The Best Ideas for Your Wedding Photos

Shifting from one foot to the other, forcing a smile, and hoping the photo session will be over soon. That’s how it goes for many couples during their wedding photo shoot —but it doesn’t have to be that way! We’ve got the best ideas and poses for your wedding photos so you can feel confident and at ease. After all, the best wedding photos happen when you’re comfortable.

Professional Wedding Photos vs. Photos Taken by Guests

‍Professional wedding photographers give specific instructions for couple and group photos. But at your wedding, your guests will also be pulling out their smartphones—they, too, want to capture the beautiful moments of your wedding. Aunt Klaudia and Uncle Helmut may have the latest iPhone with “the best camera Apple has ever put in a smartphone,” but they don’t really know what they’re doing. This makes it all the more important that you, as the bride and groom or the best man and maid of honor, know what makes for good photos.

Beautiful Poses for the Bride and Groom

• It looks nice when you stand one behind the other, slightly offset to the side, and the person in the back gently wraps their arms around the waist of the person in front.
• Have you heard the saying, “Love isn’t about looking at each other, but about looking in the same direction together”? You can use that as a guideline for the poses in your wedding photos. For a couple’s photo shoot, both approaches work well: looking directly into each other’s eyes and looking in the same direction together.
• Kiss each other! On the forehead, on the mouth, or just on both cheeks—kisses bring smiles to your faces and create funny kissing moments.

Fun Ideas for Wedding Photos

You can ask wedding photographers all you want: the truly amusing photos happen spontaneously. Still, there are a few fun ideas you can plan for:

• Grab your kid or your little nephew, lift him onto your shoulders, let him “fly,” or just do something silly! Kids are so genuine—that’s contagious, and it really shows in the photos. You can learn more about this below.
• Use props to your advantage: Classic photo booth signs never go out of style; play around with balloons and soap bubbles; have some fun running barefoot through puddles or competing to see who can throw confetti the farthest.
• You can also get great photos when the men stand close together and toss the bride into the air (and catch her again, of course).

Ideas for Wedding Photos with Children

• Shows a "flower girl parade" with the children in their dresses, scattering flowers or carrying baskets.
• Take a group photo with the children's parents and the children themselves, with everyone posing together.
• Admittedly, it's a bit staged, but really cute: Take a photo with the kids and the bride, with the kids gathered around the wedding dress, admiring it.
• The kids can also hold the veil of the wedding dress while you two kiss.
• Take pictures of the children as they release balloons into the air or let soap bubbles float away.
• Let the kids show off their favorite books or toys while you pose in the background.
• Play with the kids—photos of you playing Frisbee or soccer with the kids in your wedding outfits will bring you joy for years to come.

Wedding Photos: These Poses (Almost) Always Work!

We asked around. Here are some insider tips and ideas for wedding photo poses we’d like to share with you:

Great Photo Poses for the Bride

• The Best Angle
  Don't stand directly facing the camera; instead, position yourself slightly to the side. Cross your legs slightly—this looks especially elegant when wearing a classy skirt or a long, flowing dress.
• The Instagram Leg
  Every influencer uses it, and so can you: the “Instagram Leg.” To do it, stand on the tips of your toes. It works best if you pretend to take a step forward or backward.
• The Runway Move
  Turn your back to the camera, look over your shoulder at yourself, and gaze directly into the lens. You know this move from fashion shows. In the photo, it will look as if you’ve just been called over by the viewers.
• Let your wedding dress fly
  If you have a wedding dress with a full skirt, twirl around and let it fly!
• Wear your sunglasses at night
  Once the sun has long since set, put on your sunglasses right in the middle of the wedding venue. What might come across as arrogant in everyday life just looks damn cool with a wedding dress.
• Bye Bye
  Turn your back to the camera again. But instead of turning around, just walk away. If your dress allows it, you can lift the skirt on one side with one hand. If not, hold your bridal bouquet up in the air.

Great Photo Poses for the Groom

• The Hand in the Pocket
  If it was cool enough for James Dean, it's probably cool enough for you, too: Turn slightly sideways toward the camera and slip one hand into your pants pocket. You can also do this with both hands while leaning casually against a wall.
• The Bond-
  No, we’re not talking about finger guns here. When Daniel Craig jumped from an excavator onto a moving train, the first thing he did was adjust his cufflinks. After Pierce Brosnan demolished half of St. Petersburg with a tank, the first thing he did was straighten his tie. Both of these poses will look just as good in your wedding photos as they do on the big screen.
• The Touch of Love
  Don't be afraid of physical contact! Get your best friend in the photo and casually rest your hand on their shoulder. Grab your mother-in-law and offer her your arm so she can link arms with you. It's these little gestures that make a big impact in photos.
• Jacket draped over the shoulders
  Drape the jacket overyour shoulders. But to avoid looking cheesy, don’t look directly at the camera—it’s best to turn away from it. You can also do this with your partner.
• The Strong Man
  All right, since it's you, I'll let you include a photo with a power pose—but just one!

Tips for Group Photos at a Wedding

• When taking group photos, make sure not everyone strikes the same pose. Imagine if everyone in a picture were doing the Angela Merkel “V” sign—that would look pretty silly! A better option: The maid of honor crosses her legs, the bride and groom hold hands, and the best man lightly clasps his hands together.
• Pay close attention to how you arrange the people in the group photo. Here’s an example of what works well: Have the bride and groom and the bridesmaids sit on a bench, and have the wedding guests stand around them—in the back and on the sides. This gives the wedding photo a beautiful frame and makes it clear who’s the focus. But be careful: Group photos are the ultimate challenge because you have to keep an eye on everyone’s faces and poses. It’s best to leave the group photos at your wedding to a true professional wedding photographer.

Tips for Taking Photos of Wedding Guests

Do you want to look great in wedding photos too, even though you’re not the bride and groom—just wedding guests? Don’t worry! We haven’t forgotten about you. Here are some tips to help you look your best in your loved ones’ wedding photos, even as guests: 

• Always face the light so that the background appears darker than your face.
• If you look slightly past the camera, your little double chin will disappear.
• If you're not sure what to do with your hands, hold onto something. But please don't cling on! Grab a glass of champagne, some fresh flowers, or gently touch your partner's arm. The main thing is that your hands are busy!
• Unposed, candid photos always look the most natural and beautiful. Tip: Even if you know you’re being photographed, just pretend you don’t even notice the camera. Just look away or smile at someone—the result of this little trick will be great.
• If you want to look slimmer, lean forward just a little. This makes your head look slightly larger in comparison to your body, which creates a slimmer overall appearance.