The bond between a bride and her bridesmaids is one of the most important elements for a wedding photographer to capture on the wedding day. Capturing these heartfelt and fun interactions between the bride and her closest friends and family ensures images that the bride will cherish forever. To help you create stunning and memorable shots, we’ve compiled a guide to some of our favorite bridesmaid poses and directing cues.
8 Fun Bridesmaid Poses Video
To get started, here’s a short video that details 8 fun bridesmaid poses. We’ll explain each of these and provide additional posing cues in the article below the video.
Bridesmaid Poses and Ideas
Here are more details and examples for each of the poses mentioned in the video above.
The “Helping Hands” Pose
One of the classic poses is the “Helping Hands” pose, which works wonderfully during the preparation phase of the day. In this setup, bridesmaids gather around the bride, each pretending to help her get ready. Whether they’re arranging her veil, fluffing her dress, or adding finishing touches, this pose exudes elegance and intimacy. For best results, make sure to choose a clean and uncluttered background that keeps the focus on the moment.
The “Kissy Face” Pose
Another fun idea is the “Kissy Face” pose. Here, the bride stands or sits in the middle while her bridesmaids surround her and blow kisses in her direction. This pose creates a playful and affectionate vibe that highlights the bride as the center of attention.
The “Pillow Fight!”
For something more dynamic, consider the “Pillow Fight” pose. This works best in a bedroom setting, where bridesmaids can pretend to have a lighthearted pillow fight. While it’s important to emphasize not actually swinging the pillows, the setup encourages lively expressions and laughter, capturing the excitement of the moment.
The Look and Laugh
“The Look and Laugh” is a delightful pose that captures genuine joy and connection among the bridesmaids. To set it up, arrange the bridesmaids in a loose formation, encouraging them to turn toward one another as if sharing a secret or inside joke. Prompt them with lighthearted cues, such as recalling a funny memory or teasing each other about the bride’s quirks, to naturally evoke laughter. The key is to keep the atmosphere relaxed and spontaneous, allowing the group’s authentic chemistry to shine. This pose works especially well when paired with candid moments in between frames, resulting in dynamic and heartfelt images that highlight the special bond between the bride and her closest friends.
The “Bouquets Up”
The “Bouquets Up” pose is another crowd favorite, with bridesmaids either raising their bouquets triumphantly in the air or stacking them together in the center. Both variations create a celebratory and cohesive image. Alternatively, the “Look and Smile” pose offers a more emotional touch. Line up the bridesmaids and have them turn toward each other, sharing smiles or laughter. To bring out authentic emotions, try telling jokes or giving lighthearted cues.
The “Casual Walk”
Likewise, the “Casual Walk” is a natural and candid pose where the bridesmaids walk in a straight line towards the camera, looking at each other as they chat and laugh. The key to this shot is repetition—have them walk multiple times until you capture the perfect frame.
The “Silly Pose” (Freestyle)
The “Silly Pose” lets each bridesmaid show off her personality. Encourage them to bring props or strike funny poses, fostering interaction and creativity. These kinds of poses often become some of the bride’s favorite photos because they highlight the individuality of her closest friends.
The Vogue Pose
“The Vogue Pose” brings a touch of high fashion to your bridesmaid portraits, creating a striking and sophisticated image. In this pose, direct the bridesmaids to channel their inner supermodel by looking directly into the camera with soft, confident expressions or a subtle “smize” (smiling with their eyes). To add depth and dimension, arrange the group with a mix of seated and standing positions, ensuring they make subtle connection points by touching shoulders, linking arms, or lightly placing hands on each other. This interplay of poses creates a cohesive composition while maintaining an editorial aesthetic. Pay close attention to graceful lines in their posture and the drape of their dresses, and consider using the venue’s architectural features or décor to frame the group, elevating the overall impact of this chic and polished look.
Dance Around the Bride!
“Dance Around the Bride” is a lively and creative pose that captures the energy and excitement of the wedding day in a unique way. In this setup, the bride stands in the center, holding her bouquet or striking a graceful pose, while her bridesmaids dance around her. The key to making this shot stand out is to lower the shutter speed on your camera, creating a dynamic blur effect with the motion of the bridesmaids. To ensure the bride remains the focal point, instruct her to stay perfectly still, allowing her to appear crisp and in sharp focus amidst the flurry of movement. This pose not only highlights the bride but also adds a sense of vibrancy and joy to the image, making it a standout addition to the wedding gallery.
Bridesmaid Posing Cues
To enhance these poses, giving clear yet creative directing cues is crucial. Some of the world’s top wedding photographers have shared their tried-and-true methods for eliciting genuine emotions and candid moments.
