Your wedding day is set. You begin to compile a list of all those you want to attend, and a smaller list of those that you might invite—if you have room for them. You choose your venue. The floral arrangement. Finally, you choose what you’re serving for dinner—or lunch if you have a day-wedding. What about a wedding photographer? As one of the most important components to any wedding, your photographer is what allows you to look back on this glorious day and reminisce on the feelings and emotions. You deserve the best photographer, so you begin your search.
You come across a few photographers you like. They’re all different. So you contact each of them. They respond with a question you may not know how to answer: What style do you want to shoot? Dread fills you. Nerves overreact. What does this person mean by style?
In this post, we’ll share five common wedding photography styles, so you can discuss them with potential photographers as if you know exactly what you want. Once you determine your style, aesthetic, and theme, then you can better discover a professional photographer and hire them for your wedding day.
Five Wedding Photography Styles
As you search Instagram and Pinterest for wedding styles, you come across some beautiful representations of how you want your special day to look and feel. But if you were to tell another person about it, all you can do is point and say, “I want that.” Here are some common styles to learn and understand before you start sending direct messages to potential photographers online:
Traditional
Photographers work to capture candid moments during your wedding. They build off “perfect” moments, and find ways to inject the feeling and tone of the wedding into the imagery. Dignity is typically the theme with a hint of spontaneity, capturing the important moments alongside the bursts of joy that permeate your special day.
Classical
This style focuses on expertly composed, well-lit photos. You won’t find your photographer running around your wedding asking people to “smile at the camera.” You will wonder how the photographer got such perfect shots being so unobtrusive and nearly invisible during the event.
Photojournalistic
A photographer taking this approach will document the events of the wedding as opposed to “creating” magic moments to capture. Those who like this style tend to prefer more serious, albeit bland, photos. Typically, there will be a handful of “anchor” shots where groups are gathered and staged to smile at the camera. Otherwise, the photographer will work their way around the event as if piecing together a chronological order of events.
Commercial
Not only will this style capture the “spotlight” moments, but you will find that the photos will be of the centerpieces, the cake, the crowd, the ceremony, and the first dance. Candid photos may sneak into the collection, but the focus with this style is the overall event, not the specifics. If you’ve ever looked through a commercial wedding magazine or collection on Pinterest, this is the type of result you can expect.
Artistic
If you would like a custom approach to your wedding photos, this style gives the photographer the freedom to chase a feeling more than deliver on a tangible expectation. Photographers shooting with this style tend to ask for a theme, and they do their best to capture the theme.
How To Choose The Perfect Photography Style?
This is dependent on what you want your wedding to look like and how you want it to feel. If you like the intermittent spontaneity of laughter and love, go for a traditional style. Do you want a slightly serious, classy look, consider the classical style. Do you really want to make a statement or deliver a theme with your wedding? Find an artistic photography that has delivered on your theme somewhere else and hire them.
Discover Wedding Photography Packages
At Nav Productions, we bring more than a camera, lights, and gear to a wedding. Our years of experience, unique editing, and specific approach impress even the most critical clients. If you’re in search of an affordable wedding photography package, you can find them online, or you can contact us today!