How many different photo styles make up a wedding day?

If you're a photographer who enjoys shooting a variety of different ways, like Portrait, Still Life, Journalism, Architecture, and perhaps a little Fashion, Fine Art and Landscape mixed with some Sports, Architecture and Wildlife photography, weddings are for you!

A genuinely fun part of shooting weddings is that you get to shoot using a number of different styles. But how do you start? What style do you choose?

Start by mentally mapping out your day as much as possible in advance so you can capture as much of it as possible without feeling like you’re out of control or, worse, missing something important.

Also, take a tip from athletes and previsualize the day - not just the shots but your attitude about everything about to take place. This helps put you in a good frame of mind. It also helps to tour the space to scout things out before the big game. Together, your planning and “previs” will help you see things quickly and recognize if something is worth shooting or not (Hint: shoot it anyway and decide later)

Someone may ask at this point, "Why try to include so many styles if my preferred style is [insert favorite style here]?" That's a fair question, and the fairest answer I can give is another question back to you. Why are you doing this in the first place? Is it because you love stressful days filled with every kind of emotion? Is it because you love being one of a dozen different vendors on the day that the bride has to juggle and pay attention to? Or perhaps it’s the glamour of shooting thousands of photos in one day and then getting the pleasure of getting to edit and process those photos the following week? Of course not.

You're doing this because you love photography, you have a heart to serve, and you CARE about your couples.

You're their wedding photographer, and you want to give them a small slice of every flavor of the proverbial wedding cake so they can relive this day over and over again, more than likely when they are in more comfortable clothes...in their own home...and infinitely more relaxed.

You are the one person on the wedding day who has both the opportunity and responsibility to capture all of the details, all of the fun, all of the craziness and all of the sweet little moments of this emotion-filled day.

It kinda makes you feel bad for the other vendors, like the caterer or florist. Their job is so small compared to yours (Note: I said "small," not unimportant:)

OK, so you agree there's room to explore some different styles, right? And it's really up to you to figure out when and where you'll practice these styles and shoot these pieces.

Let's look at a list of examples so you can start thinking about these pieces and how you can assemble them into the greatest wedding portfolio the world (or at least your couple) has and will ever see.

Quick Note before we get started. These are in no specific order of importance or timeline for the day. That'll be up to you and how these adapt to your preferred "style."

Portrait - Shots of the bride and groom together is a good example of this. Also, the Bridal Portrait and the Groom’s Portrait (only on the wedding day). These can be as traditional or stylized as you'd like, and if you really want to “experiment,” this is a good place to play…just make sure your couple is on board.

Family - I think group photos fall nicely into this category. Perhaps it’s the immediate family with their new addition or a slightly larger group of every living relative that came from all corners of the globe to be in “the big family photo.” This discipline takes a significant amount of patience, but I’ll write about this another day.

Still Life - The details (one of my favorites) tell a story all by themselves. From little things like shooting the bride's phone (she almost ALWAYS has an engagement photo there, and you now see the date as well - feel free to borrow that one) to the table decor, jewelry, wedding invitation, and cufflinks, flowers, dress, gifts and so much more, the important thing here is that they are ALL important.

Journalism - shooting the bride getting her hair and makeup done is a good one here. The ceremony is also another good one. Journalism is preserving the moments as they happen without interference. "Woo-hoo, look at me (click)" is NOT a journalistic technique. This approach takes time and patience along with some artistic flair, but it's a must for a wedding day, even if your nickname is Parker the Poser.

Architecture - shooting the venues before they are full (church, chapel, backyard, reception site, etc) takes special attention. You won't use this style much, but a couple of well-placed shots will really pop in the wedding album. And don’t forget about the vendors who own these locales. These photos are ESSENTIAL to them, and you can make some lifelong friends when you take care of the owners of the venues.

Fashion - This is taking the portraits to another level. If this is your jam, weddings are your toast. Make sure your bride likes these kinds of photos because these do take some time and setup to shoot properly. I'm always a bit jealous of these shots and the photographers who have the patience and the style to take them, but then I remember my brides typically don't want to spend the time on these outside of a bridal portrait.

