Documentary vs editorial wedding photography
This is the choice most couples are really making. It affects your photographs, but it also affects how your wedding day feels.
How the day feels
A documentary photographer stays largely invisible and lets the day happen. An editorial photographer will ask for some of your time and give direction. Neither is better; they simply ask different things of you.
What you receive
Documentary galleries read like a story, with quieter frames between the moments. Editorial galleries deliver more consistently striking individual images.
If you dislike being photographed
Documentary work is usually kinder. That said, a good editorial photographer directing gently can make self-conscious people look wonderfully at ease.
Most photographers do both
Look at where the balance sits in their full galleries rather than what the label on their homepage says.
If your shortlist includes photographers with different approaches, use our guide to choosing between two wedding photographers to weigh the photographs you love against the experience you want.
