Posing Tips for Your Wedding Day!
It's completely natural to feel a bit nervous about posing for wedding photos, but it is something that can be learned and practiced just like any other skill! We're going to review some basic posing tips and techniques so you will feel confident and look your best in front of the camera!
Let's get started!
This is a quick list of tips for you to practice!
Grab a mirror or a camera and play with these movement suggestions to find what works best for you.
Start by relaxing:
Take a deep breath and exhale slowly.
Close your eyes briefly and get present in this moment.
Do anything else that helps you relax and calm any nerves or tension you may be feeling. Your mental state is the FIRST place to start.
Work with angles:
Work on this as a whole - Stand your entire body at a slight angle to the camera instead of facing it directly. Try different sides and different extremes of the angle.
Work on this in two sections - Play with angling your top half and lower half separately. Ie. Try turning your feet to the side and rotating your shoulders directly to the camera.
Work on tiny angles - When you've found your full body pose, play with the smaller details, like moving your chin, shoulders, hips, etc in different and subtle ways.
Angles, asymmetry, and triangles (creating triangles of space, ie. hand on waist or a bent knee) are the best 3 things to think about for great posing!
Use good posture:
Stand up straight with your shoulders rolled back, core engaged, and lengthen through the top of your head (like someone is pulling you up from your hair!). This will help elongate your body and create a more confident and polished look.
If you're sitting down, sit on the edge and keep your tall posture. Keep your legs long, asymmetrical, and at angles.
Avoid squeezing or tensing:
When posing, you will look more relaxed and flattering if you don't press your limbs into your body- this is using about arms (loosen them up, create a little space) or about legs when you're sitting cross legged (try not to push down on your skin, keep it light).
Use props:
Using props such as flowers, your wedding veil, etc can help you create a fun and dynamic pose - this can also draw attention away from any areas you may be self-conscious about.
Use your hands:
Giving your hands a task can help create a more natural and relaxed look. Try placing your hands on your partner's waist, shoulders, clothing. Try holding hands or hugging. Look up pose ideas with hands to get good ideas!
When doing self portraits, having your hands near your face will look beautiful. Adjust an earring, frame your face, or fix your hair. Pick something that feels natural.
Be aware of your surroundings:
Pay attention to your surroundings and use them to your advantage. Your photographer will help you with this, but you can lean against a wall, sit on a bench, use stairs, etc.
Use movement:
Dancing, rocking back and forth, snuggling up, playing with your dress, etc are all great ways to get natural and gorgeous images without needing to worry too much about perfect posing. Movement brings your photos to life - ask your photographer to give you prompts if that helps!
Smile naturally:
Practice smiling naturally in front of a mirror. Think of something that makes you happy or laugh to help you create a natural smile.
Note - even if you are not confident about your smile, nothing beats the smiling wedding photos. And NO, I'm not talking about the awkward, forced, cheesing directly at the camera. I'm talking about when you're doing your couple portraits, let the genuine smile and laughter fly. Do those serious, artsy, fashionable portraits that slay, but afterwards, have FUN with each other. Forget the camera is there for a minute and let the joy and love take over. You WILL want the smiling photos, trust.
"How do I avoid a double chin??"
Quick notes on double chins (because I get asked this question the MOST!):
Keeping your neck elongated and rolling your shoulders back and down will help prevent a double chin.
Lightly tilting your head can help create a more defined jawline.
Keeping your chin slightly down and forward will help with the jawline as well! But DON'T put your chin down then draw your neck back in, this will make a double chin worse.
Avoid harsh lighting. Harsh lighting can create shadows on your face and accentuate a double chin. Soft, diffused lighting can help create a more flattering look.
Last thing on this - don't let this stop you from taking photos. You may be self conscious about it and you might even HATE a photo because of this, but some day you are going to look at that photo in a different light (and if not you, your family and friends will look at that photo and not see the chin, but see a cherished memory). Don't let yourself hold you back.
Another question I get often is:
"How do I best work with a photographer?"
Here are some tips for a good photographer/client relationship:
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
If you have concerns, express them. If you love something you've seen them do before, share that. If you have no idea what to do, ask them for advice.
The photographer is educated in this skill, don't be afraid to ask them questions or tell them to help.
Do you mesh well?
It's easier to be comfortable and vulnerable in front of a camera when you trust the person you're working with. This is an important thing!
If you have ideas, share them!
Not all photographers are the same, but for the most part, if a client shares an idea, they will do everything they can to make it happen!
Personally, I love when a client sends me their Pinterest page of posing/wedding ideas. This gives me insight on how to best work with them.
Consider your comfortability with time photographing.
Are you looking for efficiency or someone who will take their time? This is important to know about yourself.
If rushing through photos sounds like it will make you anxious, express that you'd like to work slow and take your time, making sure the poses are perfect.
if spending TOO long taking photos sounds like it will make you anxious, express that you'd like to work efficiently so you don't have time to get in your head.
Work with each other on the timeline.
The photography needs are top priority in building your wedding timeline. Do not make the timeline without talking to your photographer!
Some general photography/timeline tips:
Family photos take about 2-3 minutes per gathering. For example, if you want a picture with your parents, siblings, grandparents, and officiant, this will be 4 gatherings and roughly 12 minutes.
The photographer will ask you for all the specific gatherings you will need. I suggest sharing this with your family as well so everyone is prepared and knows what time they need to be there!
Create a "shot list" of the most important things you want captured on the big day. This will make sure all those things are priority.
Getting ready images may take longer than you think. Some examples:
Fun morning-of bridal party photos can take 20-30 minutes (if you have a lot of people, more!). Don't forget the amount of time it takes "wrangling" people together for a photo. There's always someone running late, forgetting where their shoes are, or still using the bathroom!
Putting your dress and veil on will take about 10-30 minutes - not just because you will need to button/zip up, but because the photographer will have you posing for a photo during this time (like your mom buttoning the top button or placing the veil in your hair).
You may want to do a gift exchange or a first look - those things take about 15 minutes each. If you're doing a first look with your bridal party, dad, and partner, that's 45 minutes to plan for. (It might not take that long, but you do need to plan extra time for it. You will need to travel to these photos too - walking/driving/different location - so don't forget that!).
Don't forget to leave some time for you and your partner to do sunset photos! This is usually while everyone is enjoying dinner. (You'll eat before or after!)
This should not be planned AT sun down - you will want about a half an hour prior to sun down.
On the day of, make sure your photographer knows when and how things are happening.
Don't rush off and do a beautiful moment without having them ready!
If you are changing things up on the day of, inform them. For example, if you have told them you plan to enter the reception area from the left, but make a last minute change to enter from the right... Let them know quickly! They will have all their lights and assistants aimed at the left and might miss an important shot to the right. That simple detail makes for a huge problem for a photographer if they don't know.
Be flexible.
Weddings can be unpredictable, so make sure you build in some extra time in your schedule to accommodate unexpected delays or changes.
You've got this.
Have fun and don't be too hard on yourself.
Remember:
Posing is a SKILL, don't forget that. I wouldn't expect you to be great at playing a piano for the first time or painting a masterpiece right after buying a canvas. It takes education, practice, and belief in yourself just like everything else. (And you're off to a great start!!)
If you have any other questions, would like to book a consultation call, or want to talk about me being YOUR photographer, shoot me an email! lynea@theweddingtalk.com
You can find my photography work and pricing on daprixphotography.com.
***If you're curious to see OUR wedding photos, here are some to take a peak at!! We hired Dani T Photography, a photographer based out of the Finger Lakes.***
Happy Planning!!
Lynea D'Aprix
The Wedding Talk
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