We, at Studio Laguna, aren’t big posers.  We tend to like to capture the moments between a couple naturally and as they happen.  However, more often than not, a couple doesn’t know HOW to stand and act with a camera pointed at them, and they want a bit of guidance.  It can be very intimidating to have your pictures taken, especially when all the photographer does is point a camera at you and say, “just keep being yourselves”.  Things can get awkward quickly.

So how do you find the happy balance?  Be aware of your body language and practice before your wedding.  Practicing your wedding poses sounds a bit type A, no?

Well, photographers can always tell when someone is comfortable in front of a camera and when they’ve practiced kissing and being at ease with each other.

I’m not saying you should be constantly camera aware and making sure your good side is always visible…that ruins the spontaneity and naturalness of the images…but if you practice and let things become more natural, then it makes being photographed so much easier.

Here are a couple tips for how to naturally pose yourself so you look your best.

The Kiss at the Altar – Usually, when an officiant announces the couple married, that is when the first kiss happens.  Sometimes the couple is facing the officiant, and sometimes they’re facing the congregation.  Rather than both of you facing each other and kissing, you can have just one person turn 90 degrees and the other just turn their head.  I love having couples perpendicular to each other because it creates visual interest (see image at the top of this post).  And remember to show emotion!!!!  The first kiss doesn’t have to be slobbery and explicit, but who doesn’t want to have their spouse tenderly hold their face or shoulders and pull them into a kiss.  Celebrate that you just got hitched!

Speaking of tenderly holding your face…I LOVE when couples hold each other.  Seriously, show a little PDA!  A hand gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear is such a lovely image and can be even more romantic than a kiss.  Holding hands, putting hands near the face or back of the neck, pulling each other in close, all show intimacy without getting too kissy kissy.  Many times the most romantic images are an almost kiss, not a full on kiss.

General Romantic Pictures – The trick to most images with a couple is to have the girl lean her hips towards the guy, and the guy put his upstage (away from the camera) hand around her waist and pull her in close.  So the girl doesn’t look squished, make sure to lean back at the waist a bit and turn your shoulders towards the camera.  So, hips facing the groom, bend back a bit at the waist and twist a little so shoulders are angled towards the camera, with downstage (near the camera) shoulder angled down a bit.  Also add a bit of bend to your elbow and keep your arm slightly away from your body so you aren’t pushing your forearm into your body.  Subtlety is key with posing, don’t go all Hollywood red carpet and have exaggerated angles, just do little things.  Like right now, I bet you’re hunching over as you read this…just straighten your back!  The little moves like this is all it takes to flatter your body more in photographs.

Another good thing to remember, is that the objects closest to the camera are the largest.  So if you’re sitting on a bench with your feet out towards the camera, they will look massive compared to your head.

Gazing Into Each Other’s Eyes – these can be cheesy, but also beautiful and romantic.  The biggest trouble with these images is that it can create a double chin, especially when there are height differences.  To deal with this, you hold your shoulders stiff and stretch your jaw towards the other person, it feels weird, but helps!  And honestly, we mostly do the “get your faces really close and stare at each other” pictures because of the laughter that almost always happens, THOSE are the pictures we want!

To practice these techniques, simply start paying attention to your posture.  Stop slouching!  Start noticing how you interact with your fiance…how you hold hands, sit on the couch together, snuggle, walk down the street.  Just noticing your natural body language will help you be more comfortable.  An engagement session is also a fabulous way to get to know your photographer and become more comfortable in front of a camera.  I can’t count how many times a client has said, “that was easy!” or “that was nothing like I thought it would be!”

Now, the take home lesson to all of this advice is to not look stiff.  You have to be comfortable in these poses.  If you feel like a robot, then maybe it is best to not worry about this sort of thing.  The other trick?  Hire a good professional photographer that can not only put you at ease while they’re photographing you, but know HOW to photograph someone of any size at their most flattering angles.  When you work with a pro you can trust, then you relax and know your images will be lovely.