Navigating the Waves of Wedding Trends: A Wedding Photographer’s Perspective

Since I’ve been a wedding photographer for over 14 years now, I’ve seen a lot of “trends” come and go.

From wedding planning, to day-of ideas, to fashion, to color palettes, I’ve seen a lot over the last 14 years. And while some of it has been good (I think we can all agree that the fading in popularity of the bouquet and garter toss would be labeled as a “good” change) – some of it has been not-so good.

For me, when I think of wedding “trends”, I think of it in terms of wedding PHOTOGRAPHY (because, I’m a photographer, duh). After all, one of the most common ways to set yourself apart as a wedding photographer is in terms of your editing, or post-processing work.

• For a while, the “trend” was to shoot and edit very BRIGHT and AIRY. The colors were exceptionally light, there was little contrast, and whites were often completely blown out.
• Then the pendulum swung the other way and the “trend” became to shoot and edit very DARK and MOODY. The colors were exceptionally muted, shadows were overly pronounced, and sometimes it was difficult to even tell what was going on in the photo.
• Let’s not forget the “desaturate the greens” trend – where a photographer takes the green and yellow sliders and drops their saturation down to almost nothing, causing grass and trees to look dead or completely alien.
• Then we moved into the “warm” trend – kind of a mixture between the “dark and moody” and the “desaturated greens” – these photos are typically very dark and contrasty and very very brown. Everything is exceptionally warm or sepia.

While all of these editing styles have merit (and if done “right” can be absolutely gorgeous) – they are an artistic choice in the hands of the photographer.
If a photographer has a definable style, they hone their skills toward that style: they shoot differently, seek out different light, and use different settings than another photographer who might be standing right next to them would use.

As an artist, photographers hone everything they do, from posing and shooting, to editing and post-processing, toward their own personal style.
Maybe that style lends toward a specific trend and maybe it doesn’t. (My personal goal has always been to stay as far away from “tends” as possible, to create timeless images with true-to-life color.)

Want in on what seems to be the “newest” trend?
(Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve seen quite a few photographers recently advertising themselves this way.)

Photographers who say that they can shoot and edit in EVERY style – you, as the client, get to pick.

There’s just one problem – this is what you might call: the “jack of all trades, master of none”.

While this might sound amazing (having the option to “pick” what editing style you want your images delivered in) this is honestly the worst option.

As I’ve already said: there is SO MUCH that goes into photography – not just what presets you apply to your images in Lightroom. (If you aren’t aware, a lot of photographers sell “presets” that you can purchase and then broadly apply to your images – presets adjust a bunch of different settings with one click, making them an easy, “fast” editing solution, but there isn’t a lot of customization that happens with them – making photographers who edit with a lot of presets, kind of stuck in an editing “box”.)

From how a photographer uses light, to how they pose – there is MUCH more that goes into “photography” than just holding a camera up and clicking a button.

• For photographers who deliver those really beautiful “warm” photos (and are doing it well) – they tend to only shoot during golden hour, they tend to pose much more intimately, and they tend to embrace a lot of harsher shadows. And then, after very deliberately capturing images in-camera in that style, they come home and continue editing in that warm, moody direction.
• While photographers who deliver more “true-to-life” photos (this would be me) – they tend to have a little more flexibility in the time of day that they shoot, they look for beautiful even light, and stay away from harsh shadows. And then, after very deliberately capturing images in-camera in that style, they come home and continue editing to bring out the true colors of the images.

See the difference?

So when a photographer advertises that they can “edit in any style”, can they though?
Maybe they can slap on a “dark and moody” preset or a “true-to-life” preset, but without having shot that image in particular light and in a particular way, it’s just going to look strange.

What’s the bottom line?

Just steer clear of “trends”.

Sure, certain trends might seem super cool right now, but they hardly ever age well. Trends stamp a bright red date on your photos. If in 20 years, someone is going to walk into your house and say: “Wow, you got married in the early 2020’s, didn’t you?”, I’d stay away.

Instead, find a photographer that you not only love their work, but you connect with them on a personal level – and together, you can create timeless, classic memories together that will truly stand the test of time.