Reimagining Wedding Posing: Presence vs Performance
How to choose a wedding photographer that will give you emotion-filled, timeless wedding photos.
While there are some couples who highly regard the posed photos portion of their wedding day, there’s been an uptick of couples who are craving to stay present throughout their day, and to capture images that feel like THEM. They want photos to tell a story that is true to their day and their personalities.
If you’re apart of the crowd that doesn’t want to spend 2-3 hours of your wedding posing in front of a camera, then this blog is for you! Your wedding day is meant to be LIVED and enjoyed, and it’s your photographer’s job to capture it as it happens!
The following are some key things to help you stay present throughout your wedding day, and still get incredible photos!
Tip: Be with each other and with your people!
Connect, talk with each other, have a moment together! These help make for authentic and fun photos of you all together!
Choosing your wedding photographer:
-Hire a photographer who doesn’t just shoot digital, but shoots film too. It’s timeless… it’s the most in-the-moment kind of photo you can get!
-Hire a photographer who doesn’t just post wedding photos to their Instagram. Why? Their ability to observe and live in-the-moment in other areas of life and photography is a great indicator that your wedding will be photographed that way too!
-Hire a photographer who cares more about you being fully present and enjoying your day than anything else.
-Hire a photographer who will happily be flexible with your timeline, knowing that sometimes couples need to switch things up.
-Hire a photographer who isn’t obsessed with posing trends and presets, and who leans into a more natural editing style that will last the test of time.
-Hire a photographer who takes the time to get to know you before you book, and who pays attention to details and emotions.
How to tell?
-Ask them what their favorite photos are and why
-Read the captions of their photos. If they share stories, they’re a be-present-in-the-moment photographer
-Look at their Instagram and note if they mostly post posed photos, or if they post a variety of images
-Ask them questions about themselves and their life philosophy! These things permeate the way they show up to weddings
Tip: The in-between moments…
Many of the best wedding photos aren’t when people are standing precisely. Like in this photo… the groom was coming back from retrieving his bride’s bouquet, and a breeze had gently began to make her veil dance, creating a unique image that was true to the moment!
2. When and how to go about wedding poses for photos:
-Avoid family photos immediately after your ceremony and vows. This is the big moment you’ve been leading up to all day! Jumping into family photos immediately after prevents you from being able to soak in and enjoy your first few minutes as Mr. & Mrs.!
-Rather than doing 30-60 minutes of couples photos, sneak away throughout the day for 5-10 minutes at a time! This will 1. Give you a variety of photos and 2. Give the two of you intimate time to be together… just the two of you.
-If you have a lot planned that requires you to have a schedule, put some breathing room into the flow of your day. This helps take pressure off of needing to hurry through moments and times that you’re doing posed photos.
-Movement helps create the magic! Walk hand in hand, dance and sway, and lovingly caress. You don’t need to always be stock still for posed photos.
-Interactive prompts are key! Think connection points - take a moment to share something you love about them, share a sip of something and give a short toast to one another, connect through physical touch - grab their hand or caress their cheek, take in the details of each other’s outfits, wrap each other up in a hug and hold each other for a few extra moments.
I’m a Nashville photographer capturing intimate weddings and couples photos!
I love to capture what can’t be staged - the emotion filled photos you’ll come back to over and over again. This was a precious moment where the grooms son got overwhelmed with emotion and they took a moment to have a group hug.
3. The most important thing to keep in mind while posing for your wedding photos:
This is not a performance. This is you - your story, your love, your day! The goal isn’t to look like you stepped out of a magazine that’s been airbrushed and photoshopped galore. The whole point is for you to be 100% yourself and enjoy your day!
If you’re planning an intimate wedding, here are some ideas and inspiration for your day!