As you count down the months, weeks, or maybe even days until you say “I do”, it’s only customary to overthink your centerpiece choice or whether your decor will come together exactly as you envisioned. If you are hosting at one of our MA wedding venues, your in-house producer will ensure your nerves are calmed and all the details are accounted for. With most of the stress out of your mind, you will have more space to entertain creativity, especially in regards to the photos you’ll take to commemorate this big day.
With over 45 years of experience in the wedding industry, SEG has seen every photography session possible. While some couples decide to go the more traditional route, we’re here to suggest a few fun wedding party poses that you can incorporate into your photography shot-list that will have your wedding party smiling and laughing through the entire process.
The First Look
While some brides choose to take all their best friends to shop for the perfect dress, there are some who enjoy the mystique of keeping their dress a secret, not only from their partner, but from their bridesmaids (and family) as well. While this is more of a traditional approach, SEG wants to encourage you to step outside the comfort of familiarity and try something a bit more modern with a first look surrounded by your closest friends and family. You could do this separately with your groom or your parents, who are almost guaranteed to elicit genuine shocked expressions and inevitably, happy tears. For a moment, a first look allows you to step inside the role of a movie star appearing on the Oscar red carpet where all eyes are on you, your hair, your makeup, and obviously that dress. Some couples even decide to take a funnier approach, by having the groom think he’s doing a first look with his partner but instead finds his best man in a wedding dress before him. Talk about those reactions!
The Lift
This unique wedding party pose is definitely trickier than most, being that it requires a lot of strength, trust, and a wide-open space. While it presents its challenges, the shot itself captures a strong bond between you and your best friends. It also works to curate a lively and entertaining photography experience rather than a stuffy “let’s get this over with” mentality. It’s important to acknowledge the people you have leaned on most for support in relationships but also in life. While this pose can be achieved with the bride and her best friends, the idea of grass stains on white chiffon or tulle might be reason enough for you to steer clear.
The Glimpse into the Future
This pose is specifically geared towards those with smaller humans in their bridal party, whether that be a flower girl, ring bearer, or both! A shot with a flower girl and the bride plays on proportions and also works to capture a very important part of life, growing up. These can be great keepsakes later in life if the children in your wedding go on to have weddings of their own. For couples with children, this shot encapsulates an even stronger connection between mom and daughter, or dad and son. If you want more poses, you could even try having your flower girl walk around in your heels to capture a playful memory.
The “How You Met Your Wedding Party”
Every single person selected to attend your wedding is there for a reason, especially those lucky few that get to stand up front with you and your partner. Why not share the happy experience of meeting them for the first time? Maybe you’ve been friends with some since childhood, or you met some in a class or club in college. Maybe some just walked into your life out of the blue! DIY chalkboard signs, college banners, or even the football pose below are great subtle ways to pay tribute to those that have been with you through the ups and downs of life. On Tik Tok, there is even a recent trend of spotlighting the matchmaker (if you have one) of your relationship because where might you be without them?
The Up Close and Personal
For most weddings, the pictures are taken using a wide-angle lens so the photographer can capture as many people in one photo as possible. But, there are also a lot of opportunities to capture the smaller details you could miss. Every couple has their “thing,” whether that be a love for the TV show Friends or a specific sports team. The point being, we all have interests that make us unique and you and your partner are no different.
A photo showing off the groomsmen’s socks adds an unexpected pop of color and perfectly showcases these groomsmen’s love for sports. For brides, you can incorporate this idea while using one of SEG’s luxurious bridal suites. These rooms decorated with chic elements can be the perfect backdrop for close-up shots of the corset in the back of your dress, the sparkle of your shoes, or the jewelry you bought for your ‘something blue.’ If you like close-up shots, don’t forget to ask your photographer for detailed pictures of you and your partner’s rings.
The Send-Off
After the bar closes down and the speeches have been made, try adding this one last shot to signify the end of your perfect day. Some couples have even experimented with blowing bubbles which add texture and movement to a seemingly still photo. Other parties have rented old luxury cars to drive away in which are totally glamorous. Have your photographer play around with lighting and focus to see whether you’d prefer your wedding party to be featured in the frame or just silhouettes in the background. This is the perfect opportunity to get all the guests and their grinning faces in one picture.
Whether you find yourself drawn towards one of these pose suggestions or all six, SEG highly encourages you to honor a little creativity and silliness during your wedding day. Incorporating some unique poses might feel like an extra step (after all, you will have to discuss these wishes with your producer and photography team at least one to two weeks out), but the end results and the memories will feel authentic and completely yours. The most important thing to remember —wish list aside— is that you should feel confident, excited, and stress-free throughout your day, which is why the SEG team will do everything we can to support you in celebrating one of the most important days of your life.
