All reinterpretations photographed 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…

Want more nontraditional twists on engagement photo poses? Check out our Engagement Shoot Inspiration Pinterest board

Recent Comments faith: Certainly fun to do a twist on the classics, but there seems to be a bad habit in our culture … [Link]Ashlah: Love the gender swapping! I joked with my fiance that, rather than an egalitarian wedding, we should just swap everything … [Link]Amber: It works out well, then, that you visited one later ;) Love the photos so very much. [Link]Ariel Meadow Stallings: Watch out: some fetishist is probably already squatting on sexygroomtoes.com ;) [Link]Shannon Gray: Total WIN! :) love it! haha!! [Link]

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