Most couples worry about looking stiff or awkward in their wedding photos. The solution isn’t memorising a list of poses — it’s understanding how to move naturally while a photographer works around you.
This guide covers the handful of setups that actually work, why they work, and how to make them feel less forced on the day.
why most posed photos feel awkward
Traditional wedding poses often fail because they prioritise symmetry over genuine interaction. When couples are told exactly where to put their hands or how to angle their faces, the result looks exactly like what it is — two people following instructions.
The alternative isn’t chaos. It’s structured movement. Give yourselves something simple to do — walk, talk, adjust a collar — and the photographer captures the in-between moments.
This is the foundation of documentary wedding photography, where the frame is composed but the expression isn’t manufactured.
the walking frame
Walking towards, away from, or across the frame solves multiple problems at once. It gives you something to do with your hands and body. It creates natural variation in each frame. It stops you thinking about your face.
The trick is to walk slower than feels normal and to stay close — shoulders or hips touching. Most couples walk too far apart and too quickly, which reads as formal in photos.
This works in any location: garden paths, city laneways, even across an empty dance floor before guests arrive.
the forehead touch and its variations
This is one of the few true poses that consistently works because it forces physical closeness and usually prompts a genuine reaction — a laugh, a quiet moment, sometimes both.
Variations include closing your eyes, whispering something absurd to make your partner laugh, or simply standing still for three seconds. The photographer will shoot through the sequence and choose the frame that feels most like you.
It looks contrived when rushed. Give it five full seconds and it shifts from pose to moment.
using architecture and landscape
Doorways, windows, staircases and long sightlines do half the compositional work. Instead of posing in empty space, position yourselves within or against these elements.
Lean into a doorframe while talking. Sit on a step with your partner standing one level below. Use a window for soft directional light and stand close to it, facing each other.
Most documentary wedding photographers in Sydney will scout these frames quickly during your location session. Trust that they’re seeing the geometry even if you’re not.
the sitting variations
Sitting removes the awkwardness of what to do with your full body. It also tends to relax people faster than standing poses.
Options that work across most venues and parks:
- Both sitting on steps, grass, a low wall — one partner slightly lower or leaning into the other
- One sitting, one standing behind or beside
- Sitting together in a doorway or window frame
- Perched on a railing or ledge if the location allows it safely
Sitting works especially well later in the day when you’re tired and standing in heels or dress shoes has lost its appeal.
what to do with your hands
This is the most common question. The short answer is to give them a job: adjust a tie, fix hair, hold your partner’s face, brush lint off a shoulder, hold hands loosely while walking.
Avoid the pocket-one-hand-out pose unless it happens naturally. Avoid clasped hands in front of your body, which reads as formal. And if all else fails, let your hands hang loose by your sides — it feels strange but photographs as relaxed.
At Super 35, we photograph around 35 weddings per year with two photographers, and the couples who move most naturally are the ones who forget about their hands entirely.
The best wedding photos happen when you focus on each other rather than the camera. These setups simply give you a starting point — the rest is just paying attention to the person you’re marrying.
