Documentary vs. Posed Wedding Photography: What's the Difference?

When you start searching for a wedding photographer, you'll notice there’s a variety of approaches to capturing a wedding day. Some photographers are more traditional which translates to formal and posed photography. Others take a more artistic approach with an emphasis on storytelling. Understanding the difference can be really helpful for you finding the right fit for your wedding day.

Posed wedding photography is pretty self-explanatory. The photographer sticks to a more specific shot list and doesn’t stray too far from the list. There’s much thought put into poses and checking off certain shots off the list. The results are often polished, symmetrical, and beautifully composed.

Documentary photography takes a different approach. Rather than directing the scene, the photographer observes it. The goal with this approach is capturing your wedding day as it organically unfolds. When I take this approach, I want you to be able to look back at the images and remember the exact feeling you had in each moment.

How do you know which is right for you? Well, it’s obviously subjective, but a question you can ask yourself is: when you look back at your wedding photos twenty years from now, do you want to remember how the day looked — or how it felt? Either answer is valid! It just points you toward different photographers.

What do I lean more toward? I tend to lean toward an artful approach with a mixture between the traditional portraits and documentary imagery. My goal is to accurately display the emotions felt throughout the day. I’ve found embracing both styles pleases everyone without compromising on my creative work flow.

If any of this resonates with you, feel free to head over to my WEDDINGS page to reach out. I’d love to chat about documenting your sacred day. 🤍