As a photographer, my number one goal is to put people at ease in front of the camera. When people are relaxed, they are free to be themselves and that produces the best kind of photos…the ones where you can see the real emotion between two people.
HOWever. There is one aspect of almost every engagement session or wedding shoot that can go wrong, and that is the Kissing Shot. Most people have it down but some others need a little help. I guess this could get a little awkward for some people. Sorry ’bout that but, I’m gonna do it anyways : )

In my experience, when there is a problem with the kissing shot it is not because people are being tasteless/going overboard with their smooches. The problem I see more often is when a couple is really worried about going overboard, and the result is a pursed lip peck that lasts about a tenth of a second and looks far less than natural.

Kisses that work:
REAL. Kisses. Let me say it one more time: A REAL kiss will look best on camera.
I mean, judgement must be used here. Lets not have anything brought out that should stay behind closed doors, keep it tasteful…but keep it real.
Think about the last time you kissed your significant other. Did you purse your lips and just briefly/lightly touch each other? Probably not : ) Maybe that was the last time you kissed your grandma? (just kidding…)
One thing to try and do difficult as it may be, is to just be natural. Don’t over think it.
Here’s what I would suggest:
Put your arms tight around your fiance’s neck or waist, put your face right up close to theirs and look in to their eyes. Don’t force the kiss, just wait for it. If kissing on the lips in front of the camera makes you too nervous just kiss them on the cheek, the forehead or even the shoulder…that stuff is all cute too, and will make your photographer oh so happy. After a few of those, you probably won’t be able to help kissing him on the lips anyways. So you know, just work up to it.
One more thing that might be helpful to remember is that physical closeness and playfulness are so key during these kinds of photos. You can’t hold her hand too much, you can’t pull her in too close! It doesn’t come across as cheesy if it is self directed, then its just cute. Its my job as the photographer to set you up for these kinds of moments, and it’s your job to try to relax and just be in the moment…do that and you’ll love your photos.

I think under-kissing on camera is way worse than over-kissing. This is your wedding day! You’re in love! That should shine through the photos and the grandma kiss just won’t cut it…not during the ceremony, and not during your couple photos.

Here are some pictures to illustrate what I’m trying to say…
Below is of my favorite kissing shots ever, probably because you can just tell it’s real and they’re so in love in their wedding day. Am I right?You can tell with this shot that Erica and Sean were in the moment, they definitely were not just kissing on command!This one deserves a Wow! Love this shot.Their first kiss as husband and wife. It was a real kiss, and it lasted for a few good clicks…Here’s a perfect example of closeness and the sweetest kiss on the cheek. They’re not focused on the camera though, and that’s what makes the image.Obviously I put them into this position, right? But they were still able to forget about me…in a good way : )
Hello! This is exactly what I mean by getting close to each other and looking in to each other’s eyes…and sometimes the moment right before the kiss is even sweeter.Last thing: Practice makes perfect…and what fun homework, right?