When it comes to wedding photos, did or would you prefer them to be:
Couples want a mixture of candid and posed wedding photos
Over the last few years reportage wedding photography has become more popular than traditional posed wedding photography, but most couples still want a combination of both according to an Easy Weddings poll. 10% of couples that responded to the poll said they just wanted informal candid shots, while only 1% wanted just posed photos. At 89% the vast majority wanted a mixture of the two.
Traditionally wedding photos would have been a whole series of posed group shots. The bride and the groom, the bride and the bridesmaids, the bride and her father, the bride and both parents… you get the picture. In recent years couples have started to prefer wedding photos that are more spontaneous and natural, and reportage has become more accepted.
With reportage photography the photographer will mingle with the guests throughout the day capturing natural candid shots of groups as they enjoy the wedding. They will take pictures of all the key moments in the ceremony, the arrival at the reception, the cake cutting, and the first dance without asking the couple to pose for them. The idea is to capture the story of the wedding as it unfolds without creating unnatural situations. One advantage of reportage is that the photographer should just blend into the background and the wedding party won’t feel like they spend the whole day posing for photos.
Although reportage is now very popular, most couples still want a combination of candid and posed shots. This means they can be sure they will have a few good pictures of themselves and the key members of the wedding party, and that nobody gets missed out of the photos. The perfect wedding album will combine a few posed photos with a series of natural shots, along with pictures of special wedding details such as the rings, flowers, and cake.