If the plans for your wedding day are in full flow, then one of the matters you will have addressed is that of arranging your wedding photographer, and more specifically agreeing with them on the overall style of how you want your wedding album to look. You may also have agreed on certain poses you want to be included, but if you have not reached that point, then there are lots of ideas for poses that you can consider.
However, it may well be that you are not the one getting married and instead you have been invited to a wedding. Most people will merely consider what they are going to wear on the day, and hope it looks ok. But you can take ‘looking good’ a stage further and ensure that if you are in any of the wedding photos, the pose you strike has you looking at your very best.
Know Your Best Side
Everyone has a good side, and knowing which yours is, will enable you to pose with that side of your face slightly more towards the camera than the other. To determine which is your best side you might want to take some selfies or get a friend to photograph you from each side and then assess it.
Make Your Smile Look Natural
Some of us can smile naturally at will in photographs, while others of us always look and feel as if we have to force it. If you fall into the former category, great, but if you are in the latter, here is something you can try. Instead of smiling ‘at the camera,’ imagine your loved ones or your pet, or simply something you found funny recently and as you focus on that thought the smile generated will look and feel more natural.
Chin Up
It is not just those who are carrying too many pounds that have double chins. Even those you might regard as skinny have them in photographs if they hold their head forward enough. To eradicate any chance of you appearing in wedding photographs with a double chin, move your head up ever so slightly and above center as you pose.
Another well-known tip to avoid the appearance of a double chin is to place your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Admittedly, you might want to practice this one prior to posing as it is not the most natural of things to do, but it does work.
Just Relax
Often people seem to tense up when they are having their photograph taken for whatever reason. One is they fear that if they move ever so slightly, they’ll be blurred. Most cameras capture an image in a microsecond, so any movement is not normally going to be a problem.
Another is that they look intensely at the camera to avoid blinking just in case they are photographed with their eyes closed. Bear in mind the photographer at a wedding knows to look for these issues, and they can very quickly take a second shot almost immediately.
Use Props
This doesn’t mean grabbing random items and holding them, but there are several scenarios where holding what you might find around you, can make the photograph look more natural. It can be something as simple as holding a glass of wine, or a piece of the wedding cake, once it has been cut.
With more formal photographs for the bride and groom, having images next to statues in the grounds, either side of large trees, or even in a rowboat if you are being married near a lake, can add enormously to those photographs.
Don’t Forget the Fun and Unusual Poses
No doubt your wedding photographer will have gone through all the poses that normally get photographed at a wedding, with you, like cutting the cake, the first kiss, and the first dance. These are all great and should be included, but it also adds greatly to a wedding album to have some that that are a bit more unusual, fun, and in some cases very romantic. Some which are especially popular include:
- Getting an empty picture frame, especially an ornate one, and you both posing inside it
- Holding up chalkboards with handwritten messages which are either really romantic or very humorous
- If it rains, a shot of the groom holding his jacket above both heads and the couple kissing underneath
- The couple lie in opposite directions on the grass, with their heads next to each other, and their eyes closed. The photo is captured looking straight down at them.
Brad is a seasoned photographer whose journey began in 2006 with a 3.1-megapixel digital camera. Over the years, he has specialized in various photography genres—from weddings and portraiture to product and studio photography. Based on the Sunshine Coast of QLD, Brad combines his love for education and photography, sharing his expertise on DSLRAD.com, a platform committed to capturing life’s treasured moments and empowering photography enthusiasts.
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