The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Party Photos!

You chose your wedding party members for a reason — they’re your ride or dies, your siblings, your day ones! Of course, they’re with you to support you as you get married. Today, we’re going to go through some super fun wedding party photo ideas, and also how to get the best wedding photos you possibly can! Forget what everyone is telling you to do. YOU DO YOU!

Essential Posing for Bridesmaids

Let’s start with the ladies — aka your bridal party! First, let’s get the classic — all lined up in a row and looking at the camera. To ensure you look your best, consider these key items for the best bridal party photos:

• Line up “butt to boobs”: if you feel too close to the person next to you, you’re probably doing it right! We want you to look like buddies, not an awkward family photo.
• Bouquet placement: Hold those bouquets so the top of the flowers are at your belly button. This looks 10000% better than what technically feels natural.
• Create dimension: Shift your weight to your back foot, allowing your front knee to bend slightly or relax.

Now that we have the classic, try some of these fun bridal party pose ideas! Look at your neighbor and tell them how beautiful they look! You can also go shoulder-to-shoulder and walk toward the camera, looking at your buddies and laughing together!

Tips for Groomsmen Photography

Here are some awesome tips for wedding photography ideas, specifically for dude wedding parties! Line up, groom or person of honor in the center with their shoulders square, while each groomsman can angle their body toward the center. Regarding uniform looks:

• Hands can be placed left-over-right in front of the body, or in pockets.
• Guys can also shift their weight to one leg or the other for a more natural, relaxed look.

After formal photography is out of the way, you can get weird! You might try the Flying V (ya know, like geese) or GENTLY tackle the groom! The key here is to get some motion, but not take the poor dude out before the ceremony.

Strategies for Photographing Large Bridal Parties

As a wedding photographer, if you have ever had to position a large wedding party, you know that it can be totally overwhelming. However, over 14+ years of practice, here are some helpful tools. Choose your location thoughtfully. Always be on the look-out for good light first and foremost, typically a spot that is either in complete shade or backlit. The bridal party will intrinsically make the photo busy, so keeping the location clean and simple is key.

To manage the group size effectively, try these methods:

1. Create levels: The wider the group is spread, the further back you need to be. I like to create levels by using chairs to get the large group into a tighter formation.
2. Mix it up: Separating or alternating guys and girls creates interest and helps create a pleasing balance.
3. Don’t worry about symmetry: Look to create balance instead. Everyone doesn’t need to have their hands or arms positioned the same exact way.

Creative Poses for Huge Groups

If you have a large wedding party, it’s even more important to get really tight so we can see everyone in the frame! Consider these go-to poses:

• The Tunnel: Ask each separate side to create two rows, then have them throw up their hands and bouquets and cheer as the newlyweds run through the tunnel.
• The Large Clump: There could be up to 3-5 rows of people… some squatting and kneeling down to get as many faces in the frame as possible!
• Two Rows: Start by positioning the back row in between each person in the front so that each person in the back row has their own little “window”.

Comparing the Impact of Bridal Party Size

While having many friends is wonderful, it is important to understand how the size of your wedding party affects your planning and budget. Here is a breakdown of considerations for larger groups based on common experiences:

Factor	Challenges with Large Bridal Parties
Planning	Everyone has their own idea of what should take place and it is just hard to plan a trip for a lot of people!
Stress	The more opinions you have coming your way, the more stressed out you will be as a bride.
Cost	The bigger the bridal party, the higher the cost for hair, makeup, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and gifts.
Group Dynamics	More girls = more drama.

Individual and Mixed Group Photos

Welcome to 2023, when no one cares about having strictly gendered wedding parties — a friend is a friend! The same classic advice stands for wedding group photos — if you have a bouquet, top at your belly button, and if you have pockets, hands in your pockets. Also, don't forget individual photos! Share a moment with each of your special wedding party members, doing a formal shot followed by a silly, cute, or funny photo as well.