WRITTEN BY UNSCRIPTED

Authentic Posing
on a Wedding Day
PHOTO BY
@MELISSAFLORIANOPHOTO
There’s a subtle art to posing people. And when it comes to posing a
nervous, slightly boozed couple on their wedding day, it can feel like
you’re calling in miracles just to get them to keep their eyes open at the
same time. It’s a juggling act, for sure; getting them to relax, put their
best fancy shoe forward, and capture the lighting when it turns on the
magic. A deep breath goes a long way for your sanity (and for the sanity
of those around you).

With the Unscripted Posing App in your pocket, you’ll have all the tools
you need to lean into and harness the energy of The Big Day. We’ve got
you covered with prompts to guide you through every aspect of the
wedding day; from the bridal party to the groomsmen, to the bride and
groom together, with separate prompts giving you ideas for solo portraits
of each of them. Not to mention all of the categories in the app that helps
you tell their love story before and after the wedding, with engagement
shoots to family prompt ideas, solidifying your role as their photographer
and allowing you to grow your business with regular clients you have the
opportunity to get to know over a period of time.
Our wedding prompts have been divided into 2 categories: fun and
romantic. The fun ones are the cheeky and playful kind -- dynamic, loud,
and energetic. The romantic ones are softer, fit for intimate expressions of
love and the warm fuzzies. Kind of like a one-two-punch of the best kind,
they’re designed to coax even the most introverted folk out of their shell.

Break the ice with the fun ones, then swiftly follow up with the romantic
ones. Once they’re laughing, they’ll drop their guard enough to melt into
the sweeter quieter poses and you’ll have the chance to witness that classic
wedding day goosebump-inducing melt. Ah, we love love.

There are a lot of hopes riding on The Big Day, and as easy as it is to get
swept up in the chaos, it’s important to slow down enough to pull into
sharper focus all of the beautiful moments unfolding around you. And
because we love you, we’ve put together a little guide so you can be extra
sure to keep your cool amongst The Big Day frenzy.
 1. Make Plans to be Spontaneous
What’s the trick to navigating the balance between posing and
authenticity? We’re looking for the goldilocks zone, that sweet
spot right in the middle that treads the line between planning and
spontaneity. If you can be the subtle orchestrator of things, and
get in front of the ball, you’ll be able to anticipate moments and
be ready with your finger on the shutter when the magic happens.
Hone your powers of invisibility, and be a fly on the wall (not the
elephant in the room). For the sake of you and the couple you’re
photographing, try to avoid telling them to act natural.

Be patient. You know the old adage, good photographs come to

those who wait (and have their cameras charged/settings dialled).
Frame up what you hope to be the final composition, and use the
environment and other people to accent or contrast the happy
couple. Anticipate the moment by being a low-key creep; tune
into conversations, body language, and wait. Move things along
through the art of suggestion and subtle prompting. Capturing
them in a state of reverie or engagement with something other
than the camera imbues the photograph with energy unique to
that moment.
 PROMPT IDEAS

PROMPT: PROMPT:
Lift her in the air like a disney Who said "I love you" first?
movie ending What happened next?

PROMPT: PROMPT: 
Focus on your partners breath and Fly your partner around like an
airplane, sound effects
syncronize your breathing encouraged.
 2. Let Them In On The Creative
Process
Let the couple in on the process, and welcome the different
perspectives that come from listening and being in the moment.
What unfolds organically is never identical to what you’d expect,
so don’t restrict yourself to diligently carrying out a vision if it
means you’ll miss all of the little moments in between the
structure. The more you embrace imperfections, and the readier
you are to adjust to your subjects, the more this natural process
will be apparent in the frame. You’re not looking for perfect,
you’re looking for real.

Don’t hesitate to ask them about what they’d like to create, and if
they get silly, get silly with them! You’re allowed to have fun, too.
Sometimes it can even be helpful to play games like telephone, or
charades. Play is a beautiful way to connect! It also plays an
essential role in reducing stress, and the movement that
accompanies it allows people to drop their self-conscious guard.

