So, you’re getting married in 2025. Congratulations! You’ve locked in a date, possibly a venue, and now you’re about to spiral into The Great Vendor Hunt—a thrilling adventure where you exchange vast sums of money for services you never thought you’d need (looking at you, chair covers).
Somewhere between debating the merits of peonies vs. roses, you’ll realise: Oh. I need a photographer. And not just any photographer—one who will capture the day exactly as you remember it (or better, if we’re being honest).
As a wedding photographer who has seen everything (yes, even that), I’m here to guide you through the madness and help you get the best wedding photos of your actual life.
1. Choose a Photographer You’d Actually Hang Out With
Look, your photographer is going to be there for all of it—the excited chaos of the morning, the emotional vows, the sweaty dancefloor free-for-all. If you don’t vibe with them, that’s a long day of awkward interactions.
📌 How to find your perfect match:
Stalk their portfolio. Does their work make you feel something, or does it look like a stock photo from “Happy Wedding Magazine, 2009”?
Read their website. If their personality makes you laugh, cry, or nod in agreement, you’re on the right track.
Meet them (or at least Zoom them). You should feel comfortable enough to say, “Please tell me if I have lipstick on my teeth.”
2. Trends Are Fun. Timeless Is Better.
Yes, 2025 will bring its own questionable wedding trends (AI-generated vows? Holographic confetti?). But when it comes to your photos, the goal is to look at them in 20 years and not cringe.
📌 Trends that actually age well:
Natural, documentary-style photography. Candids over posed, always.
Classic, flattering editing. Warm, true-to-life tones > filters that make everyone look like they were shot through an oat milk latte.
Understated elegance. No one regrets a beautiful, timeless wedding dress, but plenty of people regret neon up-lighting.
3. The Light Dictates Everything (Even If You Don't Know It Yet)
Photographers are obsessed with light. Not in a casual “oh, that’s nice” way—but in a will-stop-mid-conversation-to-point-out-golden-hour kind of way.
📌 Key lighting rules for epic wedding photos:
Golden hour = magic. If your photographer suggests sneaking out for sunset photos, DO IT.
Midday sun is the enemy. If you’re having an outdoor ceremony at 1 p.m. in August, prepare for squinty eyes and shadows that age you 20 years.
Fairy lights > LED strobes. Reception lighting matters. Fairy lights = dreamy. Blue disco lights = Smurf wedding.
4. The Family Photo Gauntlet: How to Survive It
Ah yes, the formal photos. The bit where we attempt to gather a small army of relatives in one place, at the same time, looking in the same direction. It is chaos.
📌 How to make it painless:
Keep the list short. No one needs 47 groupings. Prioritise the must-haves.
Assign a herder (usually the bossiest, most efficient friend). This person ensures Uncle Steve doesn’t wander off to the bar mid-photo.
Relax. If a toddler is crying in one shot, you’ll laugh about it later.
5. Your Wedding Photos Should Feel Like You
The best photos aren’t the perfectly posed, “hands here, chin up, lean slightly” ones. They’re the ones where you’re living your best life—laughing, crying, hugging your people, throwing questionable shapes on the dancefloor.
📌 How to get photos that feel natural:
Forget the camera. A great photographer will capture you as you are—no forced smiles required.
Trust your photographer. If they tell you to stand in a certain light or move slightly, there’s a reason.
Enjoy yourself. You’ve done the planning. Now, live the day. That’s where the magic is.
Final Thoughts (a.k.a. Stuff You’ll Actually Remember in 20 Years)
When the confetti has settled, and you’re looking back at your wedding photos, you won’t be thinking about whether the napkins matched the bridesmaid dresses. You’ll remember the way it felt.
And that’s the goal: Photos that take you right back to that exact moment. The laughter, the happy tears, the absolute joy of it all.
So, find a photographer you trust, embrace the unpredictable, and let the magic happen.
And if you want someone who knows how to document the madness with style, humour, and zero forced poses, well… I might just know someone. 😉
