Among other stressful wedding planning to-dos, your upcoming engagement session might have you feeling anxious. Let’s #realtalk for a moment—engagement sessions are awkward AF. Without the wedding-day adrenaline and bottomless champagne on your side, getting affectionate with your spouse in front of a stranger with a camera isn’t exactly easy—and even though your photographer is a seasoned pro, there isn’t a magic Photoshop tool for intense stares and uncomfortable kisses.

So, you could anxiously await your session and then rely on your photographer to coach you through, or you could show up to your session prepared and cool as a cucumber. How? Here’s our pro tip:

Choose five simple engagement photo poses and practice, practice, practice.

It might sound totally silly, but we promise it will pay off! To ensure you’re going to arrive at your shoot feeling relaxed and photogenic, practice your engagement photo poses in front of a mirror and take careful note of your angles. If you tend to slouch your shoulders or tilt your chin up when you smile, posing in front of a mirror will bring awareness to those habits. Lastly, keep in mind that this exercise is all about building your confidence in front of the camera, NOT about criticizing your wonderfully unique body!

To get you started, we’ve rounded up five of our favorite engagement photo poses!

 

pose #1 | The Casual Embrace from Behind

We love a pose that feels natural, like something you would do in the comfort of your own home. (Maybe consider starting your session in the comfort of your own home!) We also love how dynamic a photograph feels with one subject making eye contact and the other looking away.

Photographer // Hart & Fig Photography

 

pose #2 | The Stoic Side-by-Side

If you’re a nature-loving couple, this pose is for you. The stoic side-by-side works wonderfully with any picturesque landscape, and when the subjects gaze in opposite directions it brings a sense of adventure to the image.

Photographer // Hart & Fig Photography

 

pose #3 | The Romantic Side-by-Side

When it comes to the more obviously staged poses, this is definitely one of our faves. We especially love how chic and cool this pose looks against a minimal background.

Photographer // Hart & Fig Photography

 

pose #4 | The Candid Almost-Kiss

You probably wouldn’t choose a full-on makeout photo for your save-the-dates. But we think the candid feel of an almost-kiss is totally more adorable and totally less awkward than frenching in front of your photographer.

Photography // Twin Lens Weddings

 

pose #5 | The Informal First Dance

Any pose with movement and laughter gets an A++ in our book. Especially with a flowing skirt involved, this informal first dance pose is #winning. We love this pose in an urban or architectural setting!

Photography // Twin Lens Weddings

That rounds out our five favorite engagement photo poses! If you’re looking for more unique wedding inspiration, check out 10 Incredibly Cool Wedding Details to Wow Your Guests! Eager for more photography tips and wedding planning advice? Make sure to sign up for our newsletter below. (We won’t flood your inbox, cross our hearts!)