Capturing Love: Five Love-Language Based Poses & Prompts for Couples Photoshoots
Everyone’s love language is different. Capturing the essence of a relationship in a photoshoot is about more than just a smile for the camera; it’s about telling your story through images. As a photographer specializing in the human connection, I’ve found that the best photos are those that reflect the true emotion between partners. Whether you’re planning an engagement shoot, an anniversary session, or just want to document your love, here are some unique poses and concepts to help prepare you for your session and make your shoot easygoing and memorable.
incorporating your unique love language into poses & prompts
IDEA #1
The Walk and Talk
One of the simplest yet most effective poses involves couples walking together. This pose creates natural movement, giving your photos a candid and relaxed feel.
As you walk, I encourage you to talk, laugh, or even share a little secret (hello Words of Affirmation!). Feel free to absolutely ignore the camera during this prompt! Avoiding the camera will allow you to focus solely on your partner, giving them your undivided attention making for amazing, candid photos.
It is also a great prompt that helps you both feel more at ease and captures genuine interaction between you and your partner. Your natural body language together will capture the way you feel about each other. Whether walking hand-in-hand through a park, along the shore of Lake Erie or at the county fair, this prompt will always tell a story of togetherness.
IDEA #2
The Close-Up
If you and your love are big Physical Touch people, a close-up shot can beautifully highlight the bond between the two of you.
For this, I will often ask you to stand or sit close together, with foreheads touching or noses brushing. This pose is perfect for capturing the soft smiles, tender gazes, and the subtle details like intertwined hands or a gentle touch on the cheek.
The key to this pose is making sure you both feel comfortable and relaxed enough to express your love openly, which is why I always try to build a relationship with you both prior to your session through phone calls, questionnaires and chatting! All love is welcome with me!! I will take a step back at our session to allow you to just be present and genuine with each other to have quiet, intimate moments. On the inside, though, I am beaming and squealing at the tenderness and cuteness I am honored to witness.
IDEA #3
The Playful Lift
For my Quality Time couples who want a more playful and energetic session, a lift or spin can add a dynamic element to your photos.
Whether it’s the classic lift where one partner picks up the other, or a spontaneous twirl that showcases a flowing dress, action based prompts are perfect for adding a sense of joy and movement. These moments often result in real memories being made, filled with genuine laughter and happiness, making for some of the most emotive and cherished images captured during a shoot.
Quality Time can also look a lot more calm and intimate. Cuddling up together is a natural and comfortable pose for many couples. You and your partner can cozy up on a park bench to warm each other up during the fall season, sit on a your favorite blanket with picnic foods to enjoy with each other, or even nestled together on your well-loved couch at home.
The focus here is on closeness and comfort that you normally exhibit with each other on a regular basis. Cozy prompts and poses are meant to capture your softer side that your partner has come to know and love.
IDEA #4
The Shared Activity
One of the most personal and unique ways to capture your connection to one another is through a shared activity.
I often ask couples to consider activities they enjoy doing together or for each other when getting to know you.
This could be something as simple as cooking together, playing an instrument, or dancing in the kitchen. If your shared love language is Acts of Service, choosing an activity that relates to the two of you is a sure way to have a comfortable and true session.
Sara and David, the couple pictured throughout this article, chose to incorporate their passports into their session to speak to their love of traveling together. Sara had told me that she and David will be leaving for a long-term international trip in the coming month, making these the perfect photos to commemorate their time in their hometown.
The idea is to capture you doing something you love for and with each other, which not only reflects your personality but also creates a relaxed environment where you can be yourselves. These photos often become favorites because they show the couple in their element, genuinely enjoying each other’s company. Check out this blog where I go more in depth to this idea at the button below!
IDEA #5
The Hidden Surprise
If you or your partner love Gift Giving, a photo session is a great time to give a gift to your best friend and capture their genuine reaction to the gift.
One of my biggest love languages is Gift Giving - I love secretly keeping note of things that my loved ones mention they’d like in passing, or sourcing unique, one of a kind gifts that I know someone would love, and if you are anything like me, you’ll want to surprise the love of your life with a small token of your love at your photo session.
This could be a handwritten note that you gift to them during photos (guilty of this one!), passing along a family heirloom, or even an engagement ring! If you plan to incorporate a gift in your session, chat with your photographer beforehand to go over the specifics such as the best location for you and your partner to be at and for your photographer to be placed at. This is especially important for surprise engagements!
With this type of love-language highlighted in your session, there will be little to no posing or prompts until after the gift has been given. This is a way to capture only the truest versions of you and your partner when the unexpected happens in a way that warms your hearts.
BONUS TIP
Any shoot is a collaborative effort between yourselves and your photographer.
And for a bonus tip, it is important to note that your shoot should be a collaborative effort between you and your photographer. If you have any special ideas you’d like to incorporate on the fly, tell your photographer! These photos are your story and will be passed down through generations - I will always make any wishes you have happen.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A personal and memorable couples photoshoot is about more than just good lighting and a pretty backdrop—it’s about capturing your authentic love, joy, and connection to tell your story. By allowing your unique love languages to come through, we can create a series of images that are not only beautiful but also deeply meaningful to you and your partner.
I would be absolutely honored to witness and preserve your unique love through the art of photography and storytelling. So whether you are looking to document an engagement, celebrate an anniversary, or simply capture your love as it currently is, these ideas will help you feel more comfortable displaying your love and ensure that your photos are a true reflection of your relationship.
Pres-er-va-tion-ist (noun)
A supporter or advocate of the preservation of something, especially of [history] and artifacts.
A photographer.
You.
