How to pick the right type of wedding photographer
The search for your dream wedding photographer can become... overwhelming pretty quickly. Terms like “editorial,” “documentary,” and “fine art” pop up all the time with no further explanation for how this would fit into your wedding vision.
The best wedding photography style depends on what feels right for you! Take your time looking through the portfolios of photographers you’re considering, and see if their work aligns with what you imagine your wedding album looking like. Try and notice things like angle, lighting, and posing and make note of things that stick out to you or that you like. Once you find what type of shots fit your vibe, you can find a photographer whose style is exactly that!
It’s important to remember that there’s a lot that goes into photography, from how the photographer takes the image to how they edit it. A shooting style is the approach each photographer is going to take to capture your wedding day, so pick the one that most aligns with you!
Here’s your guide to some of the most popular photography styles and what they involve.
A. Editorial Wedding Photography
What It Is: Editorial wedding photography is inspired by high-fashion and magazine shoots, hence the term editorial, which typically implies a photo that would accompany a publication.
This style focuses on intentional posing — as opposed to candids — refined compositions, and dramatic lighting to create images that feel polished and stylish. You’ll often find direct flash and off-camera lighting involved most of the time.
If you want...
Wedding photos that look like they came straight out of a magazine
Heavy focus on lighting and posing direction
Images that tell a story
To feel like a model on your wedding day
Then editorial is the perfect style for you! Think luxury bridal campaigns and high fashion; your wedding photos will look worthy of the cover of Vogue! You can expect a focus on elegant details, like the way a veil drapes or how hands are positioned, and high attention to styling, symmetry, and composition.
B. Photojournalistic / Documentary Wedding Photography
What It Is: Documentary (or photojournalistic) wedding photography is all about storytelling. Instead of staged poses, the photographer blends into the background and captures genuine moments as they unfold. Think fly on the wall!
Unlike editorial photography, this style will focus on authentic moments. You’ll have minimal posing and little to no direction from your photographer. This will allow for raw and unscripted emotions, which is best for couples who want their wedding captured exactly as it happens — your photographer will feel more like a guest than a director.
If you want:
Authentic, undirected moments
Lots of candid shots — big laughs, quiet tears, and everything in between.
A natural, unobtrusive presence
Then documentary wedding photography is right for you! If you want to relive your wedding through real, unfiltered moments and value storytelling over perfection, this is a great choice! You’ll have as little input as possible and live out your day naturally without direction.
C. Traditional Wedding Photography
What It Is: Traditional wedding photography is what most people think of when they imagine a wedding album. It focuses on well-posed portraits, formal group shots of the wedding party and extended family, and key wedding moments captured in a classic structured fashion.
Traditional wedding photography involves mostly what I call grandparent shots. These are posed, looking-straight-at-the-camera images. This style of photography has a medium amount of photographer input. Your photographer will step in to pose you and give direction, but won’t be too involved in styling you the way an editorial photographer would.
If you want:
Classic, timeless images
Structured poses and a structured approach to your day
Lots of family portraits and big group shots (like bridal party shots)
A more traditional wedding album
Then traditional wedding photography is right for you! A traditional wedding photographer will give clear directions for elegant and polished compositions and can be especially helpful for couples not used to being in front of the camera.
D. Fine Art Wedding Photography
What It Is: Fine art wedding photography is, well, it’s in the name, it’s an artistic approach to wedding photography! Fine art implies an emphasis on aesthetics, meaning dreamy, romantic images that are carefully and beautifully composed to have that effect. Fine art photography creates pleasing images that feel like they belong in a gallery!
If you want:
Wedding photos that feel soft, romantic, and artistic.
A more creative wedding album
Natural lighting, but more editing in post-production
Then fine art photography is the way to go! Unlike traditional photography, fine art photographers take a more creative and storytelling approach, using light, composition, and emotion to craft visually stunning images. There’s more intentional posing and fewer candids (but still some!) in this style. You’ll also see more natural off-camera lighting, like sunlight, or an emphasis on using soft natural light; no direct flash or harsh studio lighting. These photographers also tend to have an editing style that heavily smooths skin, and adds a magazine-like finish.
E. Lifestyle Wedding Photography
What It Is: Lifestyle wedding photography blends elements of documentary and traditional styles. It focuses on capturing real moments but with gentle direction to create images that feel both natural and flattering. It’s a blend of a lot of different styles, which allows lifestyle photography toprovide a mix of images that feel natural and fun.
If you want:
A mix of candid and softly guided poses.
A relaxed and fun approach that encourages authentic emotions.
A balance between structured portraits and storytelling moments.
If you love natural photos but still want a little guidance for the best angles and moments, lifestyle photography is a great choice!
With all that being said...
Labels are hard. Many photographers, especially nowadays, don’t consider themselves to be just one thing. I myself take a very natural approach to photography and capture soft, small moments, but I will give you the poses to look snatched that are magazine quality because you’re a piece of art and deserve to be seen as such. There are many combinations of all of the different styles, and ultimately what’s important to take into account is what photographer makes you feel like you in front of the camera, who makes you feel comfortable.