A bride and groom smiling at each other, with the bride touching the groom's face. The bride is holding a bouquet of flowers. They are dressed in wedding attire, with the bride in a lace dress and the groom in a tuxedo with a boutonniere.

Welcome to my 18 Easy Poses/Actions for your engagement/wedding photos

Each one is completely interchangeable wether you want to use it for your engagement session or for your big day.

A man and woman standing in a vineyard during sunset, with the woman showing off an engagement ring on her finger, both smiling at each other.

  1. Showing off the Ring

This pose is really simple and most brides (if not the groom as well) have outstanding moments of fun flaunting their ring. For all my people who feel a bit nervous in front of the camera, this is a great place to start. I tend to combine it with a forehead to forehead or eskimo kiss placement.

A groom in a brown suit holding a bride in a strapless lace wedding dress in a forest setting.

2. The Bear Hug

This pose I call the “Bear Hug” is one of my personal favorites. This pose 100% of the time will bring out big smiles with my couples. It’s a very nice strong and loving embrace. I love to tell my clients to look at each other while doing it, but you can also look directly at the camera as well.

A couple embracing and smiling with foreheads touching outdoors, black and white photograph.

3. The Head Hug

This pose is another personal favorite. It’s also very simple. This is something you could potentially do in your everyday life. In this pose there is no overthinking. You get to feel close to your partner and nothing else matters. I tend to tell my clients to tell each other one of their favorite things about their partner in this already intimate pose to boost their connection during the shoot.

A newlywed couple touching foreheads and smiling during their wedding celebration outdoors.
A woman with curly red hair and green eyes smiling as she appears to whisper or kiss a man on the cheek. The man is wearing glasses and a suit, with his face partially turned away from the camera.

4. Hand on the Cheek

Another very simple pose, effortless even. I add this specific action in a lot of other poses as well. Although it is still a client favorite on it’s own. Small actions like a hand on your cheek can make you feel all the butterflies inside. As you can see it also creates smiles :). In this pose you can take a moment to just stare into your parnters eyes. You can also close your eyes and just soak up the moment, the energy, and your loving connection.

A happy young couple is touching noses and smiling outdoors during daytime, with trees and a blue sky in the background.

5. The Almost Kiss

This pose is absoluelty amazing. It’s full of intimacy with couples. I typically wait until later in the shoot to have my couples do this. I find that couples need to leave the nerves behind to get an honest and true moment from it. It’s also a perspective of your love you’ll never see until this moment.

A black and white photo of a smiling woman and a manin an embrace near a window.

6. The Shoulder Kiss

The shoulder kiss is a small dash of intimacy to be added to the shoot. Small kisses on the body help to add smiles and spark up client love. The kiss doesn’t always have to be on the shoulder. Depending on your comfortability it could also be a simple peck on the forehead, cheek, or neck.

A man in black clothing is holding a woman in a green dress and a woman in a green dress is leaning back with her arms raised on a sandy beach with large rocks and a cliff in the background.
A couple dressed in wedding attire sharing a kiss outdoors at sunset with a winery building and vineyards in the background.

7. The Dip & Kiss

This is always a fun pose to have couples do, and most are excited to try. This pose will take a few tries to get right before we get THE one. So don’t be discouraged if you want to try it and we do multiple takes. The dip can go as far as you guys are comfortable going. Even here with this slight dip, it still looks beautiful.

A man in black shoes and pants holds a woman in a white dress with heels; she is also wearing shorts and is holding a bouquet of flowers. They are in front of a glass window, and they are kissing.

8. The Pick Up

It might just be me... but this pose makes me feel like Im looking at a movie. For my clients, I can only assume it’s like they're in the movie. To my guys, wrap your arms right around the top of her legs. Ladies, hold on tight and have fun!

A young woman with dark hair and multiple earrings, smiling and looking into the eyes of a young man with short dark hair, while they embrace. The woman is wearing a red and white patterned sweater, and the man is wearing a white shirt with red accents. They are standing outdoors in front of a stone wall.
A couple sharing a joyful moment outdoors. The man is wearing a light pink shirt and has a short haircut with a beard. The woman, with long dark hair and hair clips, is wearing a red and white patterned sweater and black pants. They are embracing each other with happy expressions against a stone wall background.

