Are you a new wedding photographer? Have you been looking for some easy posing ideas to get started with photographing weddings?  In this blog post, we will be going over 15 poses that are perfect for any wedding.

Wedding photographers are often tasked with photographing the wedding day in a variety of different ways.

From getting ready portraits of the bride and groom before the ceremony to capturing candid shots during the reception, it can be difficult to figure out what poses will work best for each scenario.

To help you get started, here are 15 sample poses that will give you an idea of how to photograph weddings and couples in different settings.

15 Go-To Poses For Any Hawaii Wedding

Hawaii is an immensely beautiful stage to showcase the love a couple has on their wedding day.With the 15 poses we have outlined below, you are sure to wow your clients as well as their friends and family when your photos are delivered.

So, let's dive into these poses and find your favorite ones!  

1. Resting Foreheads: Weddings are all about the bride and groom joining their lives together. One pose that can be done in this position is resting foreheads together, which often looks best with eyes closed but you may want to experiment by having one or both looking at each other instead.

2. Holding Hands: Holding hands is the most basic form of romance. It's so simple, it can be easy to forget how effective this pose really is!

There are many different ways that couples hold hands during their photoshoot - some opt for walking side-by-side while others would rather walk ahead or behind each other.

This natural action between couples also relaxes both parties which makes them more comfortable when taking pictures later on.

3. The First Look: The first look is one of the most iconic moments to capture. Traditionally speaking, it’s when the groom sees his bride for the very first time as she walks down an aisle towards him in her wedding dress - and chances are you want this shot ASAP!  Be creative and have a little fun! You could blindfold both parties, or one side might arrive at their destination first while the other is waiting in an unfamiliar location.

The moment they see each other will go fast for you to capture, but when done right, it will be something worth remembering forever.

4. The Ring: Another classic icon, the cornerstone of a wedding and vow of eternity, the ring that kicked off this union. Rings can be captured in their jewelry box with the lid open.

It can be set on the table together with the groom’s ring and garnished nicely with a couple of champagne glasses. If you have an outdoor wedding, grab a shot as the setting sun shoots warm rays from the corner of the composition towards the rings.

5. The Amazing Veil: Nothing highlights a wedding more than the iconic wedding dress and of course, that lovely long veil. What better way to showcase this than an epic portrait incorporating the extended veil along with the surrounding Hawaiian landscape.

Pro tip: Have your assistant (or a bridesmaid) hold the veil out of the ground, give a countdown, and have the helper toss the veil up at its most extended point and start snagging shots as the veil falls from its highest point all the way down. In the post production, select the perfect frame!

6. The Kiss: A classic, the kiss between the couple cement the lifelong vow of love. This pose can be done at the altar, during the first dance, or even at the first look.

7. The First Dance: No wedding photo album would be complete without a shot of the couple during their first dance.

8. Forehead Kiss: This is a more initiative version of the classic kiss and rather a relaxed pose, often seated giving the impression the couple is enjoying an intimate moment together away from it all.

9. Intimate Moments: Weddings are filled with celebrations, family, and even a bit of chaos here and there. Keep an eye on your couple, and from time to time when they glance at each other filled with love and seemingly forgetting where they are in that exact moment, snag that intimate moment shot.

10. The Tear: It might be the groom and it might be the bride (or both!) but when that tear of joy slides down their eye along their cheek and they are just taking at the moment, you have yourself an epic wedding shot.

11. Laughter: A wedding is fun! Couples are sharing their friends, family, and the most important part of their life with each other. There will be tears and there will be laughter! When your couple looks at each other and gives that genuine laugh, grab the shot!

12. The Environment: It’s important to remember your couple selected their wedding venue for a reason. Something about it speaks to them or is just plain gorgeous. Either way, it warrants a few shots that embrace the total ambiance of the wedding location.

So, whether that location is on the famous Hanalei Pier in Kauai or under mahogany forest of botanical garden, get those environmental shots that paint the picture of the setting for years to come.

13. The Lead: This is a classic wedding landscape-styled shot that showcases the beautiful Hawaiian scenery along with your couple, where one person is leading the other by the hand. The idea here is to symbolize their new life, hand-in-hand, moving forward into life, together.

If needed, expose for the sky and landscape and off-camera flash your couple to ensure both the subjects and the landscape and exposed properly, otherwise, you may find yourself trying to over/underexpose all parts of your shot.

14. The Celebration: It’s over! The ceremony has ended, the couple is headed out and hands are in the air in celebration! This can be captured as the couple exits to their vehicle or as arms are raised in celebration after the vows are final and the minister has officially blessed the couple.

15. The Drive: Couples often have a grand entry and a grand exit. Sometimes it’s a horse-drawn carriage, or sometimes it’s getting into grandpa’s classic hot-rod and driving off. Now is the time to capture that exit.

Parting Shot

As a destination wedding photographer in Hawaii or worldwide, you’ll have the opportunity to capture some of the most beautiful moments on earth.

While there are many poses and styles that can be used for your photographs, we wanted to share with you 15 essential ones that every budding photographer should know how to do before they start their career.

But don’t stop there! Get creative, and try new things! Even if it doesn’t work out, just try new things.

Remember, the fastest way to make a name for yourself (a good name) in this business, is to do the epic things no one else is. People want to be the first, they want to be unique and they will hire you if you can bring that to the table balanced with some classic poses.