The Complete Posing Guide for Newly Engaged Couples that "Can't Pose"

Joshua Pyram • January 6, 2026

If there's one thing I'm always talking with clients about during consultation calls or engagement shoots, its the fear of posing. Instagram, social media, and editorial models can makes us feel like making our bodies look good is a difficult thing. Wrong wrong wrong!! The more you try to create the "perfect pose", the more you lose YOUR MAGIC! So what's YOUR story?


This guide is not a list of clunky, robotic, lifeless poses sold to "make your wedding day look perfect". This is for couples who want to be relaxed, and feel natural on their special day, while effortlessly remembering what brought them together... AND THEN AS A RESULT! Drawing us into you.


Below are 12 posing principles you can actually use during your engagement session or wedding day.

1. Body Alignment

Your body is always speaking before your face ever does.

  • Angle your torso slightly toward your partner instead of straight to the camera
  • Shift your weight onto your back foot to create a natural S-curve
  • Drop your shoulders and lengthen your neck
  • Think “tall but relaxed,” not stiff or posed
  • Let your hips and chest face different directions for depth and dimension
  • Avoid locking your knees; micro-bend for fluidity


Good alignment instantly makes you look more confident and at ease.


2. Relaxation & Breath

Tension is the silent killer of beautiful photos.

  • Take one slow breath before every pose
  • Exhale through your mouth and let your shoulders fall
  • Let your jaw unclench and tongue rest at the bottom of your mouth
  • Soften your brow and eyelids
  • If you feel awkward, move — don’t freeze
  • Remember: the camera loves calm energy


Your breath sets the tone for everything else.


3. Joints, Angles & Flattering Extensions

Where your joints point… the viewer’s eye follows.

  • Extend arms and legs slightly away from the body
  • Avoid pressing elbows, knees, or hands flat against your torso
  • Create triangles with your limbs for dynamic composition
  • Keep wrists and ankles soft and relaxed
  • Warning: anything closest to the camera appears larger — avoid pointing short or imposing appendages forward!
  • Use subtle bends instead of straight lines


This creates elegance whether you’re standing or seated.


4. Best Facial Directions to Look

Your face has a “favorite side.” Trust me.

  • Turn your face slightly past the camera, then back with your eyes
  • Drop your chin a touch and extend forward
  • Avoid pulling your head straight back
  • Use small movements; micro-adjustments are everything
  • Let your partner become your focal point when possible
  • Think: curiosity, not performance


Your face should feel like it’s telling a story, not holding a pose.

5. Using Empty Space (Ma) to Tell Emotion

So I love Anime and Studio Ghibli. Just like in Hayao Miyazaki films, space holds meaning- Ma.

  • Don’t rush every moment with motion
  • Allow quiet pauses between gestures
  • Leave space between bodies, then slowly close it
  • Use distance to create longing, closeness to show connection
  • Let stillness do some of the storytelling- Stillness, Not STIFFNESS!
  • Emotion lives in the in-between moments


This is where magic hides.


6. Hands & Placement

Hands reveal emotion faster than words.

  • Avoid clenched fists or hidden hands
  • Let fingers stay loose and slightly curved
  • Use hands to touch your partner’s face, waist, jacket, or hair
  • Keep hands active but gentle
  • When unsure, hold your partner — it always works
  • Let gestures begin before the camera clicks


Your hands tell the truth of the moment.

7. Eyes Carry Magic

Your eyes are the emotional anchor of every photo.

  • Look at each other more than the camera
  • When looking at the lens, think of someone you love
  • Blink slowly before the shutter clicks
  • Let your eyes soften, not widen
  • Imagine you’re seeing your partner for the first time
  • Emotion always reads through the eyes first


This is where connection becomes visible.

8. Real-Time Movement = Natural Flow

Static posing is the enemy of authenticity.

  • Walk together slowly
  • Sway, spin, or rock gently side to side
  • Let one action flow into the next
  • Reset between poses instead of freezing
  • Move first, then pause
  • The best frames usually happen mid-movement


Motion creates life in the image.

9. My Secret Sauce

This one changes everything.

  • Talk about your first date
  • Tell each other what you were thinking that night
  • Recall a funny or emotional moment you shared
  • Let that memory play in real time
  • Watch how your body language shifts
  • That’s when the real sparks appear


Emotion beats posing every time.

10. Clothing Choices for Engagements & Weddings

What you wear affects how you feel — and how you photograph.

  • Choose outfits that fit well and allow movement
  • Avoid overly busy patterns or loud logos
  • Coordinate tones instead of matching colors
  • Textures photograph beautifully
  • Comfort equals confidence
  • If you love what you’re wearing, it will show


Your wardrobe becomes part of the story.

11. Trust the Process

You don’t have to know how to pose — that’s my job.

  • Focus on each other, not the camera
  • Let go of “doing it right”
  • Stay open, playful, and curious
  • Mistakes often become the best photos
  • Your only job is to be present
  • I’ll handle the rest

Trust creates the most powerful images.


12. Let Yourself Enjoy It

This is your story — not a performance.

  • Laugh when something feels awkward
  • Stay connected to your partner
  • Let moments unfold naturally
  • Be kind to yourself
  • Remember why you’re here
  • This is supposed to feel good

When you’re enjoying it, the photos glow.

Final Thoughts

Every couple who steps in front of my camera is nervous at first.
And every single one leaves saying the same thing:

 “That was actually fun.”

My job is to create a space where you can relax, connect, and simply be in love — while I quietly turn those moments into images you’ll carry for the rest of your life.


If that’s the experience you want,
then yes — I’d love to be your photographer.

How to Create a Wedding Timeline That Feels Calm, Not Rushed

By Joshua Pyram • August 20, 2025
Welcome to a photographer’s guide to building a wedding day that actually feels like an awesome vibe, and not a crazy frenzy. So lemme say this now: no one remembers the exact minute the cake was cut. They remember how they felt when they saw each other for the first time. Bing. They remember the deep breath before walking down the aisle. Bang. They remember laughing too hard during cocktail hour and losing track of time on the dance floor. Boom. And all of that starts with your timeline. After photographing many weddings, I’ve learned that the calmest, happiest couples aren’t the ones with the most rigid schedules — they’re the ones whose timeline gives them room to be human, and breathe. Let’s build you that kind of day now.

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Venue (From a Photographer’s Point of View)

By Joshua Pyram • June 7, 2025
Location Location Location! What most couples overlook — and how it directly affects your wedding photos... After photographing weddings for over two decades, I’ve learned that your venue is more than just a backdrop. It shapes your timeline, your energy, your guest experience… and every single image you’ll take home. From the perspective of an event photographer that also works in concert venues, and Broadway shows, here's how to choose a venue that doesn’t just look beautiful — but works beautifully for your wedding day.