When you’ve been doing wedding photography as long as I have, you look for ways to inject a little originality into what you do. Make no mistake; if you want your wedding photos to be simple, elegant, and structured a certain way, you are more than welcome to get the photos that will make you happy. However, if you want to do something a little different from wedding photos you’ve seen in the past, that’s also a viable option. What does a non-traditional wedding photoshoot look like? I’ll talk about the general concepts that can open new channels of your creativity right here.

Against the Grain

Most of the time, if someone wants to bust out their book of wedding photos, you know what you’re getting into: people dressed in their finest clothes posing with big smiles for the camera. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but non-traditional wedding photoshoots can be an exciting change of pace.

The important thing to remember is that almost nothing is off the table, no matter how much it breaks tradition or goes against the grain. These are your wedding photos; if sticking to the old-school way of doing it isn’t for you, I’ll be the first to tell you to go with your gut.

Candid and Unplanned

A common thing that many wedding photos have is a carefully arranged and staged background and deliberate poses. While these kinds of photos let you see everyone clearly, they don’t always capture the energy of each individual. A non-traditional wedding photoshoot might look a little more candid and off-the-cuff.

A good wedding photographer will always try and capture candid moments of genuine emotion, and if those kinds of pictures are more important to you than the staged ones, be sure to let them know. I’m always excited to capture genuine excitement and joy, especially if the participants get nervous during, or don’t enjoy, staged photoshoots.

Uniquely You and Yours

Your wedding photos, like your wedding as a whole, should reflect who you and your partner are as unique individuals and a unique couple. If you don’t want to pose standing straight in front of a camera, you don’t have to. Bring props, masks, entire costumes—whatever you know signifies who you are as people, and use them to create memorable photos you want to go back and look at time and time again.

If you’re looking for non-traditional wedding photography in New York, I would love to be the one who makes your vision come to life! Let’s talk about how we can make physical memories that will make you smile every time you see them.