16 Most Popular Wedding Photography Styles

An Introduction to Wedding Photography Styles Every Couple Should Know

Wedding photography styles refer to the various approaches, techniques, and creative methods used by professional photographers to capture the special moments, beauty, and emotions that surround weddings.

Communication between you and your wedding photographer will be crucial so that you can perfectly achieve your desired wedding photography style. You would want to capture the moments of your wedding ceremony that you may have missed and reminisce or you just want a gorgeous wedding photo you can hang on your wall. Either way, the perfect wedding photography style for you shall be communicated with your photographer.

What are the different types of wedding photography?

This article will provide you with a list of the most common types of wedding photoshoot. You may use just one style all through the wedding. Although, it may be more interesting if you show your creative side and do a mix-and-match of the different styles to cater to the different emotions displayed on your big day.

Artistic or Fine Art Wedding Photography

This style is all about creating beautiful, artistic images. The photographer will use creative lighting, framing, and composition to create stunning images that look like they belong in an art gallery. This style is perfect for couples who want to capture the beauty of their wedding day uniquely and artistically. The artistic photos produced from this photography style will look like fine pieces of art displayed in galleries.

This style showcases the creativity, expertise, and artistry of the photographer in their use of light, composition, and other elements to capture unique and artistic images that go beyond traditional wedding photos.

Natural Wedding Photography

This style is characterized by soft, glowing images with a dreamy and romantic feel, often featuring natural and outdoor settings. Thus, this is a perfect match for those couples who wish to have outdoor weddings as the main star, aside from the couple, is nature. The balance between the light and shadows would be an important aspect that highlights the skill of the photographer.

Often, wedding photographers choose to shoot during the "Golden Hour" to create more aesthetic photos using the soft and warm colors produced by the sky. This lighting could also make it easier for them to produce high-quality images that are worth your money.

Vintage Style Wedding Photography

This style focuses on using film and old-school techniques to create a timeless, vintage look and feel to the images. Hence, a rustic themed-wedding will surely be a great fit for this photography style.

A mix of the lighting, set, and costume design, as well as several photo filters will create this nostalgic feel whenever you look at the wedding photos.

Additionally, a reddish-brown tint for the photos is sometimes used to create a retro feel. This is called the sepia or aged photography style which can make your photos look like they have been shot a long long time ago.

Documentary Wedding Photography

This style is similar to the photojournalistic style, but with a focus on telling a story. The photographer will capture every detail of the day, from the smallest moments to the biggest events. This style is perfect for couples who want a comprehensive record of their wedding day that they can look back on and relive.

Candid photos showing the different emotions showcased in the wedding ceremony are the highlight of this wedding style. A vast amount of skills would be needed for this type of wedding photography since you have to keep up in real-time with the events and adjust your camera settings or angles accordingly.

Black and White Wedding Photography

As the name implies, this is usually in black and white with no color. Of course, during the photo session, normal lighting and colors are used but certain editing techniques will be used post-production to create stunning black-and-white photos.

The simplicity of this photography style is what interests couples who chose this. Additionally, an added benefit of this is to hide lighting flaws. Sometimes, images shot feel wrong because of bad or too much lighting creating a chaotic feel. A simple remedy for this is to remove the color and do plain and simple black-and-white photography.

Traditional Wedding Photography

This style of wedding photography is the classic, posed approach. The photographer will direct the couple and their families in various poses for portraits. These photos are typically more formal and staged but can be beautiful and timeless. Traditional photography produces images that are sharp, well-lit, and have a timeless, elegant quality.

This wedding photography style boasts the discipline needed to pose for formal shots, therefore, being ideal for family portraits. The classic images formed could be something you hang on the walls of your ancestral homes to commemorate this momentous occasion you have shared with your family.

Film Wedding Photography

In this day and age, you would think that the modern style would be the only one used in photography. But alas, many photographers still choose to be old-school and choose film photography. The soft, muted tones admixed with grain bring out, yet again, a nostalgic feel. It also brings out the originality of your wedding photos.

Some disadvantages may include, a higher cost for the production of images. If a film camera is used, the additional cost to buy the film is imperative. Second, fewer photos may be printed due to the limited film. Lastly, your photos may take longer to arrive since the printing process of film cameras is more delicate and detailed.

Destination Wedding Photography

Oh to have a majestic view behind your photos. Destination weddings are becoming popular nowadays. It involves holding the wedding shoot far away from the residence of the couple, often to secluded places boasting their wonderful forests, beaches, or culture.

