Your wedding photos are more than just images. They are your lasting memories, the moments you will cherish for a lifetime. But before you book a photographer, it is important to understand that not all wedding photography styles are the same. Choosing the right style ensures your photos feel authentic to you and your love story.

If you are not sure what wedding photography style fits your vision, this guide will help you understand the different types and how to choose the right photographer to match your style.

Popular Wedding Photography Styles

1. Classic and Traditional Wedding Photography

Best for: Couples who want timeless, posed portraits and formal compositions.

Classic wedding photography is elegant, structured, and timeless. It includes carefully posed family portraits, beautifully framed couple shots, and traditional moments like the first kiss and cake cutting. The focus is on crisp, well-lit images that stand the test of time.

How to know if this is your style: You love the idea of an album filled with polished, magazine-worthy images that look elegant and sophisticated.

What to look for in a photographer: Choose a photographer with a portfolio that includes clean, well-posed portraits and a deep understanding of lighting.

2. Documentary or Photojournalistic Wedding Photography

Best for: Couples who want authentic, candid moments captured as they naturally unfold.

Documentary wedding photography focuses on real emotions, spontaneous reactions, and storytelling. The photographer acts as an observer, capturing laughter, happy tears, and quiet in-between moments without posing or interrupting.

How to know if this is your style: You prefer real, unfiltered moments over posed shots and want your photos to feel like a story rather than a photoshoot.

What to look for in a photographer: Their portfolio should feature natural, unposed images that feel intimate and emotional, with a strong storytelling element.

3. Cinematic Wedding Photography

Best for: Couples who love rich colors, dramatic lighting, and deep, emotional tones. Editing usually includes colored shadow tones such as greens and blues.

This style often has a cinematic feel and focuses on evoking emotion in every shot.

How to know if this is your style: You are drawn to storytelling, dramatic images that feel intimate, romantic, and artistic rather than light and bright.

What to look for in a photographer: Their portfolio should showcase rich colors, intentional lighting, and an emphasis on storytelling through mood and contrast.

4. Editorial/Fine Art Wedding Photography

Best for: Couples who want a luxury, high-fashion look in their wedding portraits.

Editorial wedding photography is inspired by fashion magazines and high-end brand campaigns. The focus is on dramatic posing, sleek compositions, and stylish storytelling. Photographers in this style often give more direction to create a chic, refined aesthetic.

How to know if this is your style: You love bold, confident posing and images that feel like they belong in Vogue.

What to look for in a photographer: Their portfolio should include fashion-forward posing, a strong sense of composition, and a modern, high-end editing style.

Popular Wedding Photography Editing Styles

Choosing the right wedding photography editing style is essential to ensure your wedding photos reflect your personality and the ambiance of your special day. Here’s a comprehensive guide to various editing styles to help you make an informed decision:

1. True-to-Color

Description: This style focuses on capturing and presenting colors as they appear in real life, ensuring authenticity and natural beauty in each photograph.

Characteristics:

• Accurate Color Representation: Colors are depicted exactly as they are, without alterations.
• Natural Lighting: Utilizes available light to maintain the scene’s original ambiance.
• Minimal Editing: Emphasizes subtle adjustments to preserve the image’s integrity.

Ideal For: Couples who desire a timeless and authentic portrayal of their wedding day.

2. Light and Airy

Description: Known for its soft, bright, and romantic aesthetic, this style creates photos that feel fresh, dreamy, and timeless.

Characteristics:

• Bright, Even Lighting: Photos are well-lit with a focus on natural light, often taken during golden hour or in softly diffused daylight for a radiant glow.
• Soft Tones: Emphasizes pastel hues and gentle colors for a dreamy look.
• Minimal Contrast: Reduces shadows to achieve an ethereal quality.

Ideal For: Couples seeking a romantic and whimsical feel in their wedding photos.

3. Dark and Moody

Description: This style combines natural, grounded tones with an intimate, atmospheric feel, emphasizing a connection to nature and raw emotion.

