Spring is officially here and love is in the air. As a New Jersey wedding photographer, this is one of my favorite times of year. Couples are reaching out to book their engagement photos, or finalizing their wedding day details. No matter where you are in your love story, you are definitely in the right place. Today, I’m going to share some of my favorite pose ideas for couples. If you are looking for pose ideas for your wedding day and haven’t booked an engagement photo session yet, I highly recommend you do that first! An engagement photo shoot also gives us a chance to practice and get you comfortable in front of the camera. For more information on planning your engagement photos, click the button below!
If you are worried about looking awkward in photos, you are not alone. That’s why I try to include movement in so many of my prompt ideas – the movement helps get your nervous energy out! As a wedding photographer, I KNOW that you and the love of your life don’t do this every day. I’m used to that, and I’m ready to make it easier for you. If you are ready to book, you can contact me here and we can get to know each other a little better! You can also learn more about my photography packages here.
1) Pull Each Other Close
This is one of my favorites because it looks a little bit different for everyone. One of the first prompts or pose ideas I love is when you both just pull each other close in a way that feels natural to you. Whenever possible, I prefer to avoid stuffy and strict posing as much as you do. This prompt where you both actively pull each other in is perfect for capturing your true and authentic connection that shines through in the photos every time! Pure magic.
2) Hands Over Shoulders Hug
There is something just so romantic about a hands over shoulders hug. For this prompt, I encourage one of you to put one or both arms over the other one’s shoulders and look deeply into each other’s eyes. I always like to combine these with a kiss or rubbing noses or whispering into each other’s ears. You don’t need to just stand there as I take photos. This is one of the more intimate and romantic poses where I encourage you to just enjoy connecting with each other.
3) Walking Toward The Camera
Like I said earlier, I love including movement. One of my favorite poses and prompts is to have you walk toward the camera. You can look at me, look at each other, or look at something in the distance. You can hold hands and walk side by side, or it can be sweet when one of you is a little ahead and looks back at the other. Especially if you are worried about being awkward in front of the camera, movement is the best way to take your mind off of how you are feeling and get you to enjoy the moment. This also leads to better photos!
4) Spins & Turns
Similar to walking toward the camera, spins & turns distract you enough to forget any nerves you might feel. Plus, it’s a chance to have a little fun together! Even if you and your partner have two left feet, almost anyone can pull off a quick spin or turn. And when you can’t? We can capture the genuine laughs! Speaking of dancing, the button below will take you to a post I wrote on more ways to have fun during your photo session!
5) Rubbing Noses
Have you never kissed in front of a camera before? It can be a little awkward the first time. One of the ways I love to ease into it is to have you rub noses. Not only does this make for sweet photos where you are connecting, more often than not it leads to genuine smiles and sometimes even a laugh! When we take your photos, we want to capture real genuine emotion. It’s not just about being madly in love (although those are my favorite shots!), but we also want to capture the smiles, the laughs, and you both enjoying each other’s company.
6) Tucking Hair Behind the Ear
I know I keep saying this but this is definitely another favorite. I love when couples look each other in the eyes, and one of them tucks the others’ hair behind their ear. This can be a really sweet moment – don’t be surprised if you get butterflies. The photos below are all the proof you need.
7) Pop Some Bubbly!
Last but not least – don’t forget to pop some bubbly! Whether you are celebrating your engagement, wedding, vow renewal – this is a time to celebrate! I love to photograph those romantic moments, but never at the expense of you two just having a great time with one another. That’s why I love this so much. If you can swing it, this is one pose definitely worth squeezing in!
Using Pose Ideas & Prompts to Capture Your Real Emotion
As you have seen, I am not the kind of photographer who is going to force you through a shot list or walk you through stuffy poses. These are 7 of my favorite poses, but I have a few more up my sleeve for your session! On top of that, I have a few prompts that bring out that spark in your eye! Here are just a few of my favorites:
- Tell each other your favorite thing about the other person.
- Say what you’re most proud of each other for.
- Tell each other what you’re most looking forward to on your wedding day.
Ready to see these poses in action? Alan from Murphy Studio created a quick posing guide for me to share with all of my couples. If you connect with my style of capturing real and authentic moments, I always love to work with Alan on wedding days. We have created wedding photo and video packages which you can learn more about here. Or, click the button below to learn more about how we work together and why we make sure a great team (in my humble opinion, of course!).
