7 wedding photography trends that will make your big day stand out

Say ‘yes’ to the unexpected

Credit: TLGraphy

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Sure, the borders may have opened up once again and expanded your choices of unique wedding photo destinations to jet off to. But if there’s one thing COVID has taught all of us, it’s that there’s plenty of magic to be found in our backyard – if you know where to look.

Titus Lim, who runs the wedding photography brand TLGraphy, is one photographer who knows a thing or two about this. Just this year, one of his wedding photography sessions went viral because the couple gamely went with a Haw Par Villa-themed shoot.

TLGraphy, which Titus explains as a “go-to wedding photography brand that provides candid and hassle-free photography services”, has been known to provide couples on a smaller budget with a value-for-money package without skimping on the quality of work.

“When you think lower costs, it’s natural for customers to think that the services won’t be as good. For us at TLGraphy, we try to remove any miscellaneous costs and expenses that can drive down the price for our customers. We also make sure that we deliver on a shorter scale – we are averaging around two weeks from shoot to delivering the end products.”

One trend Titus has noted is that people are willing to go all the way to making their photos special. “They don’t want another shoot at Coney Island again,” he mentions. “We have been seeing more unconventional requests – whether it’s at Haw Par Villa or one couple who asked to shoot near Bukit Brown cemetery – and this has been more on the uptake of late. Beyond that, there are also couples who are asking to go to places of significance to them – like their universities or where they met for a first date. It’s all about adding this extra special touch to these pre-wedding photos.”

Learn more about TLGraphy here.

Strip it down

Credit: The Good Citizen

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Authenticity, it seems, is the new name of the wedding photography game. Aside from candid and unique locations, another photographer we spoke to highlighted how brides have increasingly ditched the fairytale makeover for their actual day in favour of showing up to the altar looking just like themselves on any given day.

Timothy Sim – a photojournalist turned wedding photographer – runs The Good Citizen. He approaches each couple through a personal experience, where he will sit and listen to their stories and try to ideate ways to capture these special moments.

“A lot of our clients like that we take time to understand them personally,” Timothy says assuredly. “My promise to them is that when I am done shooting their happy occasion, I am able to capture them on a more authentic level, and we turn around the photos quickly. For example, when shooting an actual day wedding, we can get it back to the couple a week later, and pre-wedding photos take me about one day.”

In speaking about trends, he calls to mind that his oft-free-spirited clients are now opting to forgo the “princess” treatment because they want to be able to see their authentic selves in the pictures.

“Unlike previous generations, the vibe that I am getting with today’s couples is one that is more casual. Even after the pandemic rules have been relaxed, we’ve seen couples swinging for more intimate settings even though restrictions on crowd sizes have already lifted. Think along the lines of brides showing up in sneakers, or choosing to skip the hassle of wearing contacts simply because she wears glasses on a daily basis and wants her ‘real’ self shown in her photos.”

He notes that there is an ever-increasing band of brides who are also doing away with traditional gowns and even makeup because they want to keep things feeling casual and easy.

“They don’t want to fit into a mould, and that’s pretty exciting,” he muses.

Learn more about The Good Citizen here.

A Kodak moment

Credit: Senica Productions

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In our digital-first world, it’s easy to forget the beauty that film photography offers. Yet increasingly, modern couples are finding ways to return to the nostalgic world of film photography – or film-looking photographs, at least.

One-half of Singaporean wedding photography brand Senica Productions, which offers photography, videography, and even live-streaming capabilities to cater to COVID-caused restrictions, Monica cites that she and her partner Sebastian approach wedding photography from a “photojournalistic approach. We try to not be intrusive in the shoot, and we are able to document those candid and intimate moments that you won’t get when you try to force a couple into a pose”.

One trend that Monica has seen on the rise is the acceptance of film-like photography. She notes that they have been getting more couples who are open “to more film-ish, more grainy photographs”.

“We’ve been in this business since 2015, and when we first started, wedding photography was about getting the flawless edit. Right now, we are seeing the advent of film-inspired edits on social media in relation to wedding photographs. A few years back, couples would probably not accept visible grain or artistic blurring in their photos – some used to ask if the grain was due to lower-quality equipment. These days, they appreciate that more artsy approach and they are more accepting of trendy edits.”

