How to Pose for Bridal Portraits

So, you’ve chosen your wedding outfit – you know exactly how your dress, hair, makeup and accessories are going to look. You’ve poured through information on wedding venues in Manchester all the way to tying the knot in Las Vegas. You’ve got your wedding venue lined up as well as your photographer and all your other vendors. Everything is going to plan.

The big day arrives, and now it’s time to document the whole affair. The question is, how do you pose to get those effortlessly fun and elegant bridal portraits that look so beautiful? After all, the majority of us aren’t professional models!

Although your photographer will be able to help guide your poses and arrange the shots accordingly, it can be comforting to know what you’re walking into. From happy-go-lucky to shots to ethereal elegance, you want to get a wide range of shot styles. This gives you plenty of options to choose from once the prints arrive.

So, how should you pose for bridal portraits? Let’s find out!

Pre-ceremony shots

A popular time to get some really cool behind-the-scenes style portraits is when the bride is getting ready. Surrounded by your bridal party and loved ones, it’s a great opportunity to see the excitement that comes with the pre-wedding ceremony period.

Not only will you get a fun, exciting vibe from these shots, it’s a good chance to utilize the mirrors for different kinds of poses. You can also see the focus that goes into getting the hair and makeup just right. Often the pros behind the camera aim for some blissed out, relaxed shots of the bride (that’s you!) as she closes her eyes for the makeover to happen. It’s these nice little secret moments that are a great way to start the day.

Most importantly, these wedding photos aren’t staged in any way. Your photographer will likely be floating around like a fly on the wall, snapping away. This is where some authentic magic really happens.

Candids

Speaking of wedding portrait shots that get the authentic moments, let’s take a sec to talk about candid shots. Fundamentally, candid shots are unstaged, spur of the moment photos that capture what’s actually happening in the moment.

Even when photographers are setting up an arranged shot, they may still be clicking away as you test out poses. This can often lead to more genuine smiles or laughs as the subject isn’t overthinking the photo itself.

Think about photos where you’re twirling around in your dress, trying to get the movement right. Maybe you’re setting up a shot and suddenly your furry best friend bounds into the shot catching you off-guard. Perhaps something happens off camera that shocks you or makes you laugh. These little moments are beautiful opportunities for stunning photos.

Ethereal beauty

Something that a lot of brides are looking for from their wedding portraits is that ethereal beauty style shot. Think about whimsical images of a bride looking out into the woods around the wedding venue. Maybe there’s a mist around the forest floor, maybe there’s an interesting light to give the shot an otherworldly feel. There are tons of options here.

The key for these kinds of ethereal beauty shots is posture, setting and gaze level. With ethereal beauty, you want to think like a dancer with tall, elegant posture. Pick a magical setting that has a lot of natural elements. Finally, make sure that your gaze is always slightly away from the camera lens. You’re looking beyond the camera at something in the distance. This gives a laissez faire attitude that brings this look to life.

Couple shots

The majority of your bridal portraits and wedding photography are going to be couple shots. If you look online there are a plethora of options that you can use for inspiration. From close-up, intimate embraces and kissing photos to fun dancing shots to photos of the bride being carried over the reception venue threshold, there’s a lot to choose from.

Although you’re probably going to want a series of staged shots lined up so that you can get what you want from the photographer, it’s worth just having fun with your new spouse and letting the photographer run riot.

At the end of the day, your wedding is about you and your new spouse, so the bulk of your wedding photographs should fit in this category. Take the extra time for some fun and goofy shots - these are the ones that are going to make you smile in the years to come!

Group shots

After your couple shoot is completed, it’s time to rally the troops. Group wedding photos are a stalwart of the wedding photography scene. It allows you to get all your loved ones in on the action, dressed in all their finery. It’s also a great way to get a guest book of all your wedding guests without relying on them to write something at the reception.

Traditionally, group shots are super staged, in a big crowd and the photo is normally taken from up high to fit everyone in. There’s nothing wrong with that and when you’re corralling so many people, it’s an efficient option. However, you might want to split your group shots up into smaller categories like university friends, family, work friends, and more so you can get some more detailed, fun wedding photos.

Final tips

Let’s round out this guide for posing in bridal portraits with a few final tips:

• Don’t overthink it. This can be difficult but especially when it comes to the couple-based wedding photos with a lot of PDA in them, we can become self-conscious and do weird things like kiss with our eyes open. Just have fun and a good wedding photographer will capture those gorgeous candid moments.
• Nothing too X-rated. Yes you’re excited that you’re finally married, that’s lovely, but your grandma doesn’t want to see you fully making out and getting hot and heavy with your new husband in the middle of a wedding photo shoot. Save it for the wedding night folks!

Ethereal Bridal Portraits

The ethereal and elegant, today’s incredibly delicate bridal portrait inspiration shoot from Katerina Lobova Photography captures the gentle spirit of feminine beauty in the most alluring way. With two couture gowns and a beautiful bridal bouquet – the natural beauty of the bride is on full display.

From Katerina Lobova – “Beauty resides in the simplicity and harmony of the little details of a bride – whether that’s the movement of the fabrics of her wedding dress or the scent of a freshly picked bouquet. It all adds up to create a vision of charm.”

Credits: Photography: Katerina Lobova // Dress Designer: Tanya Kochnova // Floral Design: Vera Morozova // Hair & Makup: Maria Surikov.