Posed, Prompted, and Candid: Why You Need All Three for Your Wedding Photography

With Allichelle Photography

One of the first vendors that every couple will book for their wedding day is their photographer. You want to find one who checks all your boxes and captures all the most important details and memories from your day. So how do you know what to look for in a great wedding photographer?

Take it from Allison Guzman, the fabulous creative behind Allichelle Photography; it all comes down to the three types of photos you’ll get on your wedding day. A great wedding gallery will have each of these types of photography: posed, prompted, and candid wedding photos.

“There are so many styles of photography, but no matter your photographer’s shooting or editing style, you want to make sure they’re doing at least some amount of all three of posed, prompted, and candid when shooting your wedding. The biggest difference between the three is how much control and direction the photographer or videographer has of the image or scene.”

A Great Wedding Photographer Does All Three

So how do you define each style and why they’re great for every wedding? For Allison it comes down to the level of involvement from whoever’s behind the lens; she’s either telling you exactly where to stand and look, or she’s capturing that special moment where you didn’t even realize there was a camera watching.

“Think posed as high control, prompted as medium, and candid as very little or none. I was shooting a wedding with a friend at Snowbird last year, and I captured a three-photo series that demonstrates this. The sun was setting, and as we were adjusting our settings, the couple was just enjoying the moment. The groom even pulled out his phone to get his own picture of it. I grabbed a shot of him taking his shot. This was candid. Then we told them to face the sunset and hold hands. This is a simple example of posed. I called out, ‘everything the light touches…’ in my deepest voice in reference to The Lion King to get a laugh and their reaction. This is one example of prompted.”

A great wedding photographer will capture all three; some may not even realize that they do!

“Especially in wedding photography, posed, prompted, and candid photos all play a vital role in documenting, remembering, and showcasing your memories. If all you have are candid photos, then it may be hard to see all the details. But if all you have are posed photos, then you might miss out on authentic moments and emotions.”

Posed Wedding Photography Shots

“In posed photos, the photographer will tell you exactly what to do. Where to stand, where to look, what to do with your hands, where to hold the bouquet, etc.”

Couples especially love posed photos because they’re the beautiful Insta-worthy and magazine-worthy shots that make it into the albums and wall prints.

“The look-at-the-camera and smile photos might not be the most exciting in the gallery, but believe me when I say you’ll want them. An intentional portrait with eye contact will be personal for you, your parents, and your posterity. There are also some of the more romantic, editorial images that will make you feel like you belong in a magazine. You’ll see some of those types of posed photos in your gallery and feel like a model.”

All those amazing shots of a bride and groom in a magazine or on Pinterest? They’re most likely posed on purpose and made to be editorial.

“A close-up of the couple looking right through the lens, with or without a smile, is timeless. Getting the bridal party spread out, some sitting, some standing, really adds a little luxury to the group photo. When you get the couple with hands all over (sorry, Mom) on the waist, neck, head, etc., or maybe a slight dip, it adds so much romance.”

Prompted Wedding Photos

“Prompted photography is when the photographer gives you something to do, say, or even think, or they could say or do something as the photographer to elicit a reaction. Prompted photography has gained a lot of popularity in portrait and wedding photography over the last decade or so, but it is not new by any means.”

Couples love it because it gives them a moment to literally revel in the fact that you’re getting married, and your photographer literally captures the emotion on your face as you take it all in.

“A prompted image is a way to capture the magic of candid and posed simultaneously. Sometimes it’s about movement, big or small, or acting out a scene. It prevents the people in the shot from becoming stiff. It breathes life into the photo. And as I tell my clients, sometimes faked laughs become real laughs. That’s the magic; prompted photos are still very authentic and become part of your memories.”

Like posed photos, Allison has a few reliable prompts that really get those amazing tear-worthy pictures on your wedding day.

“Walking is a go-to for individual, couple, and bridal party photos. There are multiple ways to do a walking photo. Walking across, walking towards, walking away. You can just walk, or you can all hold the dress, the veil, the flowers; you can hold each other and walk, you can ‘drunk walk.’ Walking is a popular prompt for a reason. Have you ever read or watched Pride and Prejudice? As Mr. Darcy points out, ‘Your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking.’”

Here’s the most helpful tip of all: get you a wedding photographer who uses Mr. Darcy as a reference for your wedding photos. Talk about the ultimate romantic!

