The history of wedding photography starts with a traditional approach. This is the timeless style that you’ve probably seen time and time again. The hallmark of this style is carefully posed photographs of the key moments. Benefits: The traditional wedding photographers usually use a planned “shot list”, which means you’ll get all the important images. Drawbacks: The photographer virtually becomes a “wedding official,” directing the wedding party and guests according to a pre-planned list. This approach is very time-consuming, and as a result, the bride and groom end up spending less time with their guests.

The contemporary style is also known as journalism, photo reportage and documentary approach have become a very popular and widely used by many wedding photographers, features a series of candid photos covering the entire day. Benefits: wedding photojournalism gives you a series of unique images aimed to “tell the story” of your wedding day. Drawbacks: There is no pre-planned “shot list,” only the photographer’s instincts; images are unpredictable. Low levels of available light may cause some pictures to look grainy. The couple may regret the absence of traditional, posed portraits in their album.

The editorial style wedding photographers place the subjects in certain settings to take advantage of good lighting, specific location or backgrounds. Then, once the scene is set, the couple and their party are free to be themselves, and this results in a more spontaneous feel. Unlike the photo-journalistic style, editorial photography takes advantage of the photographer’s artistic judgment rather than capturing a series of moments. This style often used by engagement photographers. However, when it comes to capturing decisive moments, this style cannot be used.