Boston · Planning Guide
10 Wedding Portrait Poses
Documentary Wedding Photography · Boston & New England
TL;DR, Wedding Portrait Poses
- Planning builds calm: I go into every portrait session with a detailed plan so couples relax and forget the camera.
- Start low-pressure: Easy openers like the walking shot and modern pose get couples laughing and loosened up fast.
- Vary distance and framing: Each pose yields several images as I move from full-length scene shots to close, personal ones.
- Match the couple: Poses like chest snuggle or bear hug depend on height, so I choose what fits each pair.
- Timeless and personal: The goal is classic, timeless portraits couples will admire on the mantle for years.
Portraits are a treasure that lasts through the test of time. It’s a moment that is paused and can be reflected on for years to come. Even though the mood of my portrait session are always fun, and light, there is extensive planning that goes into wedding portrait sessions.
As a Boston wedding photographer, I need to have a plan going into a portrait session. The more detailed and planned to the specific client they are, the more confidence they will have in me.
It not only allows them to relax because they know they have hired a great photographer, but when they are calm, they don’t need to think about their photos and often they forget that they are even having their photos taken.
Here are a few of my favorite wedding photography poses:
Modern Pose
This pose is a modern-day classic for Boston wedding photographers like myself. It is an easy photo to get the session going and I can do a lot with this one without having to move my clients around much.
I like to start at a distance from my client and then slowly move in. First, I have the couple look either at me or each other. Then, I will tell the couple to lean into each other and kiss.
Within a few minutes you have three different photos. It works well especially if you have a fun and unique background behind the couple.
Beauty Pose
My good friend, who happens to be one of the best Boston wedding photographers, Megan, taught me this one. She coined it as the “I Feel Pretty” pose.
If the dress is big and has a lot of fabric, I have the bride hold the dress by its side and spin her body from the right to the left side. I like to slow the camera shutter down and show the motion of the dress. It’s an excellent way of getting a creative photo of the dress flowing.
Intimate Pose
When I started my career as a wedding photographer in Boston 12 years ago, this was my go-to pose and it has never let me down.
I ask my couples to find each other and get as close as possible. Then, I have the groom wrap his arms around the bride’s waist and the bride rest her hands on his.
Most likely with all the excitement of just getting married, the couple is laughing and smiling. I take a few photos close and take a bunch as I move further back to show more of the beautiful scene. It not only showcases the couple in their splendor, but tells a story through the background and focus of the shot.
Holding Hands Facing Each Other
This is excellent for a boston wedding photographer who wants to show the landscape with the couple in it. Just as it sounds, they face each other and hold hands. This gives me the chance to stand far away and take the landscape into the image.
It can produce a beautiful photo that seemingly peeks in on the moment the bride and groom are having. Often it produces giggles and love in their eyes, which makes for a breathtaking shot.
Hold The Grooms Arm Pose
This is a pose where I will ask the groom to face the camera and put both hands in his pockets. I then ask the bride to turn her shoulders square with the groom’s right side and loop her hands around his arm.
This is a perfect opportunity to get a full-length portrait of the couple and a close up of the bride and the details from her veil to the beading of her dress.
Bride Looking Back Pose
After snuggling the groom’s arm, the bride looking back is the next pose in the book. While the bride is still holding on to the groom’s arm, I’ll stand behind the groom and ask the bride to look back at me. It’s a lovely little portrait of the bride while keeping things candid and simple.
The Walking Shot
Much like the “modern pose” this is an easy, low-pressure photo to start with, which is why a lot of the best boston wedding photographers use it at every wedding.
I have clients hold hands, look at each other, and walk towards me. Without fail, this wedding photo pose always has couples laughing and smiling.
When shooting, I try to get a full-length body shot to show what the couple’s outfit looks like and then I move in closer to get a few closer more personal shots.
It helps loosen the pair up and allows for their personality to shine. Everyone has a different style of doing this, which creates some pretty fun photos.
The Chest Snuggle Pose
The chest snuggle doesn’t work for every couple. It requires the bride to be much shorter than the groom. It’s a natural pose following the “Intimate Pose” because the couple are already next to each other.
I ask the bride to get as close to her husband as she can and snuggle in. It makes for a relaxed portrait of the bride without feeling too stiff.
Bear Hug Pose
The “Bear Hug Pose” is a great choice, but it isn’t one size fits all. There are many things that have to line up to make sure the photo isn’t awkward. There are two rules for it:
- The groom must be taller than the bride
- Use this pose during golden hour
This can feel like a prom photo, but the results are always a crowd pleaser. The groom should stand behind the bride, slide his arms under her arms and wrap them around her waist. Naturally, the bride usually puts her hands on his.
I ask the groom to kiss her on the cheek and I start shooting. However, the trick is to shoot through the kiss. At this point, the bride is laughing and the groom is close to the bride with a smile on his face.
The result is the photo below:
Mom and Dad Pose
If I was your mom and dad, this is how I would take your picture. Almost every photographer will take some type of photo like this during the portrait session.
It’s a classic wedding pose that the client will want for the mantle or a nice photo for their desk at work. After I take the photo, I ask the couple to look at each other.
Leaning Against the Wall Pose
This was one of the first poses I learned as a wedding photographer. The groom leans against a wall and the bride snuggles into her husband as they look at each other
With this pose, the couple is completely in focus and I take a shot of first the bride looking over, then the groom, and lastly the two together.
