What does “documentary style photos” even mean?

This has become such a buzz word and trend on social media over the last couple of years, as people began to step away from traditional posed wedding photos in pursuit of something that feels more life-like. But what does it really mean? Is it something you should look for in a wedding photographer? Does it really matter if your photographer shoots in a documentary style? 

Simply put- documentary style wedding photos focus on images that capture the real and genuine moments of your wedding day. It is all about real and raw emotions. Genuine laughter and smiles. All the tears. Nothing is staged in pursuit of the perfect image, everything is just captured exactly how it FELT in that moment. 

Not so simply put- documentary style wedding photography is all about capturing the essence of humans and their relationships. It is done through capturing emotions, laughs, hugs, tears, and all the sweet things. It turns the seemingly simple emotions of a wedding into art and moments that you will want to remember and relive time and time again. It takes the focus of a wedding day away from its production and details, and back on to the people who matter most- aka you, your friends, your loved ones, and your family. 

Documentary photos means that your photos will be ones that make you feel things, that bring back all the emotions from your day when you look at them. It’ll be your love story in pictures, centered around who you are and things you love to do. It adds a deeper meaning to your gallery, instead of just taking photos in a pretty location and calling it done. (Not that posing in a pretty location isn’t important, but your wedding photos can be so much more!) 

It means that your photographer will take the time to know you and your story before the wedding day happens, that way it will feel more like meeting up with an old friend instead of just a stranger you found on Instagram or Pinterest or Tiktok a year prior. Getting to know each other is such a crucial part of documentary style wedding photography, because it is hard to tell someone’s story without actually knowing what story you are telling first. It is also important for knowing what to prioritize on a wedding day, because every couple has such different priorities for what they want captured most on their wedding day. For example, one couple might have hired the best event planner who is really big on perfect details, so they might want extra care and attention taken to having the details of their day photographed. While another couple may have family coming in from all over the country, so they want a focus on family photos and candids for their wedding gallery. 

It means that you will be able to just be yourself, because you are art exactly as you are and don’t need to change yourself or act differently just because you are now standing in front of a camera. So you can laugh and giggle and cry, and know that you will still look beautiful in the photos. 

These are the photos that make you feel something, where you can look back at them and say “wow these are SO US. We feel so seen”. 

On wedding days I used a blend of documentary style posing and more editorial poses, that way your gallery is full of variety and life, and feels like art. A huge part of the process I take to document weddings is focusing on candid moments, artfully documenting every detail, and focusing on images you will actually want to pass down and show off. I step in and adjust things as needed, but for the most part I let my couples do their thing and I capture them as they are. When clients feel awkward or don’t quite know what to do with their hands is when I step in and help them- that way they are always feeling and looking their best in their wedding photos. From an artistic standpoint, I am truly so inspired by the people in the images I take. I try to use couples personalities as a guide when I am directing them through different shots and poses, that way their gallery is true to them and who they are. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you look and feel your best in your photos, and that they actually look like you. 

And even when I step in to help pose couples, I avoid cookie cutter poses that are super boring and basic and have been done before again and again. Instead I focus on ways to tell a story in an image or showcase the couple’s love and connection. I think about your wedding day as if it were a movie, and focus how I can most accurately convey the day in photos. 

There are a couple of different approaches I take to create genuine photos with my couples. I love having them look at each other instead of the camera. Giving lots of moments for them to simply be present and just breathe. I keep an eye out for anything that is special to the couple, like if they have a unique handshake they like to do while they are standing next to each other, and make it a point to capture that. I am sure to capture even the smallest of details, like champagne glasses that sparkle in the light just right. 

If this resonated with you at all, you are in luck because I have room for five more weddings in Colorado for 2025, and have already started booking 2026 weddings in Colorado and California! Click HERE to see if your date is available, and get a detailed pricing guide sent straight to your email that has all the information on the different wedding packages I am offering! And you will get to see more of what it looks like to work with me for your wedding day!