My name is Mike Bender and I’m the co-founder of an Instagram account “Awkward family photos” dedicated to celebrating our most cringe-worthy photos. At AFP, we laugh with our community, not at them, and let’s face it – we all have cringe photos!
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I decided to put together some of our greatest couple’s photos submissions and the stories behind them to celebrate the inherent awkwardness of amor.
More info: Instagram | awkwardfamilyphotos.com
#1
“They encountered a black metal band during their engagement shoot.”
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#2
“My favorite picture of my parents. Them on their wedding day, 1991.”
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#3
“Found this version at my grandma’s. If anyone in the family had broken up with a significant other, she had a Sharpie ready to joyfully remove the offending partner.”
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#4
“Dad was sure the church photo would only be taken from the waist up.”
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#5
“We had the worst wedding photographer in the world. I think this says it all.”
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#6
“I was going through the pictures when I saw I totally blocked my husband out with my big hair. Then a good friend of mine pointed out the bush in the background looks like a demon.”
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#7
“When the preacher said ‘Kiss the bride,’ my four-year-old decided to put a finger in my butt.”
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#8
“This is a photo of my Ma and Pop out on a date in the ’80s. My mom must have followed the instructions on my father’s shirt because 9 months later I was born!”
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#9
“Here’s my Mom and Dad in September 1970. Credit to the photographer for the special effects pre-photoshop.”
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#10
“We were having a great time at my wedding.”
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#11
“I photographed my sister-in-law’s wedding (my husband’s sister). I knew the window overlooked a part of the hotel’s roof, but I didn’t notice the workers until after I snapped a few pictures.”
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#12
“My parents leaving their wedding reception for their honeymoon road trip in a VW van. 1971.”
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#13
“My husband and I wanted to take a Christmas family photo with our dog Rylee, but he kept wandering off. When we got home our photographer called us and said, ‘I found where Rylee was.”
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#14
“My sister is the one who has wisely chosen not to participate in this smooch-fest.”
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#15
“Despite the doom & gloom depicted in the picture, four kids & 28 years later, we’re still together.”
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#16
“The chainsaw was the neighbor’s Christmas present. It’s funny because my mom is smiling even though my dad looks kind of like a potential serial killer.”
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#17
“My parents on their wedding day, Vancouver 1986.”
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#18
“After we had just finished 2 hours of wedding photos.”
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#19
“My parents in high school… I’m not sure what is going on here.”
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#20
“My parents in the late 80s. They loved floral!”
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#21
“My parents’ wedding photo taken in the early 60s with my mother wearing pan-stick makeup. My mom just looks SO happy, doesn’t she?”
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#22
“The only thing I know about this photo is that my parents were at a business event.”
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#23
“We were doing a newlywed photo shoot. We wanted to take romantic photos but something caught his eye while he was trying to pose.”
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#24
“I’ve always told my husband that he’s been smitten with me since our first date. It’s easy to understand why when we look back at our engagement pictures.”
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#25
“My aunt and uncle in the mid-’80s.”
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#26
“My husband and I got married before everything in our area was shut down for COVID-19. Loved this photo of us with my new father-in-law in the background…on a dig.”
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#27
“Yes, this is my engagement picture. We thought it would be cute meaning ’til death do us part, but everyone thought it meant our love was already dead.”
Photographer: Jack Carey, Edited by Robin Simpson
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#28
“This is my parents getting hitched in Oatman, Arizona on the gallows in ’88. Yes, legally.”
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#29
“Dad takes Mom to meet the in-laws, 1978 NYC.”
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#30
“My aunt and uncle’s family portrait from the early ’90s.”
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#31
“My parents going for a ride right after they got married.”
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#32
“We just got married, and had no kids… just this cat skeleton, “Bones”. We decided to take him with us to our first family portrait.”
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#33
“The photographer directed us to close our eyes and look relaxed. My fiance nailed it… actually, I think he fell asleep.”
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#34
“Our wedding was held over Thanksgiving at my grandparents’ church and they wanted to keep the festive decor in place for our ceremony.”
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#35
“My grandmother trying to steal my dad from his new bride!”
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