Creative Ideas for Capturing Unique and Memorable Wedding Photos and Videos
If you’re a wedding or engagement photographer—current or aspiring—you know that one of the biggest challenges is keeping your portfolio and shot list fresh. During wedding season you may be shooting several wedding and engagement sessions every week, and the last thing you want is for them to all blend together into an unrecognizable blob made up of the same shots over-and-over again. To that end, we’ve scoured the best wedding photography to come up with creative ideas that you can try adding to your repertoire. Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you want your photos and videos to be just as unique and memorable as the day itself.
Innovative Perspectives and Camera Angles
Getting creative with angles can create unique and visually interesting photos and videos. Consider taking photos and videos from different angles, such as from above or below. Get elevated by getting up on a ladder or atop another stable surface and discover a totally new perspective. Create leading lines and shapes using the bride’s fluffy dress for bonus points. You can also huddle up with the groomsmen and bridesmaids, then shoot from below to capture a different vibe.
Add a layer of separation between you and the couple by capturing reflections of the group in your photo, a twist on traditional entourage portraits. Use mirrors when photographing wedding prep moments or as a creative way to use mirrors during the wedding reception. Not every photo has to be a photo of the couple; why not a photo of a photo, a photo of a camera, or something captured in a reflection.
Creative Themes and Staged Concepts
If you find yourself in a rut, try these creative themes and rut busters to make your pictorials stand out:
- Recreate The Beatles’ Abbey Road: A fun way to bring together all the people that have shaped the lives of the newlyweds-to-be.
- Bomb theme: Ask the bride to pose as if she is a ticking bomb, and then have the groom and groomsmen “explode” in mid-air.
- Horror film fan? Do a “‘Til Death Do Us Part” zombie-themed pictorial or engagement shoot.
- Elegant themes: Set your pictorials in a library or choose a theme like The Great Gatsby.
- Cinephile? Shoot your wedding pictorials in a movie theater.
Using Light and the Environment
Natural light can create stunning and ethereal photos and videos. Consider scheduling your photo and video sessions during the golden hour, which is the hour before sunset or after sunrise. Getting creative with one genre of photography often means mixing in another for kicks, such as using light painting or capturing a steel wool wedding photo.
Incorporate your surroundings, whether it’s a spiral staircase or a beautifully symmetrical building. Don’t ignore your surroundings when you’re out capturing wedding photos in the city. Furthermore, you can get them wet! Some of our favorite wedding shots involve getting wet—be that in the rain or in the ocean. For a cinematic and grand feeling, drone footage can add a unique dimension to capture aerial shots of your wedding day.
The Power of Props and Elements
Adding props can add a fun and playful element to your wedding photos and videos. If every one of your shots includes just your bride and groom, you’re doing it wrong; bring props, make props, find props, go crazy!
| Creative Idea | Application |
|---|---|
| Photos in Your Photos | Literally sprinkle the couple's past all over the scene to capture their storied history. |
| Candy | Add a pop of color with candy as an alternative to posing with floral bouquets. |
| Photoshop Madness | Open up brand new creative worlds, like making a couple hold on to balloons as if they are flying. |
| Matching Rides | Use a camper van or a boat to match your wedding ride with your outfits. |
Candid Moments and Interaction
Don’t forget to capture all the candid moments before the ceremony and after the reception. Most times, they are more heartfelt and dramatic than posed shots. Instead of doing the overrated and overused jump shot, do a jump photo that mimics a time-lapse. Adding colorfully-dressed bridesmaids and groomsmen to a traditional kissing shot can lighten the mood of a too-cheesy or too-serious pose. Most importantly, have fun! Capturing that joy and excitement in your photos and videos can make them truly memorable moments that you'll cherish for years to come.