Also, get close. The closer you are, the easier it will be for you to
understand what they’re feeling and relay the feeling of that day
back to their future selves. You want them and their families to be
reminiscing over these photos for years to come, and if you’re
able to co-create a photograph that is capable of preserving the
feel of this time in their lives, then everybody wins.
 PROMPT IDEAS

PROMPT: PROMPT:
Pretend like you're the only ones 1,2,3 hip bump!
on the dance floor

PROMPT: PROMPT:
Give me your best impression of List your least fav chores in a sexy
him/her voice in her ear
 3. Invite Them To Be Alone Together
In the whirlwind of weddings, sometimes couples really appreciate
being given the permission to step away from their guests to steal
some quiet time with each other before carrying on with the evening.
As their photographer, you’re in the perfect position to provide them
with an excuse to do so. This can come in the form of a first look, an
opportunity to document the first time the bride and groom see
each other all dressed up before the wedding, or even a mid-
reception game of hookie. It allows you to capture the more quiet
interactions that happen outside the moments they share with their
guests.
PROMPT IDEAS

PROMPT: PROMPT: PROMPT:

With your faces as close as Trace his jawline gently Think about how precious she
possible, try to express just is to you
how much you love each
other using only your eyes
 4. Be A Prepper
Regardless of whether you’re photographing the wedding or
marrying your best friend, we know for certain that you’re better
off  going into a wedding feeling prepared. Have a vision, save
some poses from the Unscripted App to your photoshoot mood
board, and look over them a few times so they feel familiar.

PROMPT IDEAS

PROMPT: PROMPT: PROMPT:

Gaze off into the distance Close your eyes, breath in, Touch your hair and put the
with your best smize now breath out slowly and other hand in your pocket -
hold pretend you're shirtless on
the cover of GQ!
 5. Embrace Your Bossy Side
There are times to hold your tongue, and times when it’s
absolutely essential that you be bossy AF. When posing anyone
at a wedding, you definitely need to err on the bossy side. I’m not
saying you need to get frantic, just be commanding. It helps to
remind everyone that the sooner they get their photos out of the
way, the sooner they’ll be into the food and dancing. A couple
other things to keep in mind when dealing with groups are to
encourage everyone to stand at an angle, pull their arms away
from their bodies, hug each other, hold hands, or put their hands
on a bouquet or in a pocket. Give everyone a pretty good idea of
where they’re to stand, and then encourage them to add their
own flavour to the picture. Have a flick through the ‘groups’ tab
on the Unscripted Posing App for more inspiration.Sometimes it
can feel like herding cats getting people into position, so make
the most of each scenario by creating slight variations on a
theme. Do a silly version, or a serious version, or a bet-you-
weren’t-expecting-this version. Alternatively, adjust your crop or
your angle.
 PROMPT IDEAS

PROMPT: PROMPT:
Pretend you're in an action movie Make a bridge! Run through and
look back at me smiling

PROMPT: PROMPT:
When they kiss, everyone cheers! How proud are you to stand next
Arms up! to the bride today?
As the guests raise their glasses, and you raise your camera to continue
to capture the magic, remember to always allow room for spontaneity.
We love plans, but not the kind that confine you. You’ve been hired to
inject your unique creative flare in capturing this wedding, and you’ll
need to be ok with deviating from a strict schedule because #life. But
being armed with a pocket full of prompts and poses in the Unscripted
Posing App will allow you to embrace the daunting task of posing one or
a dozen rowdy guests with ease.

LET'S RECAP
1. Arrive with a vision and a few prompts up your sleeve.
2. Keep it simple, and don’t be afraid to use your voice.
3. Work the angles, get variety, and have fun!

Let us know how you go with these suggestions and

share your work with us on our facebook group or tag us
@unscriptedposingapp on instagram