Documentary-style wedding photography is a candid, natural and artistic approach to capturing your wedding day. Instead of staging and curating photos, documentary-style wedding photographers excel at being unobtrusive, allowing events to unfold naturally so to capture the energy and emotion of moments as they happen.
The goal of a documentary-style wedding photographer is to document real emotions, interactions, and details in a way that reflects the true atmosphere and essence of the day.
Key characteristics of documentary-style wedding photography
Documentary-style wedding photographers are always on the hunt for candid moments. We’re so damn good at it! Our skills lie in our ability to read the situation, anticipate what’s about to happen, and position ourselves perfectly to capture the spontaneity of a moment before it even unfolds. Not every photographer has the keen eye or instinct needed to capture these truly meaningful moments without interruption in the way a documentary-style wedding photographer can! It takes practice and experience to build those skills, knowing our most valuable asset (beyond our cameras!) is our trained eye and understanding of what to look for.We use a storytelling approach that captures the meaning behind the moments.
Our approach is all about creating a cohesive, visual narrative that captures the essence of your day without interrupting its flow. Most wedding photographers will say that they capture “moments of your day,” but documentary-style wedding photographers excel at capturing the feeling of your day.
A major focus that sets documentary-style photography apart is our ability to capture authentic and emotional moments: the feelings of excitement, the nervous anticipation, the pure joy, and everything in between.
We focus not only on the big events but also on the subtle, intimate expressions of the love you share with your closest friends and family – the laughter, tears, and small meaningful interactions that truly define your experience. We want to give you a way to hold onto those feelings for years and decades to come.
Heartfelt moments like wiping away tears as you speak heart-to-heart with your partner during your vows and playful moments catching your nephew with his finger in the cake before you had a chance to cut it. And let’s not forget about the oh-my-gawd moments like grandma doing the splits on the dance floor and wowing everyone, even her own daughter! (Yes, we’ve seen it all, and yes, water aerobics is incredible).
By capturing the intimacy and energy of all the unique moments that make up your wedding day, documentary-style photographers capture images that tell a one-of-a-kind story that reflects the true spirit of your experience, turning everything unique to you and your day into an artistic expression of the love you’re celebrating.
Enjoy your wedding day with minimal interference.
In true documentary-style fashion, we know how to blend into the background, seamlessly integrating with the guests and the environment. Certainly, there’s a brief adjustment period where you might feel hyper-aware that your photographer is lingering in your space, but as the day picks up we’re hardly noticed. We try to observe and document the wedding day as organically as possible, without influencing the mood or trying to dictate images.
For us, it’s crucial that your wedding day doesn’t feel like an all-day, curated photoshoot. In fact, it would work against our documentary-style if photography felt intrusive in any way. Our goal is for you to be completely present, so you can immerse yourself in the experience and meet the moment.
That’s why our top priority is that you get to fully enjoy yourselves, no matter what. You work too hard planning and creating this day to miss out on really enjoying it!
With minimal interference, your photographer is better positioned to capture candid and spontaneous moments that would be lost in a more directed setting. That said, if we do need to interject ourselves to help with portraits or locations, we’re always available to help direct and guide you and your guests as needed.
Enough with fake smiles, we’re looking for the REAL emotion.
This is because documentary-style photographers excel at capturing real emotions, whether it’s a heartfelt hug, a tearful glance, or die-hard laughter. These moments aren’t staged or curated; they happen organically, and the photographer is there to capture them exactly as they are. This helps convey the emotional depth of your day in a way that feels authentic and unpolished, in the way you truly experienced them. When you’re having fun and enjoying yourselves, that’s when the energy and emotion really shines through in your photos—and that’s what documentary-style wedding photographers love to capture most.
Do documentary-style wedding photographers pose people for portraits?
Yes, even documentary-style wedding photographers include posed couples’ portraits and group portraits. While our primary focus is on capturing candid, natural moments throughout the day, we understand that most couples still want formal portraits with family and wedding party members. Your wedding day is a rare moment in time where all of your people come together to celebrate you, so why wouldn’t you want some portraits with them? While overall, the documentary-style emphasizes spontaneity and candidness, posed portraits are still an important part of wedding day coverage.
