How to Look Natural and Confident in Your Wedding + Engagement Photos

You obviously want to look natural and feel confident on your wedding or photo session day. But let’s face it, aside from professional models, most people don’t enjoy being in front of a camera all day, especially during such a significant event. Wedding planning is stressful enough without the added pressure of having every moment documented. So, how can you look and feel natural and confident in your wedding photos? I’ve prepared this posing guide for natural + confident photos to take the guess work out for you.

We believe that knowledge equals power. The more you know about posing and feeling comfortable with your photographer, the more confident and natural you’ll look. In this guide, we’ll give you tips on what to do with your eyes, hands, and face. Let’s dive in!

Posing Your Eyes

Knowing what to do with your eyes can make a big difference in your photos. Here are some tips:

• Forehead or Nose to Nose: If you’re facing your partner, and faces are really close together, one of you should rest your eyes. This means you don’t have to close your eyes, but looking down or allowing them to close slightly with a laugh will avoid the look of a staring contest.
• Chin Down: When your chin is tilted down, cast your eyes down or close them so that your gaze follows the line of direction of your face.
• Partner Behind You: If your partner is behind you, hugging you across your shoulders, you have a few options:
• Tilt your chin up, rotate to face them, and look at them. Bonus points if you want to use your hand to reach up and caress their face.
• Look directly at the camera and smile.
• Look to the left or right with your chin slightly down and your eyes gazing down.
• Kissing: Keep your eyes closed while kissing.

Posing Your Hands

Your hands play a crucial role in your photos. Here are some tips:

• Always Be Touching: No free hands! Always touch your partner or yourself in a natural way. It’s easiest to have that natural feel come through if you keep your hands slowly moving. Trace each others arms, fingers, jawline, brush hair out of their face etc.
• Comfort is Key: If a pose feels uncomfortable, it will look uncomfortable. If you aren’t comfortable, let your photographer know so that they can give you something else to do!
• Avoid the Stomach: Unless you’re pregnant, avoid placing hands on or around the stomach. Instead, place them on the waist, chest, neck, face, or shoulders.
• Relaxed Fingers: Keep your fingers relaxed and use a light touch when cupping your partner’s face, chin, or neck. Using your thumb to brush gently along their face adds a natural feel.
• Show Off the Ring: Whenever possible, show off your ring! Your photographer should be aware of this when helping you position yourself.
• Hands in Hair: Gently placing your hands in your partner’s hair can make for romantic photos. Whether you are gently brushing it out of the way, or tangling your fingers in it for a passionate kiss, its sure to help make the photos feel more realistic.
• Jacket Pull: If your partner is wearing a jacket, lightly pull on it. This can make for fun, playful, or romantic photos.

Remember, this posing guide for natural + confident photos is here to help you look and feel your best on your special day. Take a few minutes to practice and soak it all in. Above all, doing movements and poses that you could ACTUALLY envision yourselves doing will be the key. With these pointers, you’ll be ready to shine in front of the camera and create beautiful memories that last a lifetime.

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