Wedding photography styles: How to create your signature look and attract more clients.
March 14th, 2025
Feature image by Steve Bridgwood.
Wedding photos are among the most treasured mementos couples have–the way you capture the experience of their wedding can help them relive the emotions and their connections to the special people they include in their celebration. As a wedding photographer, the best way to build a portfolio that instills confidence in your ability to capture a couple’s big day in a way that reflects their vision is by developing a distinctive signature style. Clients don’t want a generalist on their wedding day; they want an expert who has perfected a look and style that aligns with their preferences. Once you establish your unique style, attracting clients who resonate with your work will become almost effortless.
We explore the four key elements of creating a signature photography style: identifying the aesthetic that inspires you, defining your approach to directing and posing, mastering light, and refining your post-processing and editing techniques. Understanding these aspects will help you craft a consistent and recognizable wedding photography style that appeals to clients you want to work with–and keeps your schedule fully booked throughout each wedding season.
Wedding styles: What gives you creative satisfaction and who is your ideal client?
Every couple has a unique vision for their wedding, and as a photographer, you will likely be drawn to, or feel more inspired by, certain aesthetics more than others. Let’s face it–if you love light and airy edits you probably prefer not to photograph vibrantly colored weddings, and vice versa. Identifying the wedding styles that bring you the most creative satisfaction can help you attract clients who share those same artistic preferences.
Classic elegance
Classic elegance is characterized by refined and timeless aesthetics. This style often features neutral color palettes and a sophisticated atmosphere that will remain stylish for decades to come. Couples who choose this style typically appreciate a more traditional, polished approach to photography. They want their wedding photos to capture the beauty and grandeur of their special day in a way that still looks chic and fresh twenty years from now—less trendy, more eternal.
As a photographer, this style demands a keen eye for balance, symmetry, and composition, along with a solid mental catalogue of classic wedding photography. Drawing on inspiration from iconic wedding photography through the decades allows you to craft images that feel both contemporary and enduring, preserving the magic of your clients’ big day in a way that never goes out of style.
Boho wedding style
Boho weddings embrace a dreamy, warm, and earthy aesthetic with a relaxed and effortless feel. These weddings are often set in outdoor or semi-outdoor locations, such as forests, beaches, or desert landscapes, where nature plays a central role in the atmosphere. Because natural light is a defining feature of this style, mastering how to use it to your advantage–and keep your flash usage subtle and natural–is essential.
Photographers who specialize in boho weddings often incorporate film photography into their workflow to enhance the nostalgic, artistic quality of their images. The grainy texture, muted tones, and slight imperfections of film add an emotive quality that pairs beautifully with this style.
Rustic wedding style
Rustic weddings are known for their cozy, inviting atmosphere. These weddings typically take place in barns, lodges, or countryside venues, where the setting plays a key role in the overall aesthetic of the event. Think natural materials: wood, burlap, and leather are often found contributing warmth and texture everywhere from the table settings to the decor.
Couples drawn to rustic weddings are likely to appreciate simplicity, authenticity, and heartfelt moments over polished perfection. Capturing this style requires the photographer to work with everything from natural outdoor light to challenging, dimly lit indoor conditions throughout the event. Sun-dappled ceremony shots, golden hour couples portraits, and flickering candlelit receptions can all be featured in a rustic wedding photography portfolio.
Pro tip: Barns and similar locations usually go hand-in-hand with a color cast from the all-wood floors, walls, and ceilings. Get comfortable editing away the extra yellow and then make yourself a preset in your photo editing software to save time on future edits.
Modern wedding style
Modern weddings are bold, striking, and all about contemporary elegance. Nuptials in this style might incorporate metallic accents, geometric decor, and sleek, high-fashion details. The couples who choose a modern vibe for their big day tend to have a strong sense of aesthetics and appreciate a photographer who isn’t afraid to take an unconventional approach to their work.
Acing this look and reflecting it in your portfolio requires a bold approach to composition and a solid sense of contrast—one of the most defining components of modern wedding photography. Playing with reflections, architectural elements, and unique framing techniques can all help you achieve this look. If you find yourself attracted to editorial influences and creating images that wouldn’t look out of place in a fashion magazine, leaning into the modern wedding style for your signature look is a no-brainer.
