Graduating together is a milestone, and photos are a great way to celebrate your unique friendship. Whether it’s just you and your best friend or your whole group from freshman year, WVU grad photos capture your journey. Below, you’ll find fun and stylish pose ideas for pairs and groups, along with campus locations and planning tips. Pick outfits that fit your style, from bold colors to neutrals, so your memories look great in photos. Also, choose campus landmarks and take pictures during the best light for the most flattering portraits.
Why Book a Best Friend Graduation Session at WVU?
Somewhere between moving in as freshmen and those early 8 a.m. classes that no one was ever really awake for, you found your people at WVU.
Maybe it was your whole hallway, a sorority pledge class, a team, or a study group. Somehow, these friends turned into family. Together, you made it through finals and roommate drama. You shared rainy game days at Milan Puskar Stadium, and more late-night Sheetz runs than anyone will admit. Now, you’re about to walk across the stage together. That deserves more than just a quick phone selfie in your caps and gowns.
Individual WVU graduation photos are wonderful, and every grad should have them. But a best friend session captures the bonds that solo portraits can’t. You can see the happiness and closeness in these photos. These are the pictures you’ll share in the group chat on graduation anniversaries, frame in your first apartments, and look back on at each other’s weddings. There’s a practical side, too. Most people feel a bit awkward in front of the camera at first, but it’s hard to stay stiff when your favorite people are there laughing with you. That comfort shows in every photo, which is why best friend and group graduation pictures often end up being the most natural and joyful in your whole gallery.
Best Friend Duo or Friend Group: Which Session Is Right for You?
A duo session is all about connection.
With just the two of you, there’s space for sweet, close moments like forehead touches and mutual glances.
Additionally, there are side-by-side diploma shots and plenty of silly energy.
A friend group session is all about celebrating together. Whether you have three, five, or even ten friends, the energy is totally different—big confetti moments, loud cheers, and the kind of fun that only happens when everyone is together. Group sessions are a great way to share the experience with the people who made your college years special. The best part is, you don’t have to pick just one option. Many sessions start with the whole group and then break into pairs or smaller groups, so everyone gets photos with the crew and with their closest friends.
Graduation Poses for Besties and Friend Groups
The fun part of your session is where your personalities really come out, so don’t worry about being perfect. It’s all about movement, energy, and lots of cheer. One of my favorite ways to start is with a confetti cannon—count to three, twist, and let the gold and blue confetti rain down as you celebrate. With a large group, it becomes a wave of color. If you want something even more festive, popping a bottle of champagne or sparkling cider is always a hit. For duos, pop one bottle together; for groups, have a few friends pop bottles at once and be ready for everyone nearby to get a little wet.
A classic cap toss never goes out of style.
It’s even more fun with a crowd tossing in sync.
Duos can try a piggyback ride across Woodburn Circle with gowns flying.
Groups can run toward the camera together, linking arms in a line.
They can pile into a laughing huddle.
And if your friends have a signature song from college, bring it along.
A quick dance break uses the moves you perfected at every party since sophomore year.
These times create candid WVU Grad photos you will treasure.
Stylish and Editorial Poses for Duos and Groups
Once everyone feels comfortable, it’s time for some polished shots that look great on Instagram and your parents’ mantel. For duos, try a back-to-back pose with arms crossed or holding diplomas for a confident, power-duo vibe in front of WVU’s historic brick buildings. For groups, a V-formation with one or two friends in front and the rest behind creates that similar confident, editorial look on a larger scale.
The steps at Woodburn Hall are a photographer’s secret for groups of any size. Spreading friends out on different steps adds height and depth, ensuring every face is visible—especially helpful with larger groups. Walking shots are great too. Duos can walk side by side and look back over their shoulders, while groups can stroll across the lawn in a loose line, chatting and laughing. Coordinated moments, like everyone adjusting their stoles or pointing their caps to the sky at once, look especially striking when the whole group does them at once.
The Best WVU Campus Locations for Best Friend and Group Photos
Morgantown has beautiful backdrops, and picking the right spots makes your WVU grad photos feel personal. Woodburn Circle is an iconic part of campus, with a big lawn where everyone can spread out, run, and toss confetti. It’s a great place to start your session with a WVU vibe.
