9 Wedding Photography Styles to Know About

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Oklahoma City | Charla Storey

Just imagine how exciting it will be to receive your official wedding album! You’ll flip through it, photo by photo, reminiscing about the big day. You’ll show it to your parents, friends, children, and grandchildren and treasure it as one of the greatest mementos of the day.

The question is:

What do you want those photos to look like?

If you’re like most couples and don’t know all the options in wedding photography, here are nine wedding photography styles to consider for your big day.

Traditional

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Mobile | Emma Kent

Traditional isn’t boring — it’s classic!

Traditional photos are typically posed. These are just like the timeless wedding photos you’ve seen in every wedding album from your parents and grandparents. 

With traditional wedding photography, there are no strange angles or crazy, unusual editing tricks. They’re usually straightforward shots, taken at eye level, designed to stand the test of time.

No matter what photo style you choose for your wedding, you’ll want to have your photographer take at least a few traditional style shots. 

Even if you want most of your album to have a different vibe, you should at least get some traditional family portraits of parents and grandparents. You should also include traditional group shots of your entire wedding party.   

Editorial

Photo: Pare Photo

Editorial images are what you see on the pages of fashion magazines. The shots are posed, and the photographer acts as the director. Choose editorial wedding photography for your big day, and you might feel like a supermodel doing a photo shoot for Vogue!

When a wedding photographer is highly skilled in this style, the photos can be absolutely amazing! But it is more of a unique style for a wedding.

If you want editorial images, look for a photographer specializing in them. Be sure to view the portfolios of any potential photographers you’re considering, especially with a style this specific.

Fine Art

Photo: Alexandria Marie

Most photographers describe fine art wedding photography as light, bright, and airy. It’s a gorgeous choice if your bridesmaids wear vibrant colors or your venue is decorated with bright accents or vivid flowers.

Fine art photos are sometimes shot with traditional film cameras instead of digital cameras. Like fine art paintings, they can be quite sophisticated and romantic!

You May Also Like: The 9 Essential Bride and Groom Pictures That Every Wedding Needs

Aerial

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Birmingham | Caroline Rice Bobbitt

Overhead images can be stunning, but you won’t want to fill your entire photo album with aerial shots.

Overhead shots require one of two things: a high vantage point for your photographer to stand on or a drone. Aerial wedding shots always look cool and can give your celebration a unique perspective. 

But let your photographer know ahead of time. Depending on your venue, they may need to bring in special equipment or, at the very least, a ladder.

Landscape

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Indianapolis | Wild Connections Photo

If you’re getting married in a stunning natural setting, ask your photog to get some great landscape shots! Whether you plan to say “I do” on a tropical beach, on a snowy mountain, or in a sandy desert, any location with natural beauty warrants a few great outdoor shots.

Remember: You may have to travel a bit away from the venue to get the best landscape shots. 

Like all photography styles, discuss your needs and wants with your photographer well before the big day. The photographer will likely want to scout locations ahead of time for landscape images.  

Photojournalistic

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Chicago | Virgil Burnao

Sometimes referred to as documentary-style photography, photojournalistic wedding photography focuses on candid moments. 

With photojournalism, images are never posed or forced. In fact, the photographer rarely interacts with the subjects at all. This is a great way to capture genuine expressions and emotions because the subjects often don’t even realize they’re being photographed.  

Many photographers say that when they shoot in the photojournalistic style, they act like a “fly on the wall.” Because they capture events as they unfold naturally, their images often contain action and movement. 

These photos can really capture the mood of your wedding day!  

Vintage

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Westport | Rose Gold Visual Co.

Vintage photography doesn’t necessarily mean all your pictures will be sepia-toned. It just means that your photos will have more of an old-school vibe.

Some choose to use traditional film cameras (as opposed to digital cameras) when taking vintage photos. Others prefer to attach special filters to their digital camera lens.

Editing is a big part of vintage photography. Photographers usually enhance photo grains and brown tones to achieve that vintage look. If you want vintage photos, it's important to choose a photographer who's also a skilled editor.  

Most brides hire a photographer & a videographer. But what about a wedding content creator — do you need one? Learn more here!

Dark and Moody

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Philadelphia | Harley Maile

Dark and moody wedding photography has a cinematic quality that exudes drama! In this style, photographers play with light and show to create dramatic and somewhat mysterious effects. The photographer may often have the subject stand in shadow and add higher contrasts in editing.

With a photographer who knows how to play with light and shadow, you can get incredible dark and moody indoor and outdoor images for your album.  

Black and White

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Houston | John Cain

Black and white isn’t a style of wedding photography per se, but monochrome images are an important aspect of wedding photography. Black and white wedding photos can look amazing, especially in photojournalistic, traditional, and editorial styles.  

Many photographers will offer to take specific black-and-white shots in addition to color. However, some make it a point to provide full-color and black-and-white versions of each image they take.

If you want to include a few key black and whites in your wedding album, discuss it with your photographer beforehand. 

Your photog can edit all color images to black and white. However, some moments and lighting situations are better suited to black-and-white images than others.   

---

There are many types of wedding photography styles to choose from, and each one is stunning in its own unique way.

And if you’re unsure which style to choose or can’t settle on just one style, don’t! With a pro with experience in various types of photography, you can create a gorgeous wedding album that includes a blend of different styles. They'll also capture your big day in a one-of-a-kind way. 

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more wedding-day inspiration!