Shooting styles–to pose or not to pose?
Your approach to directing your subjects plays an important role in determining your wedding photography style. Some photographers (and clients) prefer a structured approach with posed images, while others like a more documentary style that prioritizes capturing natural interactions and emotions.
Traditional wedding photography:
Traditional wedding photography leans into tried-and-true structured and posed shots, creating a formal and polished aesthetic. This style is reminiscent of classic wedding albums where every key moment is carefully orchestrated and beautifully captured.
Minimal documentary-style shots are taken outside of the wedding ceremony, with the emphasis instead on group portraits and posed interactions that wouldn’t be out of place in your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding albums. This approach is ideal for couples who want a classic and refined wedding photo collection in which every guest is accounted for and every detail is carefully captured.
Contemporary wedding photography:
Contemporary wedding photography takes a more modern approach to the big day, with candid and creative compositions being the goal. While some direction and posing may be involved, there is also plenty of room for spontaneity and artistic expression.
The focus with this approach is on capturing genuine interactions and emotions while maintaining a stylish and elegant look—a little bit of direction may be appropriate, but the poses are likely to be more natural than in a traditional wedding photo album. This approach is well-suited for couples who want a balance between structured portraits and natural, unposed moments.
Documentary wedding photography: photojournalistic style.
Documentary wedding photography, also known as the photojournalistic style, focuses entirely on capturing real, unscripted moments throughout the day. This approach is all about storytelling—capturing tears, laughter, and all the little details that make a wedding unique.
This type of photographer tries their best to blend in and act as a silent observer, documenting the event as it unfolds without much—or any—interference. This style is perfect for couples who want an authentic and emotionally rich wedding album filled with raw and heartfelt moments rather than just-so poses. While family and group portraits are often still included, they are less formal and the photographer gives directions and prompts for movement and interaction for a more natural look.
Making creative photography style decisions: composition, lighting, and shutter speed.
Beyond wedding and shooting styles, the way you choose to compose, frame, and expose your shots adds another layer of signature style to your work.
Fine art wedding photography.
Fine art wedding photography is all about creating images that are creative and emotionally compelling. This style makes thoughtful use of detail, texture, and lighting to produce compositions that would be just as well-suited to a gallery wall as they are to a wedding photo album.
Editorial wedding photography.
Editorial wedding photography takes cues from high-fashion magazines, incorporating elements like dramatic lighting, strong poses or pose-free candid scenes, and unconventional compositions. This approach leans a little edgy and may resonate more with your wedding couple than their grandparents, but that’s not a bad thing when it comes to developing a signature style that attracts like-minded clients. Couples who choose this style want their wedding photos to feel like a glamorous scene from the pages of Vogue, even if it means eschewing tradition.
Extra details: long exposures, blur, & flash.
Whichever style is most true to you, knowing a few go-to camera techniques can add a distinct and memorable touch to any wedding photography portfolio. For example, long exposures combined with flash can be used on the dance floor to capture ambient party lighting and highlight the movement and energy of the wedding party, friends, and family.
Intentional blur is another approach that can be used to add a dreamy, emotional feel, while strong flash techniques can give a crisp, vintage-modern look to everything from portraits to reception and detail shots.
Making your photography style stand out with post-processing.
Finding a signature editing style will help you maintain consistency in your work and reinforce your brand identity, so more of your dream clients will be drawn to your work. Post-processing can range from your own photo treatments to purchasing presets that help you maintain a consistent look across a large catalogue with just a few clicks.
Light and airy:
Light and airy editing produces soft, romantic, and bright images that deliver an ethereal quality. This style works particularly well for outdoor weddings and those with light, neutral, and pastel wedding colors and decor. To achieve this look, be sure to master your exposure–don’t overexpose or you’ll lose the details in your whites! While you’ll still have a range of shadows and light, tones tend toward pastel or neutral and contrast is on the low end, giving your shots a dreamy feel and creamy skin tones.
