Documentary Wedding Photography

The real, unscripted story of your wedding day

What is documentary wedding photography?

Sometimes also known as candid wedding photography, wedding photojournalism, reportage weddings, street style weddings….call it what you will, it all boils down to this:

As your documentary wedding photographer, I’ll quietly capture the story of your day as it unfolds; travelling with you on the journey, not directing the action.

As such, your wedding day will be purely a time of celebration with each other and with family, unencumbered by the stress of awkward, posed group shots.

In this photo, the bride and a young bridesmaid twirl next to each other, their dresses billowing out in a circle as they spin.
 
As pre wedding photos are being taken, three young relatives of the bride stand and watch. Their postures and facial expressions make us think some mischief might be afoot!

Capturing those fleeting moments, sometimes well before the wedding itself begins..

Candid wedding moments in NYC

Documentary Wedding Photography FAQ’s

Why should I choose documentary wedding photography?

A young bridesmaid squats outside the room where the ceremony is happening, holding her basket full of flower petals and chewing on her pearl necklace while she waits to make her entrance.

Every couple is different, but often the photos couples wind up coming back to again and again aren’t the posed, formal shots, but the candid moments they didn’t even know were being captured. This is the goal of candid wedding photography; to tell the true, unscripted story of your wedding day. As a couple you are unique; your wedding won’t be like anyone else’s. Documentary wedding photography means your photos will reflect your unique personality and style, with images you’ll treasure forever.

What is Documentary Wedding Photography?

At this large Jewish wedding reception, the bride and the groom are each lifted by their friends so that they can see over the divider separating the men and women. They share a smile and a few secret words.

Documentary Wedding Photography is a candid style of Wedding Photography. It allows the couple to enjoy their wedding while the documentary wedding photographer tells the story of the day through images captured without posing or directing the wedding couple and their guests.

At this Jewish wedding in Crown Heights, guests and bridesmaids gather in the rain outside the Chuppah while they wait for the bride to arrive.
Guests greet the bride at a large Jewish wedding in Jersey City.
The maid of honor and a bridesmaid check the room where the boutonnieres for the groomsmen and the gift bags are stashed.
After the wedding, the bridesmaids and groomsmen relax at the main table in the reception hall at this rustic barn style venue called the Wilds in Southern Indiana.
Cool documentary photographers NYC
In this black and white image, taken at an outdoor wedding at the Jefferson Market Garden in NYC, the bride and groom and their guests share a laugh at something the judge who is marrying them has said.
In this black and white photo taken just after the "I Do's" were said at a backyard wedding in Chatham NY, the bride leans into the grooms shoulder and throws a huge open mouthed smile at the camera while the groom is looking to the side, smiling.

Want to see more?

Click below to see more of my style in my documentary wedding stories