Posed PDA In Wedding Photographs: Cringe Or Cute?

At any given point, the world is divided into multiple teams based on their opinions. These opinions can be innocuous, like whether you think THAT dress was white-gold or blue-black, or something seriously problematic, like whether liking pineapples on pizza makes you a monster or not.

One such divisive opinion that’s causing heated debate online these days is whether couples should be kissing (or hugging, or generally PDA-ing) in their wedding photographs or not.

Weddings are about love, or at least they’re supposed to be! PDAs, or public displays of affection, are an expression of love. Therefore, it’s only fair to expect to see to-be-weds or newlyweds indulging in PDA in wedding photographs as well.

You don’t need to be a historian or sociologist to know that a couple of decades ago, the wedding landscape in India was much, much different than what it is now. Whether it’s the grand production value associated with the wedding planning process or the cinematic quality of wedding films and photographs, we’ve come a long way from the harshly lit flash photography of the years gone by.

Weddings have also undergone an identity transformation. What was largely a heteronormative construct of society meant to propagate the family system has become a celebration of love, even if the match was arranged by the family or matchmakers. While weddings were still largely about the family, the focus shifted and tilted towards the couple at the centre of the wedding. The wedding photography, which was largely centred around formal portraits of the bride and groom with the family and guests in attendance, now focuses more on telling the couple’s story through pictures.

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This has led to the popularisation of candid, or natural, photography in weddings, where professional photographers and filmers capture non-posed moments from the ceremony, including displays of affection by the brides and grooms.

“Weddings in India have always been a family affair, but now there’s more focus on the couple’s journey, their chemistry, and their personal moments,” says wedding photographer Manvi Gandotra, founder of 1Plus1 Studio, "Social media has also played a role—couples see more intimate moments being captured worldwide and want to express their love that way too. That said, every couple has their own comfort level, and cultural influences still matter.”

Photographer and the founder of The Cheesecake Project Stuti Sakhalkar Dasgupta agrees and says, “Firstly, physical love is the most natural thing out there! I'd like to assume everyone wants these natural, beautiful moments of love to be captured. My husband and I myself ended up kissing once we signed on our marriage registration forms!”

PDA In Wedding Photos, But Make It Candid

We live in a conservative society where seeing someone slap the other person on screen is more normalised than two people in love expressing their feelings by kissing or hugging each other. We might have come a long, long way from kissing being represented by two flowers being pushed against each other, but expressing love through physical actions can still elicit disapproving nods and, even, reprimands from older members of the family at weddings. These prudish relatives are often the reason why PDAs in wedding photographs appear forced or stilted.

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“It's mostly the aunts and uncles who'll randomly comment if a couple ever seems to be ‘too happy’ or ‘too excited’,” It's sad. Why dim anyone's light on their special day?” says Stuti. So is there a way to get actual candids of moments of affection between you and your partner at your wedding? Of course, there is!

“PDA doesn’t have to mean a dramatic kiss. Even small gestures—holding hands, leaning in, sharing a smile—can feel just as intimate. If a couple isn’t comfortable, I don’t push them. Instead, I focus on their natural chemistry—how they look at each other, how they interact when they think no one’s watching. Those moments are just as powerful,” says Manvi.

Another thing that could help is privacy. “Privacy is key. And being around people you're comfortable with. As a team, we walk in as friends, keeping it easy and pally. This usually eases out any kinda awkwardness should the couple want to capture some affection on camera,” says Stuti. Getting comfortable with your photography team can help you lower your inhibitions and express freely without the consciousness of a camera following you around. It will also help you set some guardrails with your photographers. “If you are inherently a private couple and don't want to showcase any form of intimacy or even affection on camera, that's perfectly fine. You don't have to feel bad about it. The only tip would be to let the photographers know your boundaries, your tastes and share your hesitations with them,” says Stuti.

“I always tell couples: focus on each other, not the camera,” says Manvi, “Move naturally—walk, whisper something, make each other laugh. If you’re stiff, it’ll show. I also like using prompts instead of posing—like asking the groom to tell his bride the first thing he thought when he saw her today. That way, their reaction is real, and we get beautiful, unscripted moments.”

Whether you want to announce your love to the world through your wedding photographs or keep it lowkey, there are no wrong answers!