Some couples have a signature romantic gesture. Others have a joke that has survived three house moves and several questionable haircuts. Both deserve a place in wedding photographs. A funny portrait can be a surprisingly precise record of how two people enjoy each other.
The trick is to start with your humour. You do not need to be naturally theatrical, and your photographer does not need to become an entertainer. A small exchange you both recognise will usually have more staying power than an elaborate gag you would never choose outside a photoshoot.
Let the object be ordinary
In this HO Stories portrait, magnifying glasses turn a close-up into a playful experiment. The object is simple; the expressions make it work. The photograph has a clear visual joke without requiring a complicated scene.
Think about things you already interact with together: reading glasses, a favourite snack, a familiar game or a small souvenir. If an object immediately starts a conversation, it may earn a place in a few portraits. If it needs a long explanation before either of you smiles, leave it at home.
Bring your younger selves into the picture
The couple are holding photographs of themselves as children. That small detail changes the joke into something tender: the people they were and the people they have become meet in one frame. HO Stories gives those childhood pictures a new shared chapter, with just enough mischief to keep the sentiment light.
If you like the idea, choose childhood pictures you both enjoy sharing. A familiar expression, an oversized outfit or a wonderfully serious little face may be all the story needs. Keep it affectionate: the best personal prop makes both of you feel included in the joke.
Keep the small, ridiculous frame
A pair of crisps supplies the joke in the third photograph. There is very little visual machinery around it: two faces, a close crop and an expression that would mean something different without the snack. The image feels specific because the couple have committed to a tiny shared game.
You may discover a similar favourite while looking through your gallery. Do not dismiss it because it is less elegant than the portrait you imagined sending to relatives. Different photographs can have different audiences. The one that makes the two of you laugh may be especially valuable in an album you keep for yourselves.
Find a little room to play
The orange circle in this HO Stories photograph gives the couple a ready-made stage. Back to back, laughing inside its bright outline, they turn a simple playground shape into a portrait with its own rhythm. A place that invites a small interaction can be more useful than a list of funny poses.
Give humour room, then get back to the day
A short playful sequence is often plenty. You can try an idea, enjoy it and move on before it becomes work. Let your photographer know that you welcome those pictures, but avoid building a schedule full of compulsory funny moments. A spontaneous laugh is difficult to enjoy while checking whether it has met a brief.
Keep the formal photographs you actually want as well. Humour and elegance can sit next to each other; the contrast can make the gallery feel more complete. Our guide to choosing wedding album photographs is a useful reminder that a memorable selection includes more than one mood.
Explore the HO Stories carousel and save the ideas that resemble your sense of play. The goal is not to become the funniest couple on the internet. It is to recognise yourselves when you open the photographs years later.
Discover more photographs on HO Stories’s official website.
