than any more traditional poses will.
The hipster pose is also a great pose for a couple who is a little quirky. While it does work for a more traditional couple, I like it for couples who may choose some non-traditional outfits, like a woman in a tux or a mini skirt or a man in a brightly colored suit.
Let us know if any of these easy wedding poses helped you on your first wedding shoot.
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