Honestly, if anyone randomly comes up to me and tells me that they want to click a picture of me just by myself, I would have an internal panic attack. That is how awkward I am when it comes to getting pictures clicked. This blog will be a complete “I’ve got your back sister/brother” for all the grooms and brides-to-be. This blog will help your drag your soon-to-be better half or husband into posing with you like a pro. Over the years, I have devised a list of classic couple poses that work every single time. Be it wedding portrait sessions, pre-wedding photoshoots, engagement sessions, elopements, or even if it is just your third wheel whom you had to bribe to get some insta-worthy pictures with your s/o. I will be sharing my way of posing couples and the way I guide people into each pose. All of these poses are simple, and they will save you from the overpowering question of “where do I keep my hand” and “what do I do with my face” etc. Trust me, I have been there. We are all on the same page, I understand your problem, and I’ve got solutions for you. Just in case you hate posing for the life of you, I have a solution for that as well. I have some tricks that result in the most magical pictures without having to pose for the camera, but I will be saving the best for the very end.
So I will be dividing this blog into three main subsections:-
1) Classic couple poses
2) Pro tips for people who hate posing for pictures
3) FREE downloadable posing cheat sheet
1) Classic couple poses
This list includes the most simple poses for couple photo sessions that result in the most gorgeous looking pictures. You could call these the holy grail of poses. You could use this list as a guideline while clicking pictures with your partner. Be it your wedding portrait session, pre-wedding photoshoot, post-wedding photo session, or even if your third wheel or Instagram child is being blackmailed into clicking your pictures.
Arm in arm
These are the first type of pictures that comes to mind whenever we talk about couple poses. It can also be called the picture for the grandparents. Just stand next to each other and that’s it. This is usually the first pose during any couple portrait session and also the most awkward. So to counter that, look at each other instead of looking at the camera. Not only will this make you genuinely smile and it also helps break the ice with the camera because immediately, there will be real emotions involved.
Looking at each other
After the previous pose, this one almost comes naturally. Just look at each other and smile. As simple as that.
Hand on chest
This also comes as a natural progression to the previous pose. The girl simply rests her hand on the guy’s chest or shoulder. This can also be a good pose for showing the ring off for newly engaged couples
Hand on cheek
Either the girl can place her hand on the guy’s cheek or vice versa. Play around to make it look less awkward and more interesting (tickle or pull their cheek)
Head on shoulder
while standing face to face The girl leans in and gently places her head on the guy’s shoulder.
Only the guy looks
Once you are in the process of clicking these pictures, you will see how the poses come naturally one after the other. In the pose, only the guy looks at the camera while the girl either smiles and looks down or at her partner.
Only the girl looks
Just like the previous pose, in this one, only the girl looks at the camera while the guy looks at her.
Forehead to forehead
The title is pretty much self-descriptive. Just join your foreheads and add some eye contact for that added magic.
Nose to nose
Instead of foreheads, here you bring your noses together.
Cheek to cheek
Bring your faces together and smile at the camera.
Forehead kiss
These poses are so simple, that they do not even need an explanation. The guy kisses the girl on the forehead or vice versa.
Nose kiss
Just like the forehead kiss, the guy kisses the tip of the nose of the girl or vice versa. This pose usually looks very cute.
Hugging
Once again, a very self-explanatory one. You just hug your partner.
Leaning in
Both the partners lean in towards each other like they are going in for a kiss.
Right before the kiss
This pose comes as a natural progression to the previous pose. It freezes the moment right before you are about to kiss.
Kissing
Just like the previous one, this too comes as a natural progression where both the partners kiss for the camera.
Hide the kiss
Either or both the partners hide the kiss with their hands, or with some creative props like a save the date board, balloons, or flowers just like those old Bollywood films where the kiss would be hidden by two flowers rubbing against each other LOL. But you can be creative with these couple poses.
Bit more complicated couple poses
Back to back
Stand facing opposite directions. You can goof around and make it silly looking or keep straight faces to make it look more dramatic and royal.