9. Wrap & Tell

This pose is to capture pure emotion. I have my clients wrap their arms around each other and look straight into each other’s eyes. My question is always “What’s your favorite memory with them”. I can always see the gears turning inside their brains. Doing this helps them be with one another not only physically but mentally as well. They get involved in their own memories and really forget that I’m even there. I make sure to let my clients have this moment to themselves once I’m done.

A happy couple, a man in a blue suit and a woman in a strapless dress, sharing a moment together near a stained glass window in an elegant hallway.
A man and woman embrace closely outdoors at sunset. The man has dark hair and a beard, wearing a black suit with a white shirt. The woman has long, dark hair, wearing a pearl necklace and a white dress with black lace details. Their faces are close, eyes closed, sharing an intimate moment.

10. The Whisper

This pose is also extremely simple. I like to ask couples to go ahead and whisper something sweet in their partners ears. The cool thing is, you can say absolutely anything you want. I won’t be able to hear you so say anything as funny or crazy or loving as you’d like.

A couple sharing a tender moment, with the man kissing the woman's forehead, inside a building near a window. The woman is smiling and holding a bouquet of pink and blue flowers, with rain visible outside.

11. Forehead Kiss

You can’t tell me that this isn’t one of the easiest poses there is as well. There really isn’t much to it. Ladies, your arm or hand placement can vary during this pose. You can place your arms like in the picture above, or you can set your hand on his face. Practice this at home to see which placement works best for you.

A couple dressed in wedding attire sitting on moss-covered rocks in a foggy forest, with tall trees surrounding them.

12. Looking Out

Lots of times I like to take wide shots of the couple and surrounding area and have you both look opposite ways. It’s perfect for just wrapping your partner in your arms. Lookout into the distance and take in the moment. This can be shot from the front or back view to tell a different story.

A man dressed in a suit embracing a woman in a wedding dress inside a grand, historic building with high ceilings and warm lighting.

13. Head to Chest

Simple, yet elegant. This works outstandingly for couples with major height differences. Pose like above, or add a forehead kiss to it. Just beware ladies, if we do this pose you’ll have to lightly put your face on their chest so your makeup doesn’t rub off on their clothes.

A man and woman embrace closely outdoors, with the man's forehead touching the woman's forehead, their eyes closed, and the woman's teal-colored hair flowing. The man has short brown hair, a beard, glasses, and is wearing a light blue button-up shirt. The background shows a bright blue sky and some greenery.

14. Nose Kiss

Similar to the forehead kiss, but just on the nose instead.

A man and a woman are holding hands and dancing or playing in the middle of an empty road surrounded by trees with fall foliage.

15. The Drunk Walk

This is one of the more unserious and funny things to do throughout the day. Just hold each others hands and walk as if you were drunk. Pretend to fall, yank them into your arms, just be as goofy as possible. I’d say this is more of an Engagement Shoot action, but if you’re game for it on your wedding day… then so am I :).

A black and white photo of a man and woman embracing, with the man facing away and the woman smiling with her eyes closed, her hands gently touching his shoulders.
Close-up of a smiling woman in a white lace dress holding hands with a person in a black suit, both showing rings and touching.

16. Wrapping the arm

I find that this pose always comes out extremely cute, and is also very effortless. There is a few variations. I can either have you both face me, or one face me and the other away. You can find another example on the next page :)

A couple close together about to kiss, backlit by sunlight, both with eyes closed, woman wearing a red dress, man in a white shirt.
A man and woman are close together, touching foreheads and smiling softly, with the woman holding the man's face.

17. Eskimo Kiss

You’ll find that this can look pretty similar to the “Almost kiss”. Sometimes it’s a bit easier to do this I’ve found. If you don't already know what an eskimo kiss is, it's simply just rubbing your noses together.

A woman and a man walking through a vineyard during sunset, smiling and enjoying the moment.

18. Chase your lover

It’s time to add some more fun to the shoot. It’s extremely common for me to have you guys run around and chase each other throughout the shoot. It adds a very playful sense to the shoot. Warning... you may feel like these shots come from out of a movie.