A lot of skills would be involved here such as landscape photography, editorial skills, and even scouting for places to produce high-quality images. With this, the couple is not the only focus but also the scenery and/or the culture. So, a perfect balance should be attained so that nothing will be overpowered by one. Not to mention, a higher cost too since you would need to travel from one place to another. Although, you may think of this as a bonding experience with your significant other.

Dark and Moody Wedding Photography

Dark and moody wedding photography style is a specific style of photography where the images are captured with a dark and dramatic mood. This style is characterized by deep shadows, rich blacks, muted colors, and a gritty, film-like quality. It is often used to create a mood of intimacy and romance and is ideal for couples who want a more edgy and artistic wedding album. Dark and moody wedding photography is achieved through careful lighting, post-processing techniques, and the creative use of angles and framing.

There is usually no pure white here but are rather complemented by shades of other colors.

Photojournalistic Wedding Photography

Photojournalistic photography is all about capturing candid moments throughout the day. The photographer will blend in with the guests and capture natural, spontaneous shots that tell the day's story. This style is perfect for couples who want to capture the emotion and excitement of their wedding day without being too posed. The images are candid and unposed, and show a genuine representation of the event.

It is similar to documentary photography but this style focuses more on each bit of the moment as opposed to the whole story. Although, almost the same set of skills is needed for both styles.

Dramatic Wedding Photography

This style employs bold, high-contrast lighting techniques to create dramatic scenes, with an emphasis on capturing the emotional intensity of the moments. Lighting has a very important role here since you want to achieve masterfully curated shadows and silhouettes to add more drama. Dramatic backdrops may also be used to attain that desired intensity.

Contemporary Wedding Photography

If you prefer to shy away from traditional wedding photography, this style would be right for you since this is a mixture of modern styles complemented by some dramatic photography making you feel like you are shooting for a magazine cover. Although, a certain amount of direction by the photographer for poses will still be employed here.

A closer relationship with the photographer would be needed here since good communication and cooperation would be vital to bring to life the vision of the photographer. We only have the same goal as them which is to produce beautiful and superb wedding photos.

Engagement Shoot

This is quite a new thing on its way to popularity. This is also called a pre-wedding shoot wherein you have your photos taken with your fiance by a professional photographer. Engagement shoots are another way to celebrate and commemorate this new chapter you are about to face with your significant other.

Some photographers offer this as a package together with photos that will be taken during the wedding ceremony, wedding party, and same-day edit videos. Different photographers will have a different approach toward this so be sure to communicate with them and check if you have both visions aligned.

Photo Booths

Another new kid on the block that offers potential. Photo booths are increasing their popularity now at weddings due to the entertainment it provides not only to the couple but also to the guests. It is a fun way to bond with the guests and produce quirky photos you would enjoy looking at and laughing about as well as a nice souvenir for your guests to take home.

These are sometimes offered with the package but some would just refer you to another trusted vendor. Some would offer props or costumes to add more fun and showcase the creativity of the guests in taking their photos.

First Look Photography

Far from tradition and ignoring superstition, this wedding shoot includes a separate moment with the couple before the wedding or before the guests arrive to take photos. This can help photographers to capture a beautiful image of the couple if the schedule is too tight or before things get a little too chaotic.

Fashion Wedding Photography

Shoutout to all our fashionistas out there! If you want to feel like an It girl, this style may just be the absolute choice for you. You took a lot of time in finding the perfect wedding clothes so it is understandable that you would also want to highlight them in your wedding photos. This style is also one of the posed photography styles and involves a great deal of meticulousness.

How to choose wedding photography styles?

Research: Look at different wedding photography styles online and in magazines to get a sense of what style you are attracted to. Some popular styles include traditional, documentary, fine art, and editorial.

Consider your wedding theme: Think about your wedding theme and the overall aesthetic of your wedding. This will help guide you in choosing a photographer who specializes in a particular style.

Discuss with your photographer: Talk to different wedding photographers about their style and approach to wedding photography. Be sure to ask to see their portfolio of work.

Think about your style: Consider your personal style and what you are most comfortable with. You want your wedding day to feel natural and reflect who you are as a couple.

Decide on your priorities: Decide what is most important to you when it comes to wedding photography. Do you want candids or posed photos? Do you prefer a more artistic or traditional approach?

Remember, choosing a wedding photography style is a personal decision, and it's important to choose a style that resonates with you and your partner.

In conclusion

There are many other wedding photography styles out there, but these are some of the most common. Couples need to choose a style that resonates with them and their personalities so that they can have beautiful photos that reflect who they are as a couple.