This engagement session reinterprets all those oh-so-familiar couple poses

trash can engagement photos alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride) — All photos by Malia Moss.

When my fiancé Elliot and I got engaged, we didn't have any plans to take engagement photos. But when we started our wedding research, we had a bit of a chuckle seeing the same series of photos again and again:

Woman looking daintily up at her intended while he looks broodingly into the distance
Couple holding hands in an awkward position so the shiny bling was obviously front and center
Couple kissing on the beach with pre-wife lifting one leg and pointing her toes

…you get the picture.

So, as a joke, we started talking about doing spoofs of these photos — some gender-swapped (how would Elliot look with his leg cocked while kissing me?), others just extreme takes on traditional photos (what if, instead of leading me gently down a grassy meadow path, Elliot was snapped dragging my body into the woods?).

Elliot and I started a Google doc for fun, highlighting our most ridiculous ideas. When my dear friend, Malia, saw the list, she insisted on taking the photos. She'd been a wedding and engagement photographer for 10 years and said she was tired of the familiar poses. So as our wedding gift, Malia followed us around San Francisco while we acted like idiots and Elliot posed as a traditional blushing bride. I don't think anyone has ever had more fun…

Guest Post By: Marian Schembari

http://marianlibrarian.com/

Marian is a blogger and marketing manager, having landed in San Francisco via New Zealand via London via New York. She's quite fond of yoga, knitting and tea. She is not 80 years old.