What is the difference between traditional and documentary-style wedding photography?
In traditional wedding photography, there is a heavy emphasis on creating perfectly composed, formal shots. The photographer typically takes control of the setting, lighting, and posing to ensure that the subjects look their best. Poses are carefully arranged, and the photographer gives direct guidance on positioning and expressions to achieve a certain look.
Documentary-style wedding photography, on the other hand, prioritizes capturing authentic, unscripted moments in a way that tells the story of your day. The photographer blends into the background, observing and anticipating real emotions and interactions as they naturally unfold. Rather than directing or staging scenes, this approach tells a story through candid images, showcasing genuine laughter, tears, and intimate moments. While most of the day is shot in a raw and spontaneous manner, there’s still room for a few relaxed couple and group portraits, although these tend to feel more natural and organic compared to the traditional style.
What is the difference between candid and documentary-style wedding photography?
Candid wedding photography and documentary-style wedding photography are similar in that both focus on capturing natural, unposed moments, but they differ slightly in approach. Candid photography is all about capturing spontaneous, genuine moments as they happen, without directing or interfering with the scene. Documentary-style photography, on the other hand, takes a broader approach by not only capturing candid moments but also telling a complete story of the wedding day. It aims to create a cohesive narrative by documenting the entire event, including the setting, atmosphere, and details that contribute to the overall experience.
How is documentary-style different from full documentary photography?
In short, documentary-style wedding photography can include posed elements like portraits with the bride & groom, wedding party and family, while documentary wedding photography sticks strictly to capturing candid, undirected moments.
Documentary-style wedding photography is flexible enough to accommodate requests for certain shots or moments that might require direction. There’s still an emphasis on capturing genuine moments, but the photographer may interact more with the couple and guests on an as-needed basis.
True documentary wedding photography takes a purist approach, where the photographer captures the entire day without any interference or posing. They document the wedding as a photojournalist would, focusing solely on the natural flow of events without staging or directing any moments.
What should I expect from a documentary wedding photographer on the wedding day?
You can expect them to blend into the background, allowing events to unfold organically while they document authentic emotions, interactions, and details. Their primary goal is to tell the complete story of your day—from preparation to celebration—through spontaneous and meaningful images. While there is generally still scheduled time for newlywed or group portraits, these are typically relaxed situations, ensuring the overall focus remains on the genuine experience of the day.
What makes documentary-style wedding photography a good fit for an engaged couple?
This style is favored by couples who really want to immerse themselves in their wedding day experience while still trusting that their wedding photos are documented to truly reflect the essence of their day rather than posed or curated images.
Documentary-style wedding photography is ideal for couples who prefer a laid-back experience, without the pressure of constant posing or direction. This style is also perfect for those who want to remember their wedding as it truly happened, capturing the raw emotion, tears, and intimate interactions between them and their guests. If you want your wedding album to feel like a natural, emotional story rather than a series of formal, stiffly-posed images, documentary-style photography may be the best choice for you.
Without the pressure to stop for staged shots, the couple has more time to enjoy the experience that they have worked so hard to create while trusting the photographer to do their job and document their day. Let’s be honest, you’ve worked way too hard for way too long to pull together this celebration of a lifetime. Can you imagine if your whole day felt like an exhausting photoshoot?! You should get to enjoy it and let your photographer do what they do best!
What do documentary-style wedding photos look like?
If you hire a documentary-style wedding photographer, your photos will capture candid, real-life moments throughout the day.
The emphasis will be on natural lighting, realistic colors, and capturing the atmosphere of your wedding, making the images feel timeless and immersive.
Instead of stiff, curated shots, the images will reflect genuine emotions, interactions, and the natural flow of events. From laughter and tears during the ceremony to quiet, intimate moments between you and your partner, the photographer will document the day as it unfolds, telling a story through authentic images.
