My Approach to Authentic, Timeless, Documentary Wedding Photography

You may have heard a lot about documentary wedding photography and wonder really what it is. It’s doesn’t specifically mean I’m 100% hands off or a fly on the well, but if I can capture your mom buttoning your dress when she is truly buttoning your dress, I will! Or your dad straightening your tie when it’s truly crooked, I will do that, too. Same with your friends and family in the room with you—we want to be present for the special moments when they occur and as they are truly occurring, and less of us creating them. If I can evoke natural emotion and movement in your portraits versus physically positioning your fingers, let’s do that!

Whenever possible, I am capturing your wedding day moments as they occur authentically and un-staged. That said, if it’s not communicated and you aren’t prepared for what photography during the day can look like and the moments that happen that you may want documented, then sometimes we fall back on staging them. That doesn’t always feel as good as the real thing.

Staged Versus Directed

I remember the first “big” wedding I attended as a guest, and feeling somewhat shocked by how the photography/videography team “created” the moments. It was so unlike anything I anticipated. Though it resulted in stunning images, it didn’t feel natural. I have been on both sides of this: highly orchestrated vs leaving it to chance. My direction forward is to let couples know to prepare for these moments—which all naturally occur on the wedding day, anyhow—and ensure I am present to capture them.

There will absolutely be moments where I will step in and guide, but the hope is that I am setting us up for less obtrusive and more documentary-style coverage.

How would you know these things if I didn’t communicate them to you?

Because this is likely your first time getting married, you may not have thought about what to incorporate or do during different portions of the wedding day in a way for me to be able to capture these moments. Here is an in-depth guide for every part of the wedding day and how we can capture it fully and more authentically.

The Details

Though we may all wonder what will ultimately happen to these images after I spend time capturing them, I do feel they serve an important storytelling aspect of your wedding day, and they are just so darn photogenic. Photos of details tend to be fairly static, and though I want to capture those, I am also really set on capturing your interaction with these items. I will capture the hanging dress shot, and the invitation suite flat-lay with florals, jewelry, perfume, shoes, keepsakes and more, however I am also very interested in your interaction with these items. Photo opportunities to keep in mind:

• Admiring and taking the dress off the hanger to put it on!
• Steaming the veil and putting on the veil
• Putting on your earrings, help with your necklace or bracelet
• Putting on your shoes
• Smelling your beautiful bouquet
• Spraying your perfume
• Holding your beaded purse
• Tucking in the handkerchief into your dress
• Putting on cufflinks, tie clip, watch, lacing shoes, drinking from the gifted flask, etc…
  
  Trend Alert: The wedding late night flat lay (think half-eaten cake, heels removed, evidence of a great party) The opposite of the Pinterest-worthy bridal flat lay.

Getting Ready

If you plan to give gifts or read notes, please make sure I or the second photographer know about this moment and are there to capture it. Assign helpers for things like buttoning or zipping your dress, have someone help you put on your heels and attach your veil. I want to capture that last application of lip gloss, and final setting spray. At almost every wedding, there are countless moments captured from folding pocket squares, adjusting ties, clipping suspenders, and YouTubing how to pin a boutonnière. We love documenting these moments, and may ask you to step to a nice mirror or into better light, but we love to capture these moments as they occur. Sometimes we “clean up” the background or remove things to make a less-distracting image.
If your parents and wedding party will be featured in images at this time, make sure they get dressed first.

***Make sure the photographer is in the room and ready to capture the above moments before the action happens.***

• Boutonniere time-saving tip: Ask your florist or designate someone who is great at pinning these, to adhere them to jackets to reduce anxiety around the time spent fiddling with the boutonniere.
• Raise a glass! It can be coffee, tea, seltzer, or the hard stuff.

Consider Getting Ready Together

Couples are breaking from many of the wedding traditions, and I am here for it. There are practical reasons to do so, and letting go of some of these old time “rules” can feel so liberating. First, a lot of the nerves subside when you aren’t worried about “being seen” by the other. And let’s face it, you just feel better with your partner at your side. You can get ready in one big area with all your friends and family around, and capture more moments this way without exclusion. You could still save the wedding clothes as a surprise.

First Look

I’ll position you in the best light and one of you will walk up to the other, turn around, and see each other for the first time. Couples do this in different ways. Feel free to make it your own. Sometimes couples read private vows to each other. Beside settling nerves and giving you back some time at cocktail hour, I usually accomplish many authentic portraits in that 5-10 minute moment alone!

No First Look is Fine, Too

I’ll preach the benefits, but NO pressure to have a First Look. Remember, before the trend began, the wedding portrait timeline often followed the ceremony. The moment-driven photo opportunity happens at the ceremony when you reveal yourselves to each other there. Whenever time allows, the second photographer and I will try to capture a few images of each marrier and their party members to shave a little of the time needed post-ceremony for portraits. Your cocktail hour time will be used for “Just Married” photos, family, and wedding party. Individual photos with just parents without the other partner can be accomplished before the ceremony.

Wedding Party

Mix it up. The days of gender-specific wedding party sides are well over. I will capture images of each partner and their people standing on corresponding sides, but I consider you one cohesive group, and possibly sub-groups, as your attendants may be a mix of siblings, college buds, high-school BFFs, work friends, etc… I photograph everyone together as one big group, and often each partner group with their people. When there’s time, I photograph each partner with their individual attendants.

The way that I love to capture natural moments during this time is to make use of location transitions such as walking together to locations, and sharing toasts or shots, doing an activity such as a sparkler moment, champagne pop, or bubbles, or confetti—whatever! I’ll have you walk as a group together, and cheer/applaud the couple. If you just want to keep these shots simple, I totally get it!

