In my very humble opinion, we should stop talking about “wedding styles” and stop trying put labels on things. After all, what one person might call classic, another person might call fine art. Or what one person might call editorial, another might call fashion-driven. Instead of contemplating what “style” you’re looking for, I’d encourage you to take a different approach.
Alternatives to using labels:
Instead of talking about styles we should be teaching people how to look at photography and assess with their eyes (not words) what they’re drawn to and what they’re looking for.
First, think about what’s most important you. Ask yourself, what is most important to you:
I want someone who will focus on documenting our friends and family and the energy of the day
I want someone who will perfectly capture our fashion, the details and compose jaw-dropping portrait
Then, start reviewing photographers who’s work seems to focus on one or the other and start to dive in from there. Tip: How someone currates their instagram feed will tell you a lot about their primary focus – do they show mostly heartfelt and fun moments, focused on people? Or are they showing a lot of details or fashion?
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of photographers you think might be a good fit, email to ask for pricing and availability. IF they’re free and within price range, ask if you can review some full galleries. In the full galleries look for a few things:
- Consistency – do they have the same color treatment and style from wedding to wedding?
- How they shoot in different lighting situations. Look for galleries with your similar setting (i.e city wedding or outdoor wedding).
- Look at how they shoot different parts of the day. How a photographer shoots a wedding from start to finish will give you the full picture.