Candid Wedding Photography

“True candid photography is when the photographer only watches and documents but does not direct at all.”

And really, who doesn’t love a good candid moment from a wedding?

“The candid photos in your gallery or album will be the reminders that this wasn’t just a beautiful photoshoot, but a real-life lived experience. Sometimes I’ll grab a photo of less-than-glamorous or very silly behind-the-scenes moments and tell the people around me, ‘This is what wedding days are like; you’ll want to remember this too.’”

So how does a photographer go about getting those once-in-a-lifetime candid shots?

“The point of candid is that I’m not directing; it all depends on what is happening all on its own. But what I look for is tears, laughs, weather, killer dance moves, and relatable and behind the scenes moments.”

Allison goes about getting those shots by literally blending into the background, making every moment feel special; and that’s where the magic happens.

“For the posed group photos, I basically act like I’m on stage. I’m loud and command attention, and I’m very comfortable with that. But for candid and the events (like the ceremony or first dance), I draw on my introverted nature and make myself as inconspicuous as possible. I had one client leave me a review: ‘One of the comments that we received from people seeing our pictures was, “I can’t believe she got that, I was right there and didn’t even notice she was close to me taking that picture.’’’ I’m basically a ninja hiding in plain sight.”

Allichelle’s Favorites

“There is no way I could choose a favorite style. I truly love all three. And when they’re done right, I think most people love all three as well. I always make sure I capture posed, prompted, and candid images at every wedding I shoot, but the ratio of how many of each I capture is more dependent on the specific couple and the specific event.”

Allison’s advice for couples planning a wedding is to look for a photographer who knows when to lean into each of the different types of styles depending on what you need as the couple.

“I have so many people tell me they don’t know what to do when they’re in front of the camera. Sometimes they say, ‘We need help posing,’ or ‘We’re awkward, so we really want a lot of candid photos.’ I would say, don’t assume any one of the posed, prompted, or candid types of photos will be your preference. Hire someone who does well at all three, and you’ll be surprised at some of your favorite photos.”

“That being said, if candid photos are important to you, then you need to be present. If you want candid images of you with your grandma, then you need to spend time with grandma during the wedding. If you want candid photos of your reactions to the toasts, then you need to be fully engaged in the moment and not worry about the timeline and what comes next. And also, trust your photographer. If they’re asking you to do something you’re worried is going to be awkward, trust the process. As I said, fake laughs become real laughs.”

Find an Expert Wedding Photographer to Get Your Favorite Shots

After more than 15 years as a wedding photographer, Allison knows her way around a wedding day, and how to get every single shot imaginable. And how to rally the troops.

“Every single wedding I work, I get compliments from the couple and their friends and family about how I handle the group photos. I know exactly what needs to get done. It’s important to me that no one is standing around wondering what’s going on. I’m loud and in charge, and that’s so we can get through all the posed photos of the family and bridal party quickly. You want to actually enjoy your wedding day, not just have a posed photoshoot the whole day. And, added bonus, when you have the time to actually be present and enjoy your day more, we’ll be able to get more candid photos. Win-win.”

But what’s even better is the sheer amount of pictures Allison gives her couples. With so many shots, posed, prompted, and candid, of course, there are simply too many perfect pictures to leave behind.

“I consider it my job to give you your favorite photos, but I do not consider it my job to choose which ones are your favorite. One reason I over-deliver is because I give multiple variations of the same photo, and lots of in-between moments.”

“I had a wedding in California in 2015. I remember the father of the bride being a little stoic and not showing much emotion throughout the day. During all of the posed family photos, I grabbed a candid moment of him and the bride looking at each other, just an in-between moment. I remember thinking it was a cute photo, but it didn’t seem particularly special, and I had already chosen more than enough photos to give to the couple. But I included it anyway because that’s what I do.”

“A few years later, that bride posted that image on her Facebook. She wrote about how her father had just passed away and how much she loved him, and that that was her all-time favorite photo of the two of them together. Immediate tears. It would have been so easy to cut it when I was choosing the photos, but I didn’t. I would rather give you too many photos than cut out a photo that would potentially have been your favorite.”

Reach Out to Allison

You can check out Allichelle Photography’s Instagram page or visit her website to check out more of her amazing work and to book a call to meet her! Take it from her, your wedding day deserves a photographer who knows exactly how to capture every single perfect moment.