Dark and moody:
On the other end of the spectrum, dark and moody editing is all about creating rich contrasts, deep shadows, and a cinematic ambiance that underscores the emotional intensity of the event. This style is well-suited to intimate ceremonies held in atmospheric venues like candlelit receptions, historic estates, or even outdoor forested locations.
Much like its lighter counterpart, dark and moody editing requires getting the right exposure in camera, either spot on or slightly underexposing. During editing, you’ll adjust the black, shadows, and color balance to bring out the right amount of warmth and plenty of rich dark tones. This aesthetic is perfect for couples who want you to tell their story with a more dramatic approach to wedding photography–think romantic with a dash of sexy.
Clean and classic: true-to-color.
A clean and classic editing style keeps colors natural and true to life, creating a look that will never go out of style. This approach is all about achieving natural skin tones, balanced exposure, and minimal color manipulation, ensuring that images reflect the wedding day just as it was experienced.
Often, this style might incorporate some black-and-white edits to emphasize textures, details, and emotions through a documentary-inspired approach.
Vintage film style:
Inspired by classic film stocks, vintage-style editing leans into a nostalgic, artistic approach to wedding photography. This aesthetic is characterized by details like subtle grain and comes in a range of warm, cool, light, cinematic–basically just like there was a film stock for everyone before digital cameras, there’s now a preset for everyone who wants their style to mimic the look of traditional film cameras.
Photographers achieve this style by either shooting with actual film or using digital presets designed to replicate the film effect they prefer. The film aesthetic can enhance the storytelling aspect of wedding photography, and is particularly attractive to couples who appreciate nostalgia and want their wedding photos to have that film look and charm–even when you’re not actually using the analogue process.
Showcasing your wedding photography with a stunning portfolio.
Just like there are a lot of couples getting married every year, there are also a lot of wedding photographers to choose between. To catch the eye of your ideal clients, your wedding photography business needs a stunning website and online portfolio. A website is essential for attracting clients, sharing important information about what you offer, and establishing your credibility as a professional in this competitive industry.
To create a strong portfolio, spend time choosing your best work to highlight, and not an overwhelming amount of it. Use your website to communicate your distinct artistic vision, and be sure to insert some of your personality. Couples that book you will often be spending at least 8 hours with you, so your brand and vibe can be the difference between them booking you or the other photographer with a similar style–don’t be afraid to show your face and make them feel like they know you! A great website will make clients feel like your services are a must-have on their special day.
One place for everything from proofing to selling.
Share and sell your photos directly from mobile-friendly, interactive online galleries designed to impress your clients.
On top of showcasing your work, a website with gallery features that allow you to share your work after the wedding day and sell prints and digital products to their friends and family members will give clients a great experience and further build their trust. Happy clients refer their friends, and features like private galleries, organizing their single gallery into collections for each part of the day, and the ability to send comments to you about photos in their galleries will ensure your client experience remains positive from the first touchpoint to the last.
How to find your signature wedding photography style.
Developing a unique wedding photography style takes time, experimentation, and a clear understanding of your creative preferences. To find your signature look, start by reflecting on the wedding styles that resonate with you most. Are you drawn to timeless, elegant celebrations or unconventional, modern affairs? Identify what excites you and use that as the foundation of your artistic vision.
Once you determine your aesthetic, refine your shooting techniques by experimenting with things like lighting, composition, and poses. Post-processing is another key aspect of maintaining a cohesive style—whether you prefer bright and airy, dark and moody, or vintage-inspired edits, consistency in your editing approach will strengthen your brand identity.
While defining your style is important, being adaptable to client preferences is equally valuable, particularly in the field of wedding photography. Some couples may want a mix of documentary-style candids and editorial portraits, and knowing how to blend different techniques while maintaining your artistic voice will make you even more in-demand. A strong personal style, combined with the ability to tailor your approach slightly to each couple’s vision, will set you apart.
Finally, branding and consistency are paramount. Your website, social media presence, and other touchpoints should all reflect your brand and personality, reinforcing what clients can expect from working with you. When all of these components are dialed in, you can become the easy first choice for clients who are aligned with your aesthetic.