Learn more about Senica Productions here.

You know how they often say that some romances are like watching a cinematic masterpiece unfold? Like you’re living in your own Nicholas Sparks book-to-film adaptation? This next trend’s for you if you’re nodding your head.

On top of wedding photography, Wemerrygoround is a wedding brand that also offers videography services. One of the leading trends they see in wedding films these days? The rising popularity of wedding trailers.

Wemerrygoround’s brand is all about capturing the magic and chemistry of love in a setting that maintains a sense of natural realism. Doing away with the notion that weddings have to be polished, grand, and posed to within an inch of artificiality, the couple-photographers Alvin and Jessica prefer to lean into vibrant, fun, cheerful, and colourful vibes when shooting weddings.

Speaking to us, they highlighted the increase in interest when it comes to cutting wedding trailers. These often entail poignant music laid over beautifully-edited visuals that honestly feel like the trailer video for a romance film on Netflix.

"As some couples may be quite shy, they would prefer sharing some short teaser videos instead of the full highlights reel of their wedding”, Jessica says. “With shorter films, they can also upload the footage to social media to showcase their nuptials to loved ones who may not have been able to attend the wedding physically. It is a way to share the love and celebration."

Shadows, shapes and lines

Credit: Wemerrygoround

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Another trend that Jessica of Wemerrygoround highlighted is how her industry peers and her studio have been given more freedom to play with shadows, interesting shapes or poses, as well as visual style lines – concepts that were once frowned upon in wedding photography as being too artistic for most tastes. Though this may sound technical, the effects of it really elevate a couple’s wedding photos from the mundane to the magical.

Why this is a trend? It is possible that your Instagram feed had a hand in it.

"Couples being exposed to the new ways images are being shot for social media, they are now more willing to try experimenting with light and shadow”, Jessica tells us. “Elements such as human silhouettes and dramatic lines, are more common these days in wedding photography. Couples are more game to try moodier poses that capture a feeling rather than a clear view of their faces, and they are also more willing to travel around in search of unique locations that will provide the photographer with interesting looking shapes and shadows."

 Learn more about Wemerrygoround here.

Marry the night

Credit: Oddly Familiar

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One way to stand out from other wedding photographs you’ve seen? Consider doing a night-themed shoot. While most couples are quick to opt for sunlit and airy photographs, a growing group of adventurous couples are opting to shoot in the quiet of the night, or have their photos edited to make it seem like it was shot after sundown.

Bringing up this trend is Samantha Ngui of Oddly Familiar. Having only started last year, Oddly Familiar may be a fairly new entry to the industry, but they are finding fresh new ways to turn a couple’s wedding shoot into something new.

“I don’t really know if I’m that different from most photography studios,” she says with self-effacing candour. “What I base my business on is that human connection. That’s the reason why I went into wedding photography. I see life as a journey of connections and love, and I aspire to bring that out with my photography.”

In her experience, she’s noted that couples have been receptive to the idea of a night-themed shoot.

“Couples who have approached me have shown that they are more adventurous in trying ambient lighting and night shoots,” she explains. “Sometimes it’s shot in the day, but it’s using editing to bring up the ambient light to make it seem cinematic.”

“I think the couples getting married now are more exposed to movies and films, and I feel this plays into a larger trend of films influencing the way couples are choosing to approach their photo-making sessions.”

Magic in the atmosphere

Credit: Oddly Familiar

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Another trend that Oddly Familiar's Samantha has noted is that couples are willing to pull the focus away from them and opt for wider angles that showcase the space that they are in.

“I’ve also had couples who say that they don’t want their faces shot in such a close-up manner,” Samantha also tells us. “They’d rather showcase the place instead of just focusing on themselves. They like the feeling of a wider space, and it’s a fresher approach to wedding photography in the end.”

When asked if wider angles are used to showcase these places of emotional significance, Samantha says it’s often a mix. “I will ask my couples very in-depth questions to understand them better, and this often brings up places that hold significance to them,” she replies. “However, some places just won’t photograph as beautifully, so it’s always a mixture of places of meaning and aesthetically-beautiful places”.

Learn more about Oddly Familiar here.