Characteristics:

• Natural Light Focus: Prioritizes soft, diffused natural light to enhance warmth.
• Texture and Depth: Incorporates grain or matte finishes for a tactile feel.
• Subdued Vibrancy: Maintains true-to-life colors with a focus on earthy tones.

Ideal For: Couples who appreciate a grounded, artistic, and deeply romantic aesthetic.

4. Film-Inspired

Description: This style emulates the nostalgic look of analog film, offering a timeless and artistic quality to wedding photos.

Characteristics:

• Soft Grain: Introduces a subtle texture reminiscent of film photography.
• Muted Tones: Utilizes gentle color palettes for a classic feel.
• Authentic Imperfections: Embraces slight imperfections like light leaks to enhance charm.

Ideal For: Couples who desire a vintage or timeless look in their wedding imagery.

5. Vibrant

Description: This style emphasizes rich, lively colors to create images that are vivid, elegant, and nostalgic.

Characteristics:

• Rich Colors: Elevates hues for a bold and lively appearance.
• High Saturation: Enhanced colors with higher saturation.
• Balanced Contrast: Ensures proper lighting with smooth finishes.

Ideal For: Couples who want their wedding photos to feel artistic, timeless, and infused with romance.

6. Warm

Description: This style incorporates warm tones to evoke feelings of coziness and intimacy, often achieved through color grading techniques.

Characteristics:

• Golden Hues: Emphasizes yellows and reds for a warm ambiance.
• Soft Lighting: Utilizes gentle light to enhance warmth.
• Inviting Feel: Creates a sense of comfort and approachability.

Ideal For: Couples looking to convey warmth and affection in their wedding photos.

7. Artistic

Description: This style uses creative composition, double exposures, prisms, and tilt-shift lenses to create unique imagery, often in-camera depending on the photographer’s capability.

Characteristics:

• Creative Composition: Incorporates unconventional angles and framing.
• Experimental Techniques: Utilizes methods like double exposures for artistic effects.
• Unique Imagery: Produces distinctive and personalized photos.

Ideal For: Couples seeking a unique and personalized portrayal of their wedding day.

How to Choose the Right Wedding Photography Style for You

If you are unsure which wedding photography style fits your vision, ask yourself these questions:

How do you want your photos to feel? Light and airy, bold and moody, natural and candid, or elegant and refined?

Do you prefer posed or candid images? If you love traditional portraits, classic photography is a great choice. If you want raw, unfiltered moments, go for documentary-style photography.

What kind of colors do you love? If you prefer bright and pastel tones, fine art photography is a great match. If you love deeper, richer colors, a moody or cinematic style may be better.

Do you love high-fashion, dramatic shots? Editorial photography is perfect for couples who want a modern, stylish aesthetic with strong posing and a luxury feel.

Do you want a nostalgic, film-like quality? Look for a photographer who shoots film or edits in a vintage-inspired way.

Once you have a clear idea of the style you love, you can start searching for a photographer who specializes in that aesthetic.

Blending Multiple Styles for a Unique Experience!

Many professionals blend various shooting and editing styles to create a unique visual narrative. For example, a photographer might combine the candid authenticity of documentary photography with the rich, atmospheric feel of dark and moody editing. This versatility ensures your wedding photos reflect your personal story, capturing the multifaceted essence of your special day.

At Jared & Quinn Photo & Film, we believe that the most authentic moments aren’t posed—they’re lived. Our approach is rooted in a documentary style, capturing the genuine, unfiltered emotions that make your love story uniquely yours. We enhance these moments with true-to-color and film-inspired editing, ensuring each image reflects the natural beauty and timeless essence of your special day. By blending these styles, we create a visual narrative that’s both honest and artful, allowing you to relive your wedding day exactly as it unfolded.

Looking for documentary style wedding photography with true to color and film inspired editing? Let’s Chat!