While there may be a few minimally posed group or couple shots if requested, most of the photos will center around spontaneous moments, creating a narrative that feels organic and unforced. Details like your bouquet, the décor, and the setting will be captured in context, along with behind-the-scenes moments, offering a full visual diary of the day. Your photos will convey the overall ambiance of your wedding, highlighting both the major events and the small, often overlooked moments that make the day special.
The top 3 benefits of documentary-style wedding photography
Documentary-style wedding photography offers the benefit of capturing natural emotions and interactions without staging or posing, creating a stress-free experience for couples and guests. This unobtrusive photography style tells a complete story of your wedding, focusing on not only key moments but also subtle details and interactions that add depth to the narrative. With its timeless and emotional appeal, documentary photography preserves the real atmosphere and aesthetic of the day, providing deeply meaningful documentation of your incredible celebration.
- You get to remember your day, as it really was: Take a moment to consider what you really want to see when you reflect back on your wedding photos. Do you really want to look back at your wedding photos and remember how the photographer curated them and you had to stand for group photos for an hour while your guests got to enjoy cocktail hour without you? Or would you rather look back on that insanely amazing day and see all the fun, emotional, and hilarious moments you shared with your favorite people, knowing you truly lived your wedding day to the fullest, creating memories that exceeded even your wildest expectations? We believe couples should be able to relive the feeling of their once-in-a-lifetime celebration through photos that capture the feeling and spirit of their day.
- You can take a deep sigh of relief knowing that these irreplaceable moments will be documented to perfection: You don’t want boring, mediocre photography and images that look like every other wedding you’ve ever seen. You’ll get photos that will be as unique as your day with photos that highlight the authentic connections, interactions and emotional exchanges between you and your favorite people. Let’s make a statement and create something extraordinary with images that are as unique as your experience.
- You get to fully immerse yourself in your wedding day experience: This is such a big deal. We’ve seen countless wedding timelines get weighed down by endless portraits in a way that exhaust couples and take away from their day. You’re tired, standing in the sun posing for family photos, and all you really want is to grab a drink and mingle with your guests—some of whom you haven’t seen in years! We completely understand. You deserve to enjoy every moment of your day. After all the hard work you’ve put into planning, you shouldn’t be stuck posing for portraits all damn day! With documentary-style wedding photography, we make sure your timeline includes space for necessary portraits and storytelling images in a way that allows you to have the best of both worlds!
How many photos does a documentary style wedding photographer take?
The number of photos a documentary-style wedding photographer takes can vary based on several factors, including the length of the wedding, the photographer’s shooting style, and the level of activity throughout the day. On average, a documentary-style photographer may take anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 photos during a full-day wedding, depending on how much coverage is requested.
From there, the photographer will typically curate and deliver 500 to 900 edited images. These final photos will tell the complete story of the day, capturing both key moments and smaller, intimate details. The exact number will depend on the specific photographer and the unique flow of your wedding.
What should I do to prepare for documentary-style wedding photos?
To prepare for documentary-style wedding photos, the most important thing you can do is focus on enjoying your day and being fully present in the moment. Here are a few tips to help ensure you get the best results from your photographer:- Communicate your priorities: Share any specific moments or details you want captured with your photographer ahead of time. While they will focus on documenting the day naturally, knowing what’s important to you helps them be more attuned to key moments.
- Trust your photographer: Documentary-style photographers thrive when they can move around freely and capture moments as they happen. Trusting their process allows them to focus on creating authentic images without needing much direction from you.
- Keep your schedule flexible: A documentary photographer captures spontaneous moments, so having a flexible timeline allows them to catch more organic moments. Leave room for unplanned emotions and interactions to unfold naturally.
- Embrace the experience: Since this style focuses on genuine emotions, interactions, and atmosphere, simply enjoying your wedding day, engaging with guests, and being in the moment will result in the best photos. Forget about the camera and let things happen as they would naturally.
- Plan for key posed shots: If you want formal photos (which most couples do), schedule time for them, but keep in mind that your photographer will still aim to keep these sessions relaxed and less formal, in line with a documentary-style.
