The Styles of Wedding Photography
Your wedding photos are something you’ll keep forever so you need to make sure you get the perfect photographer. Here’s our guide to finding the photographer for you.
Once the confetti has settled and the honeymoon is over comes the exciting time to receive your wedding photos.
The walk down the aisle, the proud hug with your Dad, that joke in the best man’s speech: you’ll be able to look back on all those special moments and remember one of the happiest days of your life – not just now, but in years to come.
It’s so important then that you’re happy with your wedding photos. It can be one of the biggest wedding regrets for couples that they either didn’t capture all the moments they wanted or they ended up not liking the photographer’s pictures.
So how do you go about choosing the right photographer? Firstly, we’re going to explain a little about the different styles of wedding photography and then give you eight easy steps to choosing a wedding photographer.
The Three Main Styles of Wedding Photography
The terminology around wedding photography can be baffling, especially what the different styles of wedding photography mean. Regardless of your budget, you’ll be able to find photographers offering each of the three most common types of wedding photography for every budget.
Photojournalistic / Documentary
Photojournalistic, also known as documentary photography. Your photographer will stand among and around you and your guests capturing candid and spontaneous shots. Reportage style is all about reactions and emotions so expect your photos to tell the real story of your day. It can feel like the most authentic form of photography as there’s no posing.
Pros: Captures story and emotions while being relaxed and unobtrusive
Cons: No posed group photos unless you ask for them
Traditional Photography
Traditional or formal wedding photography is the classic posed look you see in conventional group shots of the couple and the wedding party. This used to be the most popular style and involves plenty of direction from the photographer, but it also takes time and you might miss some of the action of the day. Your photos are likely to be a bit formulaic, but will be beautifully shot and well-lit.
Pros: Lasting pictures of family and friends in a timeless, beautiful style
Cons: Takes time and staging so you can miss the emotion of the day
Contemporary Photography
Contemporary photography will feel more like fashion or editorial photography combined with reportage. It’s ideal if you want fashion-led couple photos and an artistic approach to other shots. You’ll need to find a photographer with the same creative vision as you, whether that’s street style, portraits, conceptual or nature-focused.
Pros: Dramatic, beautiful, unique shots
Cons: Sometimes the vision comes ahead of capturing the personality of the couples
