Why Documentary Style Wedding Photography Is The New It Girl

As a wedding photographer that’s been around the block for years, I’m honestly surprised it took this long for documentary style wedding photography to have its moment. The irony is that documentary style wedding photography has always been a “thing”, but suddenly because your Pinterest inspo boards are filled with candid photography, emotion you can feel through your phone, and all the rave for a more ✨analog life✨, documentary style is the new it girl within the wedding industry. And don’t get me wrong, I love that more couples are wanting a more lived-in experience versus the JC Penny era of stiff portraits. Hell, I yap about this topic all the time on my Instagram.

My point is, if you’re getting married soon and looking for what kind of wedding photographer could be perfect for your day, stick around and see if documentary style is for you.

What is Documentary Style Wedding Photography?

Before I even dive into why documentary style wedding photography is the current buzzword within the wedding industry, it’s important to know that many photographers take on the documentary style approach across a spectrum.

For example, there are many photographers that lean more into the photojournalistic style, meaning that they operate as a “fly on the wall” during your wedding day, where others strongly use prompting to help curate a vulnerable, more natural shot. This is partly due to the type of couples and families that photographers are working with because let’s be real, not all of us love being in front of the camera, nor are we comfortable!

My interpretation of documentary style wedding photography is the collaboration between the photographer (myself) and the clients that I’m documenting. What I mean by this is that I believe the best photos happen when you’re not focused on taking a photo at all. But, in order to document these documentary experiences, requires a lot of trust from the clients, and the vulnerability to be themselves while knowing there is a camera in the same space. 

As a rule of thumb, I recommend directly asking your wedding photographer how they incorporate documentary style into their process. 

What’s So Trendy About Documentary Style Wedding Photography

More and more couples are craving the emotion that they once felt when flipping through old family photo albums where literally no one was looking at the camera, but a story was awaiting to be told. Those images require genuine connection with the people around you and your environment. 

Being so immersed in the wedding industry, I also believe that many couples are wanting galleries that truly embody their love for each other rather than a curated shot-list of poses and looks from their Pinterest board. Because at the end of the day, you can technically emulate a photo, but you can never replicate the raw emotion during that moment documented. 

Maybe you’ve experienced this as a guest, or witnessed it happen while attending a different photoshoot, but gone are the days where a moment is interrupted in order to “get the shot”. Getting the shot is no longer as important as actually living in the moment and documenting as it’s unfolding. 

My Approach to Documentary Style Wedding Photography

Because this style of photography has drastically evolved over the last few years with many photographers incorporating styles of documentary into their editorial experience, most still don’t fully understand what exactly documentary style photography truly is. 

So, here’s exactly what you can expect when you hire me as your documentary wedding photographer: 

1. Prioritizing presence is essential to my documentary style approach. You need to be present on your day with your guests, your spouse and family. I also recommend to my couples to stay close to the people you love and to genuinely interact with them as you would any other time. It’s hard to get a great candid photo of you and your spouse crazy in love if you’re across the room from each other!
2. Vulnerability and transparency are non-negotiables. You need to approach your session with a sense of curiosity and an open hand. We all know just how inherently multifaceted humans are, and embracing and showing all those parts of yourself can create images that take your breath away and feel like home. This can be so scary, but I promise it’s worth it! 
3. Approaching your session with almost a childlike sense of curiosity and thought about the world can truly transform your album. Instead of a collection of nice photos of you looking toward the camera, it becomes a portal to the way you see the world, and the way you see each other.
4. Trust with your partner, with your photographer, and most importantly, yourself. Handing over the honest version of who you are and saying, “here, I trust you to love me and to tell my story.” Along with this, the freedom to bounce ideas around and suggest things that may feel silly, but express who you are beautifully. At my last wedding, the best portraits are the ones of them laying in the grass and playing with each other. Silly, but honest and beautiful. 

Orchestrating moments can create pretty pictures, but these can help you create honest ones. If this sounds like you, I’m super excited to hear all about what you’re planning. Get in touch here.

Should You Hire a Documentary Style Wedding Photographer?

A documentary wedding photographer can and will anticipate moments. By paying attention to the people, environment, light, and space. To understanding complex relationships, and photographing the hell out of what’s happening. But, a documentary style photographer will never be able to fake the experience for the sake of your gallery. When you give yourself permission to just be, your photos will reflect the trust, vulnerability, and presence of your special day.

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