Posing Cue #1: Kristina Robinson
“We have a series of images that are a bit more posed, but I always finish with the girls next to each other and say, “Everyone look at me, now look at the bride, and bride look at me… Ok perfect, now quickly find your favorite bridesmaid” Or something to that. It always results in a confused look as they process what I said, and then everyone erupts in laughter and they are all naturally looking at each other and the bride. This will usually follow with jokes and authentic happy expressions. “
POSING CUE #3: Ashley Fisher
Ashley tells the bridesmaids that they will take a basic portrait with the bride first, then something fun, and then give her a piece of advice.
“I call this “Operation Bridesmaid”; while I’m taking bridal portraits, my second instructs the girls: “We’re going to do individual portraits with each of you and the bride. It can be sweet and emotional or it can be dirty. We just want you to have a moment with her and capture that genuine reaction! Just remember keep your bouquets low!” They are always my bride’s favorite images of her girls, and usually my brides say something along the lines of “this captures our relationship perfectly,” and they always remember what each girl told her!”
Giving the girls a bit of direction to act oftentimes results in some naturally candid moments. Directing and setting up a short walk, for example, is Tauran Woo’s method of choice. He asks them to “say hi to their neighbor while simply linking arms to keep them in close proximity.”
POSING CUE #4: Seth Kerechanin
“Our advice always results in laughter – turn inside to get skinny and close to each other, then lean toward the camera to show off your gorgeous faces and finally, grab each other’s butts. The gals always start busting up and squealing. The process can loosen them up on a tense wedding day and we can all laugh together while looking at the back of the camera.”
Posing Cue #5: Matt Roberts
“To bring out the candid and the bridesmaids individual personalities, I create mini games. Mini games leave room for bridesmaids to add in their own touch of creativity and personal flavor. They dive into how well they know the bride’s personality or fun moments they’ve shared. The mini game is a thought, a moment, a story, an expression, a personality…acted out. Examples of mini games include bridesmaids guessing or acting out what the bride is thinking. Or maybe even what she will be thinking later that day at the alter…or even what outfit she wants her groom to surprise her in later that night. The game part comes in when I ask them to act out, or show me, much like charades. When you pair how well bridesmaids know the bride with an action, the possibilities around creating new creative mini games are endless.”
Trevor Dayley plays a similar sort of game: after all the girls have lined up he directs them to “look at the bride and then asks the bride which girl is her favorite” – a sure fire way to get everyone laughing.
POSING CUE #6: Ning Wong
“I tell them to think of their favorite guilty pleasure boy-band song and dance in place. Singing it out loud is encouraged too.”
POSING CUE #7: Jeremy Chou
“Look at the person next to you and tell her how pretty she is!”
Kate Noelle Kernutt shares similar advice, directing “everybody to lean and check out each other’s makeup! Make sure no one has lipstick or spinach in their teeth!” getting the girls to interact and produce genuine reactions.
POSING CUE #8: Timothy Eyrich
“Get really close together and laugh like sorority girls!”
POSING CUE #9: Phillip Van Nostrand
“Set up a first look with her bridesmaids where the bride just gets dressed with mom and then all the girls get to see her completely dressed and ready.”
POSING CUE #10: Leaha Bourgeois
“I tell them to look at their neighbor and tell them how HOT they are. You’re so hot…no you’re so hot! GOD, we’re hot. You have to wait until they say it a few times and get the reaction after they’re done saying it.”
POSING CUE #11: Chad diblasio
“Everyone wants a totally kickass shot of the girls on the big day, but they’re also almost ALWAYS total goofballs too. I always try to get them a very “vogue” kind of shot, and then some variation of what I call “smooshy face” . I instruct the bride to sit or squat down and then tell all the girls put their faces as close to her as possible and then comment as they struggle or get weird and it’s always super cute/sweet/funny!”
POSING CUE #12: Christine Yodsukar
“I love to bring the Bride forward towards my lens, and frame her with her Bridesmaids. I really like to do this after I’ve done some of the more traditional Bridemaids photos so they are already comfortable and loose. Then when I bring the Bride forward, they naturally all continue talking and laughing.”
Learn More About Wedding Photography!
Bridesmaid photography is about more than just poses; it’s about storytelling and capturing the unique bond between the bride and her closest friends. By using these creative poses and directing cues, you can bring out genuine emotions and create a gallery that the bride will treasure for a lifetime. For even more wedding photography tips, check out our workshops and resources designed to help you master the art of storytelling through your lens.
To learn more about Photographing the Bride, please see our full workshop. More info in the video below.
