Wedding Photography Across the Globe

Wedding Photography Across the Globe

In the past, wedding photography used to be a mere attribute of a wedding celebration. In the highly image-focused world of today, it is turning into a special ritual. Simultaneously, similar to the wedding itself, the wedding photography represents cultural beliefs, aesthetical tradition, and signs of social changes. Moreover, even though it has long been considered the most traditional field of photography, unsusceptible to the caprices of fashion, it nowadays evolves almost as quickly as the digital world. And the important task to live up to these novel requirements lies in the hands of the wedding photographer. In this fashion, he almost assumes the role of an artist, balancing the personal wishes of brides and grooms with current trends. Still miracle has an ever-growing experience of working with various nationalities, cultures, and traditions across the globe. In this article, we share our observations and reflections on how wedding photography varies in different countries.

A bride in a dressing room in the morning adjusting her veil, a best man checking his wristwatch, the exchange of the rings, lighting candles and eventually bride and groom leaving in a decorated car: how does modern wedding photography interpret, alternate and even avoid these classical arrangements of wedding photographs?

Wedding Photography in Australia 

When speaking of any branch of the wedding industry, it is impossible not to mention Australia. The country is justly considered world-leading in bridal fashion and often sets trends for all the fashionable brides of the world. Its wedding industry is huge and dynamic, with one segment affecting the other. For example, bridal fashion inspires floral decorations (read more about bridal floristic here), floristic sets the tone for the décor and wedding photography adapts to all these changes. 

To say the least, Australian couples hardly ever save the budget on wedding photographers. Together they push the wedding shots beyond the line of tradition and social accords. One could describe their wedding stories as poetic but also very brave. They elegantly integrate the tendencies from fashion photography with their wedding series. Less and less do they opt for classically staged pictures. On the contrary, couples do not hesitate to avoid a traditional sequence of photos of the wedding day and discover their own voice. Remarkably, the same applies to the style (for example, the series can be shot entirely on film) and retouch that is often experimental. Their storytelling confidently takes brides and grooms to exotic locations and invents poses and settings: wedding photographers follow the couples up to the mountains, to a desert, to the open water or even up in the sky. Being on edge between editorial and bridal photography, it is refined and exclusive yet emotional and passionate.

Wedding Photography in the USA

The USA has a highly developed, dynamic and diverse bridal industry. It is no surprise that a lot of modern wedding customs, from bridal fashion to wedding decorations and little rituals, come straight from that continent. It is impossible to describe American wedding photography without mentioning Jose Villa. This trendsetting wedding photographer invented what has become the modern classic – The Fine Art approach. Emerging in the early 2000s, this high-end style added art touch and precision to the movement and dynamism of the photojournalistic approach. One of its most important characteristics is shallow depth of field and this sunrise or sunset-like glowing warm light. These fairy-tale pictures shine with light and pastel colours, synthesizing the natural feel, yet giving the images an enhanced, flattering look.

Wedding Photography in Russia

In the minds of many Russian couples, wedding photography’s raison d’être is to create ideal visuals of their wedding day. Thus, they often wish for it to produce a royal or fairy-tale-like aura. To reach this goal, especially wealthy ones rent estates or former palaces for the photo shooting. Consequently, their wedding photography is characterized by a romantic, dreamy touch: bride and groom walking towards each other on a perfectly green lawn, the bride and her bridesmaids walking down a marble staircase, all shot in gentle light. Needless to say, a bride, as a princess, more often than not occupies the central place in pictures of the wedding day. 

The romance and splendour of the wedding should be reflected in the pictures, even when, according to fashion, the series is shot in a seemingly photojournalistic manner. In other words, there is a demand for perfection: of the venue, the apparel, the guests and the decor. The wedding photographer tries, among other things, to highlight the most aesthetically pleasing details:  make-up that was meticulously prepared, floral decorations of the hall, the folds of the stunning dress. And, of course, to cater to one of the most salient desires of our present: how will it look on Instagram? At the same time, clients do ask wedding photographers for at least some traditional poses (such as the official bridal portrait, the group photo, bride and groom with parents, etc.). Still, most of the space is reserved for emotional, lively pictures meant to immortalize precious moments of the day of days. 

Wedding Photography in the United Kingdom

(read more about Still miracle’s experience in the article)

The United Kingdom, compared to the above countries, is classier and more conservative. Traditionally, couples in England prefer to have a classical photo list that shows the traditional sequence of the wedding day. However, the pictures are enlivened with sincerity and emotions in natural, rustical locations with retouch to match. Spontaneity, charming flaws and ‘alive’ shots are embraced, even though they require a lot of activity from the couple.  Often, they are preferred to fashionable elements, such as, for instance, bespoke wedding stationary shots. 

While this conservative attitude surely is pronounced, it has to be remarked that a younger generation of newlyweds is opening up to the new, leading to the gradual appearance of international elements in decorations, wedding photography uk and apparel. 

Wedding day imagery is to be passed through generations and enjoyed for years to come. This is why it is no surprise that wedding day photo-shooting is one of the most important elements of the whole event. While there are some global trends in wedding photography, such as a focus on details, shooting on film, emotional as well as documentarist approaches, different cultures and traditions endow them with their individual shine. This leaves us with the great opportunity to observe, to compare, to choose and to integrate different elements in the style of the grand affair’s pictures.