No Wedding Party, No Problem

Just because you haven’t “assigned” someone to be in your wedding party, doesn’t mean there aren’t friends you don’t want share photos with! During cocktail hour or your reception, grab these folks and me, and we’ll capture a few memories.

Hijacking Selfie Moments

When someone whips out a phone, it’s a visual clue to me that something special is happening and I should be there. I won’t interfere, and I want you and your guests to capture their own moments. Though, I will likely hijack a few of your selfie moments by allowing you or them to catch the image on their own, and stand by to ask to grab an image with my camera as well.

The Ceremony

The ceremony is one big authentic moment with no interference from your photographer. Some items you may consider as additional moments or ways to enhance photographic moments:

• Parents/Wedding Party Entering: I stand at the front and capture everyone entering, then spend the rest of the ceremony photographing from the back of the middle aisle or the sides.
• The First Kiss: Please ask your officiant to step aside, or plan ahead with me to walk around and capture it from the back with your guests in view.
• You may also want to check that you are standing centered under your arbor or arch.
• Make sure you stand close to your partner and centered. Close enough so that you can grab each others hands.
• Take a dip, cheer, spin, or share another kiss as you recess back down the aisle.
• Surprise your Sweetheart: I’ve had couples present surprise gifts and serenade their partner during the ceremony, and it’s always a wonderful, welcome moment
• Be sure to turn your head and face your guests a couple times so we can capture your smiling face as you thank and acknowledge those here with you today.

Cocktail Hour

In some cases we will be photographing you and family during this time unless you’ve opted for pre-ceremony portraits. If you’ll be present for cocktail hour, this is a great time for informal photos with friends. The second photographer or I will be standing by capturing candids and details. Please grab us for these shots! A great addition to your cocktail hour is a champagne tower, disposable cameras, and games.

Photographing Your Guests

Many of the images taken of your guests are candid, and they are always welcome to tap me and/or the second photographer on the shoulder to capture an image of them. Everyone is dressed up and looking their best in likely a gorgeous location. We love it when we are asked to take a photo! We leave the responsibility of sharing guest images with you when you receive your gallery.

Lawn Games, Food Trucks, Entertainment

Couples are so creative with their wedding events and incorporate aspects that make for great moments, such as lawn games—Giant Jenga, anyone?—performers, live painters/caricaturists, food trucks, bouncy castles, bonfires, photo booths, fireworks, karaoke, hay/sleighrides, and the list goes on!

The Portraits

I will capture at least a few variations of the newlyweds facing the camera for that traditional mantlepiece image. However, my aim is to capture mostly natural, candid-style images where you are looking away or with each other. I create these images through movement and asking you to engage with each other, versus looking at my camera. Every couple is different. Some are more silly and into twirling and dancing, and some have a reserved, quieter style. It’s my goal to get better and better at providing a simple direction and allowing you to make it your own. Here is what this involves: You can make this time romantic or not. Your comfort is important, and I understand not everyone is crazy about PDAs and lots of kissing on camera.

These are things I may ask you to do, and these are things you can think about if you want to incorporate on your own. I create variety by different compositions, wide-angle and close-up.

• Facing and smiling at each other
• One looking at me, one looking at the other; looking down, looking out and laughing, looking in opposite directions. Our eye gaze holds a lot of body language.
• Getting very close (faces close, heads together, nuzzling, caressing the face)
• Going in for the “almost kiss”
• Holding hands, hugging on to the elbow, arm around the shoulder holding hands
• Wrapping arms around each other (side by side, one behind the other, wrapping arms behind backs, and up by the neck)
• Walking side by side, or in front, leading the other
• Including stairs or spots to sit and lean or lay
• Going in for a kiss and dip
• Tossing a veil / Kissing under the veil / Gazing under the veil
• Swishing the dress / buttoning and unbuttoning the jacket / straightening the bout or tie
• The lift and spin or carry

The Intros and Grand Entrance

Depending on your personal preference and style, this can be highly choreographed or simple. Either way, it’s always a moment that we capture to our best ability. Often it’s a great time to get another photo of parents and grandparents, and your newlywed excitement.

The Reception

At this point in the evening, everyone is ready to throw down and enjoy the night and celebrate you as a couple. It’s truly a party, and we are here for it. Between the speeches, dancing, cake-cutting, and any other moments you have planned, you likely don’t need any additional ideas for moments here. You will both be busy making rounds to visit with guests, and often couples divide and conquer, which makes a lot of sense. Please don’t spend the whole night separated 😉 Get in a few dances together and we will look for moments to capture when you are together. We always back off on photography when everyone one is fully involved in their meals, as no one likes to be photographed while eating, and this tends to be when we eat, too. I pay attention to when couples are walking over to tables to capture candids of these moments and group table shots when requested. Let me know if you are planning any surprises or outfit changes during your reception!

Golden Hour and Creative Portraits

A moment that is totally up to you and sometimes up to mother nature depending on weather and light. Some couples love the idea of stepping outside for 10 minutes to capture a few golden hour portraits, or creative night photos with everything aglow.

The End

Grand exits are so fun. The energy is high, everyone is in party mode, and sparklers, bubbles, wands, fireworks, are exciting to capture. We’ll discuss the process and logistics ahead of time and how it will fit in with your photography coverage. Likely, you’re planner will have a process in mind, and I will be there to document the whole thing. For sparkler exits, some couples make a couple of runs back and forth. That’s up to you! Be sure to share a kiss in dip toward the end!

Celebrate Your Love Your Way

We live in such a great time to get married and document this special day where there is so much freedom, creativity, and technical ability to preserve these moments and the authentic nature of your relationship and connection with family and friends. It’s my greatest hope that these words give you guidance and insight into what and how your day can look. Above all, I want your coverage to feel comfortable and natural and match your vibe as a couple, so communicating ahead of time about these aspects of your day is so important to me!