Landscape - Outdoor weddings are perfect for this approach. It doesn't matter if the wedding is overlooking the Colorado Rockies or in a cozy backyard on Rockford Street - that big gorgeous landscape shot taken at that perfect time of day will probably be one of the most memorable shots of the day.

Boudoir - I mention this only because on a few instances, I’ve been asked to “shoot a few special photos for the groom.” This isn’t the same as a full-blown boudoir session but more of an abbreviated version of this shoot. It makes sense if you think about it. The hair is perfect, the makeup is perfect, and the bride already has something picked out for the honeymoon she’d like photos of. The challenge is the timing. You won’t have much time so be ready. The best way to prepare is to have a few ideas in your back pocket that can be accomplished quickly with minimal setup.

Sports - I think shooting any guest-filled dance floor is about as challenging as a sporting event. The timing and anticipation are the same, and don't forget about the bouquet toss. Shooting the bride throwing a volleyball-sized pile of flowers over the shoulder ten feet in a crowd of females all clamoring to catch it does take skill...and you only get one take.

Documentary - like journalism, this style is also hands-off, but the difference is you're trying to tell a story with a series of shots. Unlike the videographer, you only get a handful of shots to reveal the moment and all the emotions it holds. The shots of Dad's arrival and seeing his daughter for the first time that day is a special moment that lends itself well to a documentary style. This is also a great way to feature these moments in the wedding album (a cool, two-page spread featuring this ten-minute moment in ten photos or less)

Wildlife - You might be thinking of a different “wildlife” than I am, but they’re both very similar. No, you might not risk being chased by a tiger (a cougar, perhaps), but keeping keenly aware of your surroundings at all times is a must at a wedding. It’s inevitable you’ll get a drink spilled on you, especially if you love getting onto the dance floor for some truly memorable moments, but at the end of the night, when you’re smack dab in between 50-100 guests who have replaced their alcoholic beverages with sparking sticks of heated metal, waving them inches from your head. I haven’t lost a limb, but I have lost a jacket and a couple of shirts during the revelries.

Lifestyle - getting some casual shots of the newlyweds strolling at sunset may sound contrived (and it is), but imagine visiting your couple at their first home a few months after the wedding and seeing a stunning and artfully framed shot of them walking hand in hand down Main Street or in a nearby field. For any guests to their home, they see this photo and think it looks like something out of a bridal magazine - Boom, the couple looks like supermodels, and you look like...the photographer of supermodels.

Travel - This is really important if you're shooting destination weddings. The couple usually doesn't have time to see all the sights in the area or see the details of their resort. They're in wedding mode. You, on the other hand, ARE the photographer, and you get the pleasure of taking a handful of custom postcards for them. You don't have to travel far or wait until sunset for each locale. Just get some great shots to set the scene for them. Getting some of the sights they're too busy to pay attention to gives you something extra to offer them. The guests will love them as well!

Event - This may sound like a no-brainer - a wedding IS an event, after all, but part of event photography, whether it's a corporate or family event, is bouncing around and getting fun shots of the guests. Spontaneous laughs or heartfelt hugs are priceless, and when you factor in that there are matriarchs and patriarchs of the families (don’t forget there are TWO) in attendance, these photos become priceless parts of history. I love hearing comments like, "You got that great shot of Jack and Diane! Did you know that was the day they met and now they're getting married?" or "I can't believe you got that amazing shot of my Grandma. No one has been able to get a photo of her smiling in 30 years!" There are so many great reasons to be a wedding photographer, but this is certainly one of my favorites.

When you’re at a wedding, I think your preferred shooting style matters less than your willingness to take care of your couple and their families and friends as a professional.

Unless you intentionally refuse to shoot the wedding properly (not recommended), you're naturally going to blend some of these approaches together.

Hopefully, you’re going to be cool with this. As we talked earlier, being open to the moments and having a mindset to serve is good for the couple, their family and friends, and ultimately for you and your business.

If you’ve communicated with your couple properly, you shouldn’t be in a situation where you’re asked to do something you’re not comfortable with (though it happens at times, fair warning).

Ultimately, do exactly what YOUR bride hired you to do and let the moment decide what kind of style you'll use to shoot it best. You’re a professional photographer…you can handle it!

Enjoy the wedding!