This pose quickly gives clients a lot of variety in the photos with minimum effort on both parties part.
These are just a few of the planned poses I have up my sleeve during a wedding. They are great to start out with when planning your shoot and looking for inspiration. Couples want to admire their photos for years to come, so it is important to give them something that is classic, timeless, and unique to them specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're not photogenic and have no idea how to pose, will you tell us what to do?
Absolutely, and it's the part most couples worry about for nothing. I come in with a handful of go-to setups, the walking shot, the intimate hug, leaning against a wall, and I gently direct you into each one, so you never have to guess what to do with your hands. Within a couple of minutes you usually forget the camera is even there, which is exactly when the real photos happen.
Do we need to practice these poses before the wedding?
No, please don't, I'd rather you show up relaxed than rehearsed. Every pose in this post is something I'll walk you through on the day, starting from a distance and slowly moving in so it never feels stiff. The whole point is to celebrate your day, not choreograph it, so I keep the direction light and let the laughing and real moments take over.
How long do these portraits actually take on the wedding day?
Less time than most people expect. Each of these poses gives me three or four different frames in just a few minutes, so I can move through a lot of variety without keeping you away from your guests for long. If we build in a first look or a golden-hour window, that's usually plenty for a full set of portraits.
Why does golden hour keep coming up for these poses?
Because soft, low evening light flatters almost everyone and turns a simple pose like the bear hug into something cinematic. A few of these, especially the wider, landscape-style shots where you hold hands facing each other, really sing when the sun is dropping. When we plan your timeline, I'll suggest carving out 15 or 20 minutes near sunset if the schedule allows.
What if some of these poses don't fit us as a couple?
That's normal, a few of them, like the chest snuggle or the bear hug, depend on a height difference, so I never force one that doesn't suit you. I treat this list as a starting toolkit, not a checklist, and I lean into the setups that feel natural for the two of you. The goal is photos that are timeless and unique to you specifically, not a copy of someone else's gallery.
Can you do these poses at our Boston-area venue and book us?
Yes, I've spent most of my 20 years shooting weddings around Boston and New England, so I'm comfortable adapting these poses to whatever backdrop your venue gives us, indoors or out. I shoot in a documentary style and also offer video, so one vendor can cover both your photos and film. Reach out at mark@mark-davidson.com or +1-440-915-3583 and we'll talk through your date.
Do you plan portraits ahead of time, or just wing it on the day?
There's extensive planning behind every portrait session, even though the mood on the day is fun and light. I go in with a plan, and the more it's tailored to you specifically, the more confidence you have in me. That confidence is the whole trick, when you're calm, you stop thinking about your photos, and most couples end up forgetting they're being photographed at all.
How do you start a portrait session without it feeling awkward?
I start easy. The walking shot is one I lean on constantly, hold hands, look at each other, walk toward me. Without fail it gets couples laughing. Same with what I call the modern pose: I start at a distance and slowly move in, you look at me or at each other, then lean in and kiss. Low pressure, and it loosens you up fast.
Will you take photos that show off my dress?
Yes. If the dress is big with a lot of fabric, there's a pose my friend Megan, one of the best photographers in Boston, taught me and named the "I Feel Pretty" pose. You hold the dress by its side and spin from right to left, and I capture the fabric in motion. There's also a pose where you loop your hands around your partner's arm, which gets me a close-up of everything from the veil to the beading.
Will we get the classic photo our parents will want framed?
Absolutely. I call it the Mom and Dad pose, if I were your mom and dad, this is how I'd take your picture. Almost every photographer takes some version of it, and it's the one that ends up on the mantle or on a desk at work. It's classic for a reason. Right after I take it, I ask you to look at each other, and that's usually the better frame.
Can you get photos that show the whole scene, not just us?
That's some of my favorite work. Holding hands facing each other lets me stand well back and bring the whole landscape into the frame, it reads like you're being peeked in on rather than posed. The intimate pose works the same way: I shoot close first, then keep backing up to show more of the scene. The background becomes part of the story instead of wallpaper.
Does our height difference change which poses work?
Some poses, yes. The chest snuggle only works if one of you is noticeably shorter, and the bear hug needs the groom taller than the bride, otherwise it gets awkward. That's not a problem, it just means I use different ones. Nothing here is one size fits all, which is exactly why I plan the session around you rather than running a checklist.
How do you keep posed photos from looking stiff?
The trick is shooting through the moment, not at it. On the bear hug, I ask the groom to kiss her cheek and then keep shooting past the kiss, by then she's laughing and he's smiling right next to her. That's the frame. Most of these setups exist just to put you close together. What happens after I ask is where the real photo lives.
How many different photos can you get from one setup?
More than you'd think. With the modern pose I can get three different photos in a few minutes without moving you around much. Leaning against a wall is similar, one of you looking over, then the other, then the two of you together. Lots of variety, minimum effort from anyone. That's deliberate. I'd rather you spend the day at your wedding than at a photo shoot.
Why does posing matter if you shoot documentary style?
Because portraits are a treasure that lasts. They're a moment paused, something you reflect on for years. The rest of the day I catch what's happening on its own, but portraits deserve a plan. The goal is something classic, timeless, and specific to you, not a pose out of a catalog. Good planning is what lets the session feel unplanned.
