7 Wedding Photo Poses for Natural, Relaxed Portraits

Wedding Photo Poses That Help You Feel Comfortable

Feeling nervous about wedding photo poses? You do not need modeling experience. This guide shows seven ways to approach your portraits, from simple standing and walking poses to intimate moments, fine art portraits, and laughter.

We start with comfortable positions and build from there. I will guide your posture and movement, then give you room to connect with each other. Most wedding photography poses are variations of a few basics, so you do not need to memorize a long shot list.

Choose a few favorites to discuss with your photographer, and leave time for wedding party portraits and candid shots between the planned photos. The goal is to capture your reactions and connection, not make every moment feel rehearsed.

Prom Poses

As you can see from the photo examples, these are the most natural wedding poses to start with.

These are poses that you are familiar with and are great ice breakers.

Most of the time, I ask the couple to stand close together in a comfortable way and look at the camera.

All I’m trying to do is get them to relax and get them accustomed to interacting with me and with the camera.

Walking Poses

These are pretty simple.

I have a few variations, but it’s mostly just the couple walking towards or away from the camera.

I usually ask the couple to look at each other or at the camera. Here I’m hoping for a big laugh or gentle motion of the bride’s hair.

It’s also an excellent way for the groom to appear very masculine and strut his stuff!

Face To Face Poses

These are most assuredly my preferred wedding poses.

That’s when I capture the most romantic and genuine moments between the couple on their wedding day.

We normally work up to these because I want the couple to be extremely comfortable in front of the camera.

Here they have to drop their guard and insecurities and melt in front of the camera and let me be a fly on the wall.

I often give them cues like: hold each other and breathe deeply, think about the first time you kissed, think about the first time you met.

I am trying to have them show all the intimacy they can.

Their love needs to be self-evident, their closeness apparent, and their connection undeniable.

I take most of my photos in this pose. Because the couple is looking into each other’s eyes, they drop their guard and show me their real selves.

It’s awe-inspiring every time I see how connected these two people really are.

Kissing Poses

I don’t do these with every couple.

Believe it or not, we all look kind of funny on camera when we kiss.

Typically what I am trying to accomplish here is the moment right before the kiss, or right after the kiss.

At these moments, our facial muscles are relaxed, and we are not tensing up our lips to lean in.

These are incredibly intimate moments that yield tremendous results.

Super sexy and definitely one of my favorite wedding poses!

Romantico Poses

I named these poses the “romantico” because they harken to an era where things were more formal.

I honestly seldom do these. These wedding poses can come off as very cheesy if they are not done correctly.

However, when done in a controlled environment like in a styled shoot, they can be extremely effective and romantic.

The “romantico” wedding poses slow down the process of Wedding Photography and allows the newlywed couples to get lost in each other’s company.

They can have a solid Fine-Art feel to them.

But it’s hit or miss. Sometimes it’s incredible, and occasionally we can’t use them.

Fine Art Poses

The hardest of all wedding poses.

These are really reserved for couples who are incredibly comfortable in front of the camera.

They tend to have a more subdued demeanor and quiet confidence, like a runway model.

These poses often include doing what I call “the rich face,” or the “I’m hungry face.”

We use very subtle movements and gentle hands. We are “live sculpting” as I call it.

This pretty much sums up the work of any professional model.

Don’t be fooled, though. It may seem funny, but these are the hardest poses, and I only do it with some selected couples.

Laughing Poses

These are the most comfortable wedding poses.

I like to keep it pretty light during the session because of my personality, and I can get anyone laughing very quickly.

Often, I get brides and grooms joking with each other and making each other laugh.

This makes it a breeze to photograph.

If a couple is timid, I might ask one of them to whisper something sexy in the other person’s ear.

That gets a big reaction right away!

Thanks for reading Wedding Poses blog post!

Go to my brand new Wedding Planning page for honest, non-conventional practicable wedding planning advice and the complete list of all my most trusted vendors in Savannah and other cities in the South. 

Check out some of my wedding photos at The Market At Grelen Wedding | Virginia Wedding Photos, Delta Plantation Wedding Photos, Belmond Maroma Cancun Wedding among others. 

And some engagement photos as well like Wormsloe Engagement Photos and Savannah Engagement Photo Session | Forsyth Park to name a couple.

Also, go to our General Wedding FAQ and our Engagement Session FAQ posts for information about how to prepare for your photo sessions.

We have other posts that can help you with your wedding preparations in our Journal Page. 

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Get in touch to discuss your wedding date, plans, and any questions about feeling comfortable in front of the camera.