Close by, Oglebay Hall features refined architecture and wide steps perfect for staggered portraits and layered group shots. The Mountaineer Statue evokes memories of lunches and study sessions between classes, giving meaning to many friend groups. Using a playful, unmistakably WVU touch, consider the PRT.
If you spent four years joking about it together, you’ll see how your final photo gallery tells your WVU story and brings back campus memories.
What to Wear for WVU Grad Photos
The best photos happen when everyone coordinates without matching exactly. Instead of wearing the same outfits, pick a shared color palette—maybe WVU gold and navy, soft neutrals, or bright, happy colors. For friend groups, two or three colors keep things looking cohesive while letting everyone’s style show. Try to avoid wearing neon if everyone else is in pastels, since it will stand out in the photos.
Skip changing your whole outfit—sessions go by fast, and you’ll want to spend your time taking photos, not changing clothes. Adding a quick layer is an easy way to switch up your look. One of my grads brought her WVU football jersey and put it over her dress halfway through, which gave her photos a fresh, game-day vibe without taking up any time. A jersey, varsity jacket, or matching crew shirt works great for both duos and groups. This is also the perfect time to show off your WVU pride and achievements, so wear your honor cords and stoles, and bring your sorority or fraternity letters, club gear, or team apparel. One useful tip: Morgantown’s hills are serious, so bring your cute shoes for photos and bring comfortable sneakers or flats for walking between locations.
Props That Make Your Session Personal
The right props can make your session feel truly personal. Confetti, streamers, and gold and blue balloons add instant celebration, and a bottle or two of champagne or sparkling cider makes for a fun pop. Custom graduation caps you decorated together are great to include, and friend groups can even design caps that spell out a message when everyone stands in a line. A “We Did It!” letter board works for any group size. My favorite personal touch is bringing something that represents your friendship, like a photo from freshman year that we can recreate for a sweet then-and-now comparison.
Tips for Planning Your WVU Grad Photos
My biggest tip is to book early. WVU’s spring and fall graduation seasons fill up fast, and the best golden-hour time slots go first. Group sessions need even more lead time, since it can be tricky to coordinate everyone’s schedules. Pick one friend to handle booking and share details with the group—it makes everything go much more smoothly.
Try to schedule your session for the hour before sunset if you can. That warm, golden light looks great on everyone and gives your photos a dreamy, celebratory vibe. For bigger groups, plan for a little extra time so you can get photos of the whole crew, smaller groups, and a few individual shots. Most importantly, come ready to have fun. Bring your inside jokes, favorite stories, and best-friend energy—the more you laugh, the more natural your photos will look. And don’t worry about posing; that’s my job. I’ll guide everyone through each moment so you can enjoy celebrating together.
Frequently Asked Questions About WVU Best Friend and Group Graduation Photos
How many friends can be in a best friend graduation session? As many as you’d like, within reason. I photograph everything from duos to large friend groups, and I’ll help you pick the session length that fits your crew.
Can we get individual photos during a group session? Yes. Many groups include time for smaller combinations and individual portraits, so everyone walks away with shots of the whole crew and a few of their own.
When should we book our WVU graduation photo session? For spring graduation, contact several months in advance, since popular dates fill up quickly. Groups should book even earlier to give everyone time to arrange schedules.
Book Your WVU Best Friend Graduation Session
You didn’t just earn a degree. Along the way, you built relationships that carried you through it all, and your best friend graduation session is your chance to celebrate both on the campus where it all happened. At Carrie White Photography, I love capturing WVU graduates in all their colorful, confetti-filled glory, whether it’s two besties or the whole crew, and whether your style is playful, polished, timeless, or a little bit of everything.
Ready to book your WVU best-friend or friend-group graduation photos? Contact us today to reserve your date before the season fills up. Let’s go, Mountaineers!
Carrie White is the photographer behind Carrie White Photography, based in Morgantown, West Virginia. She specializes in WVU graduation portraits and vibrant, celebration-filled weddings, with a style built on bright color, real laughter, and plenty of confetti.
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