On the wedding day, all eyes are usually set on the bride, with everyone showering their love and adulation on her. But as a wedding photographer, it is your job to ensure that the other star of the day - the groom - is not left out when it comes to documenting their special day through your images! After all, it is their big day, and as your couple steps into a new phase of life together, they deserve every bit of the spotlight (and maybe your camera flashlight!) in equal measure. While bridal portraits tend to get a lot of attention in wedding photography, it’s the groom’s day too. So, it’s only natural that you celebrate him through the images you create and make him feel equally special. And a good way of doing that would be devoting some time in looking for some wedding photography poses for your groom to make him shine through in your images. In the past, we had covered topics on how to pose the couple during engagement sessions, as well as how to pose the bride, bridesmaids, and family formals. Since posing is a critical part of your shooting routine, in this blog, we cover another important aspect of wedding photography - groom poses! After all, the man of the day deserves his share of picture-perfect memories too!
11 MUST-HAVE GROOM POSES ON YOUR SHOT LIST
1. STANDING UP STRAIGHT
As you get started with photographing your groom, help him get comfortable with you and your camera by having him try out some of the classic wedding photography poses. And for that to happen, you could focus on groom poses that would make his personality shine through in your images. One easy pose could be where he just stands straight and smiles at the camera. You could try changing the position of his head as well as the angle of your camera to create dynamic images, while your subject could maintain his posture and smile for the shot. This is one of the most flattering groom poses you can use on the wedding day and is often the one that, once edited, will get selected for the album.
2. ADJUSTING CUFFLINKS OR HIS TIE
Image Courtesy: ShootDotEdit Customer @narvoldphotographyAs you pose your groom, you could suggest he adjust his cufflinks or his tie during the shot. When in between the action, he might not focus on posing as much, and the shot could turn out looking more natural. Ensure that you capture his expressions as he focuses on the details of his attire. Groom getting ready photos that simultaneously capture spontaneity will go a long way for the bride!
3. SITTING & LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW
Groom poses that are relaxed and casual can be a great addition to the wedding album. Allow your groom to sit down, on a couch or a stool, and relax while you take his solo shots. This pose allows the groom to reflect on the events of the most important day of his life. He could be recalling all the sweet moments spent with his partner and also looking forward to a beautiful life ahead with her. If captured with precision, all those genuine emotions could show up on his face and guarantee you some stunning images of the groom looking his best.
4. HOLDING THE JACKET BEHIND HIS BACK
Almost every guy would want to showcase his inner (masculine) model during his individual shoot. A creative way to portray this in his groom photos is to have him hold his jacket behind his back. You could tell him to think of his favorite magazine ad and imitate that for a compelling image. These groom poses are fun to position and often lead to the groom loosening up, which helps you in future shots.
5. SIDE PROFILE SHOTS
Image Courtesy: ShootDotEdit Customer @lovebyjoemacSide profile shots are always a hit! You could try capturing the groom from the side to create some unique and dynamic images. If he is always staring into the camera, the images can turn out to look redundant and repetitive. To add variety to the album and help your groom shine through in his wedding images, for a few shots, have him look down slightly while his hands are in his pocket. You can select the best ones later.
6. CROSSED ARMS
Posing the groom is a bit different than posing the bride, and the poses you use on the bride cannot always be used on your groom. Depending on your groom’s preference, you could try groom photography poses that bring out his masculinity. To do this, have him stand with his arms crossed. This will create a pose that showcases his confidence in front of the camera and highlights his best features. Make sure to keep an eye on the jacket as it can bunch up when you have him cross his arms.
7. HANDS IN HIS POCKETS
Image Courtesy: ShootDotEdit Customer @trevorhooperphotoIf your groom is uncomfortable posing in some of the ways we mentioned earlier, you could have him stand facing forward with his hands in his pockets. You could even suggest that he unbutton his jacket to create a different look than what has already been captured in the other groom portraits. Once he is in this position, be sure to check that his arms are posed with his elbows out so that he looks proportionate in the photo. Groom poses that are less stiff and formal can work really well to loosen up an uptight or a nervous groom.
8. LEANING AGAINST A WALL
Have your handsome groom lean against a wall for a few of his solo portraits. When he does that, he may be more at ease and give you a more natural pose and expression. He could face his back to the wall for one shot, then you could have him stand to the side and lean against the wall. This could be helpful to have your groom moving throughout the shoot so that you can keep him engaged.
9. PLACING THE JACKET ON
Image Courtesy: ShootDotEdit Customer @narvoldphotographyAnother way to capture some action in your images is to document your groom placing his jacket on. This could be the last item he needs before he is ready to head to the ceremony. While he is in motion, you could capture a variety of expressions and poses your groom gives you and add an element of interest to the wedding day story.
10. LOOKING INTO THE MIRROR
A wedding day is usually an action-packed day, with a lot going on around the bride and the groom. So, sometimes it would be nice for the groom to take a moment to relax before going back to entertaining his guests. As he is doing this, you could have him look into the mirror. Tell him to think of his bride and how they met - and as he is reminiscing about his life and love, you could take this opportunity to capture his genuine emotion for one of those deep, contemplative shots.
11. A POSE FOR THE BRIDE
Image Courtesy: ShootDotEdit Customer @erinm_photographyThe list of groom wedding poses would not be complete without a pose specially created for the bride. Get the groom laughing to create a candid pose and an image for her, or you can have him pose with a prop that says how much he loves her. Regardless of what you decide, ensure that the pose creates an image that is simply for the bride-to-be.
Further Read: Bridal Portrait Posing Techniques
Making the groom feel special and helping him relax and smile on his big day could be such a lovely feeling for you as his wedding photographer. Also, it’s so rewarding when in the process you get some of the most amazing groom images. And, to ensure your groom rocks in all his wedding portraits, you could try any or a mix of all the go-to groom poses discussed here for your next wedding. This way, you could become faster and more efficient while photographing your groom. Whatever you do, remember to make your groom feel comfortable and avoid being too pushy with the poses. The balance lies in guiding your groom with the shots and yet letting his individuality shine through in your images - in a way that leaves your couple spellbound with the final results!
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