Do you know the real key to unique and memorable wedding portraits?  Usually it’s in the wedding photo poses.  There’s a lot that photographers can do with lighting and other effects but everything usually starts with the pose and the angle of the photo itself; if these are not unique and original and expressive then there’s not much else a photographer can do to improve the pictures.  So how can you dress up those wedding photo poses to make them unique and personal?

For one thing give up on those boring poses that have the subject just looking directly at the camera.  Some brides still want that lineup of everyone in the wedding party and their immediate family but once you have these pictures you want to dress up your wedding photo poses.  The bride should be pictured alone for some photos; romantic shots can be of her sitting for a quiet moment before the ceremony perhaps looking out a window or off into the distance.  This can express how she’s preparing herself for her new life and enjoying one last moment of solitude.  She may also want some shots of herself with her mother or her bridesmaids as they prepare for the ceremony.

These types of wedding photo poses can be happy and silly or just very sweet and familiar.  Whatever the theme or tone you definitely want to make sure that the poses are unique; don’t just have everyone stand there and smile out at the picture.  Use a mirror to convey that they’re getting ready before the ceremony, or have the mother helping the bride with her veil or dress.  The bridesmaids can do the same or can be helping the flower girls get ready as well.  These candid but planned wedding photo poses are an especially sweet touch to the wedding package.

Use outdoor settings for your wedding photo poses.  If there is a building nearby that has an interesting outdoor characteristic such as a large wooden door or cobblestone walkway, use this in the photos.  For using a walkway, have the bride and groom walking away from the camera so that you can convey that they’re walking into their new life together.  If you’re using that large wooden door, your wedding photo poses can include the groom opening the door for the bride or carrying her over that threshold.

When putting the bride and groom together for wedding photo poses this too is where creativity comes into play.  They can be silly by holding a hand to the camera as they kiss, as if they’re sneaking one in behind their hands.  The groom can be putting his top hat on the bride, or be pulling her long veil in front of them.  Study the wedding photo poses you see in other photographs and what the photographer did to dress them up and use that as inspiration for your own photos.  By doing so you’ll come up with some pictures that are unique and original.