Arms from behind
Hold your partner from behind and add some cute cheek kisses for the extra mush.
Walking
The chances are that you have already covered this in some of the previous poses. If you haven’t, this pose simply needs you to walk towards or away from the camera.
Leading the way
As a successor to the previous pose, one partner leads the other while walking.
Looking back
This pose also automatically comes after the previous one. In this one or both of you look back into the camera while walking away.
Walking away
Both of you hold hands and walk away without looking at the camera.
Sitting on lap
It is as self-explanatory as it gets. The girl sits on the guys’ lap.
Lying on backs
Both of you lie down on your backs and look at each other.
Lying on stomachs
Both of you lie down on the ground, stomachs down.
Dance
This pose usually includes twirling. Or you could start dancing, No judgment here.
Dip
In this pose, the guy has to twirl and dip his partner while dancing. This might not be everybody’s cup of tea.
Being silly
My suggestion would be a 10-second countdown in which you would have to make 10 crazy, silly faces. Doing so gives you cute candid pictures without having to think much about it.
Whispering a secret
This is as simple as it sounds. Either partner has to pretend like he/she is whispering a secret into the others’ ear.
Silhouette
You need a specific kind of light source for these pictures. The pictures must be shot against the source of light. Like hiding the sun behind your subject.
Zoomed in
In these pictures, we zoom into the smaller details like just your hands or your feet to capture the tiniest details about your relationship.
Show the ring
This is for all the newly engaged love birds. Show the ring off girl!
Swept off feet
Suggested read: What to wear for your pre-wedding photoshoot in India
2) Posing tips for people who cannot pose for pictures
The two previous points were mostly the kind of “posed” poses that I’ve learned from previous experience. The idea of posing does not work very well for many people. I get it, and I’ve got your back. So what do you do when you or your s/o cannot pose for the life of you? This is what you do.
1) Candids
If you do not like the idea of being posed and directed for the pictures, make sure that your photographer knows about it beforehand. Tell your photographer that you are not good with posing and you would rather prefer just the natural, candid pictures of your wedding day. This captures the real you and who the two of you are as a couple. This also helps you steer clear of all the camera consciousness and brings out your true emotions without the awkwardness of having to be vulnerable in front of someone else.
2) Fake candids
For fake candids, you need to have a very different vibe going on with your photographer. Whenever I am covering weddings, I make sure that my bride knows and understands my prompts. Sometimes all it takes me looking down as a prompt for her to look down. It sounds so robotic as I type it down but trust me, it works. You need to have that kind of chemistry with the person who is clicking your pictures. Sometimes I will make the couple laugh by saying the stupidest things possible from behind the camera. Like “give me your supermodel pose” or “This is your vogue cover shot, so give me that vogue face” and the couple looks at each other and they laugh. These are the moments that you want to be frozen forever. These bring out real emotions and they also do not look “posed”. I combine the classic poses with some fake candid prompts and it works the best for me.
3) Posing prompts
I have saved the best for the very end. Personally, this is my favorite way of clicking pictures of people. This works like magic for people who are absolutely against the typical poses or find it extremely uncomfortable. This method does not involve any posing but a lot of chemistry with your photographer. Trust me when I say this, the results are magical!
So this is the point when I give the couple some prompts to act upon. Like play dumb charades, have a staring contest, a thumb fight, have a two-person musical chair, 10-second crazy faces countdown, chase pigeons, literally anything and everything. Go crazy, hold hands, and run up and down the stairs, the world is your oyster. Do you remember the couple challenge on tik-tok that went viral? It went like “who is the bigger cry baby?” “who is more likely to end up in jail?” “who farts the most?” I have used these as prompts as well and the results are just magical. What happens is that the couple usually goes into a cute bickering fight about the given question and this is the time for those perfect candid pictures. The results are not just funny but there are a lot of genuine smiles, glances, and laughs which is so precious.
Other posts you might be interested in: How to fit a Bridal Photoshoot into the crunched timelines of Indian weddings
What to wear for your pre-wedding photoshoot.
Follow me on Instagram: Miron Golani’s Photography
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