Artful wedding photography inspiration for an editorial style wedding album

It is a rainy autumn morning in Cape town. I got myself a generous pot of tea, the cat is purring on my desk and jazz is playing in the background. A perfect set up for focus on dreamy, moody, breathtaking wedding photography.

Being a bride-in-the-making, quite naturally I have headhunted around the web for inspiration, and by now got quite a substantial pinboard on wedding photography and all thing related. As I feel it is a massive component of the day, with the highest significance after the wedding, one does want to make sure that one feels confident that the guy behind the camera has a good understanding of ones wishes and vision when he/ she shoots away. What is as important as photography budget, is that one is happy with the style of the photographer and his/ hers preferred edit of the images, so that once the album is in your hands you can more or less trust that you will be pleased with the result.

I’ve looked at many wedding pictures where I feel that this was just a bit over-the-top romantically styled and posed. I dont know about you, but sometimes it does make me cringe a bit! It will be hard to avoid I guess, but I really wouldn’t like too many corny shots (why I chose the awesome Mint Tea photography who’s operating with a more alternative and dreamy vibe).

So if one feels keen on a different style, I strongly recommend to discuss with your photographer about how you and your groom want the day to be shot. Photographers are artists – I do believe most of them will really enjoy taking more focused and serene pictures than what they are asked to do for the average wedding album – as long as it is within their capability of course. (Remember to never ask a photographer to copy somebody else’s work – it is offensive and a highly inappropriate thing for them to do.)
Take a good look at their portfolio and previous work before paying the deposit, and make sure than you love their portfolio and are 100% in agreement with the style of their work.

As a trained artist with a keen photographic interest, I do feel inclined to want to involve this alluring art form in my wedding. Ok – maybe I do want some “normal” pictures for the ease of capturing the day as it unfolds naturally without having to think too much about angles and those fancy things etc, but the fine art shooting of the photography could be aimed for a specific part of the wedding day, such as before the reception, when a bit more serious, dramatic and apprehensive mood is in the air.
As the photos below will reveal, it makes good sense for a Bridal portrait session, to capture that exceptional beauty of a bride waiting to get married. Your fine art bridal session could be part of the getting ready, and one can also visualize how perhaps a “First look” shoot where romance and levels will be soaring could work really beautifully. The style would lend itself very well to all those emotionally charged and precious moments where you almost can touch the intensity in the air and the purity of your love – such as the ceremony itself of course, and any moments when bride and groom can be alone and treasure eachother. There is just so much poetry in that – why not capture the deepest sensations of the day with photos that would really give it justice, the moments when what you are feeling and experiencing are almost tangible?

I would definitely like to have a coffee table book like that!

So for all you photography-fans, brides and wedding loving people, today I’m bringing you the best of the best inspiration for fine wedding photography I have come across lately – I hope you enjoy the vibes as much as I do.