What’s the difference between posing and prompting for your wedding photos?

Working with a wedding photographer to capture your big day is a great way to keep the memories alive for years to come.

However, a lot of the couples I work with come to me really worried about how their photos are going to look: from what poses will work best to how to make the session flow naturally and genuinely.

Usually, their concerns go a little like this…

“I don’t know how to smile for photos!”
“My partner really dislikes cameras and taking photos…”
“I’m not happy with [*insert body concern*], can we work around it?”
“I don’t want my photos to look forced…”

Luckily, that’s where the magic of posing and prompting comes in!

You might be wondering: “What’s the difference between posing and prompting?” and “How can I throw these into the mix so my photos don’t come out looking super forced and unauthentic?”

Glad you asked!

Let’s take a look at the different ways I like to work with my couples – with a spritz of “posing” here and a dash of “prompting” there – to bring their dream wedding photos to life!

Posing and prompting: what’s the difference?

Truth is, most of us don’t really know how to act natural when the camera comes out – myself included!

That’s why a photographer’s job is to help the people in front of the lens feel confident, comfortable, and in the moment – in a way that feels natural and creates real, genuine expressions. That way, the photos actually look and feel like you, and not simply forced or artificial.

I generally recommend a mix of posing and prompting to help couples get into the zone and feel more at ease with the situation. Here’s what that means during my process!

Posing

I usually think of posing as “building with the body.” This is also what I tell my clients!

Posing helps me, and them, cement a base that is flattering, helps them feel more confident, and allows everyone to create a more personal connection with one another.

Remember: This whole process is about YOU feeling comfortable and confident so that you’ll rock your best look, attitude, and it’ll continue to build upon an experience that you’ll want to remember forever.

Once the pose is in place, I then prompt my clients to create a more natural interaction that will still photograph well and help them get into the flow of moving a little more and going for the improvised moments.

Posing usually gets a bad rap because people consider it a little too stiff or uncomfortable. However, I think it’s a great way to get started before diving into prompting!

Prompting

On the other hand, prompting involves a lot more actionable movement.

What does this mean? Instead of asking the couple to stand there and look into each other’s eyes, I’d suggest something like going in for a hug/kiss in order to capture the before, during, and after moments.

Other prompts include:

Walking away/towards me holding hands
One partner giving the other a gentle twirl
Someone telling a joke (and capturing the mid-laugh)
Couples going in for a kiss
Saying the first thing that pops into their head

Personally, I prefer prompting because it helps my couples feel a lot more at ease with the situation of standing in front of a camera during such an emotional and intimate time. The awkwardness practically vanishes during the session when I work with couples to give them a little more freedom (and fun!) instead of asking them to stand there and look directly at me.

Posing and prompting

Although a lot of photographers also prefer prompting to posing, I like to think that a combination of both is the best way to capture beautiful photos.

Like I said above, posing is the base of what will come next: the prompting!

I usually like to start with formal – posed – pictures first, because it helps couples loosen up and get a better feel of how the session will go. Once the couple and I have gone through the more “posed” photos, I like to use prompts (like the ones above and a few more favorites) that will help me capture moments that are more interactive and movement-based.

How I work with posing and prompting my couples

I’ve already given you a sneak peek into how I like to plan for my shoots – first, posing; then, prompting – in order to get as many winning shots of you as possible!

Then the magic of posing and prompting comes right after the ceremony.

Usually, there are about 30 minutes in between the ceremony and the reception for me to capture the very first moments of you as a newlywed married couple!

These are some of your FIRST moments as a married couple and I don’t take that lightly! After working weddings for many years, these first few moments of “alone time” that you have in between the ceremony and reception are a small part of the wedding that can help you reconnect with your partner and acknowledge the fact that hey, y’all just tied the knot (!!) – without family, friends, and many other things happening around you.

By the time I’m working at a wedding as your wedding photographer, we’ll have already connected before the big day! Throughout our calls beforehand, check-ins, questionnaires, and messages – I’m able to create a bond with the couples I work with, helping them feel comfortable and in good hands.

Past couples have shared that they felt supported, in complete trust, and felt like I was able to capture their energy and vibe without too much posing and with a more natural and candid style (just look at the testimonials below).

I love making this time feel as special and intimate as possible – with a little posing and prompting – to help capture everything as naturally and candidly. This style of posing and prompting helps me create a collection of photographic moments that the couple can look back on days, weeks, and years after the ceremony in order to relive the good times over and over again.

My job, after all, is to help you feel like the most confident and beautiful version of yourself on such a special day!

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Looking for a wedding or elopement photographer who can help you and your partner with posing and prompting on your big day? Send me a message and let’s discuss the different ways we can work together to capture these special moments!