There is nothing more chaotic than taking wedding group photos! We might be exaggerating a little, but it’s definitely one of the most chaotic things you have to handle as a wedding photographer. As difficult as they can get sometimes, group photos are also some of the most special and fun moments you will capture at a wedding. Even though they might not run smoothly each time, getting creative with your wedding group poses is a great way to push your creative limits, add some fun to the day, and impress your couples! And since we can never get enough group photos at weddings, here are some ideas for group photo poses that you can try out at your next wedding photography gig.
10 Wedding Group Poses You Cannot Miss
1. The Classic
It’s true, a classic can never be left out of the shot list – whether it’s a classic portrait of the bride and groom or a classic wedding group pose. This is a perfectly composed and posed idea for a group portrait photography session that you can take of the bride and groom with their family members or even their bridal party. For this group photography pose, have your subjects looking right at the camera and showing off their best smiles!
2. Posing on the Stairs
When it comes to wedding group poses, you just can’t miss the stairs! If the venue has any form of stairs – indoors or outdoors – use them for a group photo pose! If the stairs are in a spiral, you could try different angles like a worm’s eye view. If they are simple, straight stairs, just pose your subjects together, or you could even divide them up into pairs of two – take your pick and keep experimenting! Whether this group photo involves the bridal party or the guests, it’s a foolproof way to add some creativity to your shot list. Even though these are group photos, don’t forget to include group images where the spotlight is on your couple.
3. Make Use of the Seating Arrangement
The seating arrangement is a well-thought-out part of wedding planning. The bride and groom spend considerable time picking out the kind of seating they would want for their guests, so why not make use of the beautiful arrangement that’s already available for you? Get your subjects together and have some seated on the chairs and the others standing by them. For this wedding group pose, you could ask your subjects to simply talk to each other and capture some candid moments or have them face you and either go with the big, bright smiles or a serious gaze for a more dramatic effect.
4. Go Luxe
This might not be a possibility at every wedding you photograph, but if you happen to be at a wedding where the bride or the groom arrives in a chopper or a really fancy luxury car, then take this grand opportunity and get your groups to stand by them or even pose inside them (if they can fit). This photograph should be all about the drama and theatrics, so carefully pose your subjects in a way where the luxe element doesn’t lose its shine.
5. Make Them Jump
Jumping always brings out the inner child in adults. And if you plan to include the bride and groom in these photographs, they are bound to have a fun time and just take a little break from all the wedding duties. Pose them with their bridal party and tell them to jump on cue! It might take a few tries to get the right expressions and timing, but it’s going to be worth it.
6. By the Car
Even if there are no choppers or luxury cars at your wedding, your couple will still have a wedding getaway car waiting for them. Just ask the bridal party or the guests to join the couple by the car and let these pictures reflect some fun and candid moments. For this segment, we’d suggest that you could plan a mixture of candid and posed wedding group photos. If it’s a beautiful vintage car, make sure you get some photographs of the people checking out the car. Just let them do their thing and get your camera ready.
7. Capture the Candid Moments
Even though you can add a candid moment to any of the categories above, having a special group session set aside for just the candid photographs is a great way to get some amazing wedding group poses. Have your subjects interact with each other, capture them laughing or narrating a story with great enthusiasm – focus on their emotions, and you will capture some priceless moments from the wedding day. You could also ask the bride and groom to get involved in these moments, and you might just end up with some great candid images of them too.
8. Include Props
Whether it’s letters spelling out ‘Just married’ or some silly masks, using props in your wedding group poses is one of the best ways to capture the guests, the bridal party, and the bride and groom having fun. Get each of your subjects to hold a prop and guide them through different poses. If they are not comfortable in front of the camera, simply ask them to relax, be themselves, and pose however they feel their best.
9. Look for Interesting Backgrounds
A wall full of flowers or the mighty mountains – your venue can give you plenty of ideas for wedding group poses. Even if it’s just a pretty wall with exposed bricks, you could use it as an appealing background for some group photography poses. Even for this set of photographs, you could ask your subjects to simply act like you are not there, or you could guide them through a series of poses with and without the bride and groom.
10. Add Competition
Adding a competitive element to your wedding group poses is another fantastic way to get people to have fun! Essentially, with all these fun ideas, you are not just going to be the wedding photographer, but the entertainment star of the event too! If you are photographing the bridal party, then get the groomsmen and the bridesmaids to compete in a round of tug of war, or they could also get crafty! Put on your creative cap and think of how you could make this more entertaining in a way that gets you some amazing photographs too.
Keep a Group Photo Poses Checklist Handy
The best way to avoid chaos on the wedding day and make the process of experimenting with wedding group poses a little smoother is by creating a checklist for yourself. We hope that this list gives you some ideas about how you can conduct your next group portrait photography session. Having said that, you can always add your own poses to the above list or edit them as per your requirements. Depending on the lighting and the number of people at the wedding, your checklist will change each time. But it’s definitely worth spending some time on to avoid stressing out on D-Day. So, whether you are a fan of the classic group photos or like to add a touch of fun and humor to your group wedding poses, it’s easy to get everyone together once you have a clear idea of what you want them to do.
Further Read: Unique Wedding Photos That Inspire: Featuring ShootDotEdit Customers
At ShootDotEdit, we love making your life easier and offering you tips and tricks on wedding photography. We also strive to help you balance your workload by taking the photo editing task off your plate. To learn more about how we can help your wedding photography business, check out our price plans.