The end OF PERFECT We explore how couples are falling out of love with perfection and choosing documentary wedding photography For more than a decade, as social media grew in popularity and became increasingly ingrained in our lives, so too did the desire for polished, Insta-worthy wedding shots. The ultimate goal was to secure images that belonged on the front cover of a luxury magazine. But rather than choosing between polished portraits and authentic moments, today’s couples increasingly want both. They’re looking for photographers who’ll capture their wedding day as it unfolds, rather than a series of carefully staged moments. The rise of documentary photography reflects a need for authenticity and presence, going hand-in-hand with the trend for ultra-personalised big days. Today, the perfect wedding album might include a tear-streaked face, hilarity on the dance floor or the youngest guests running with abandon through the venue’s grounds. FROM PINTEREST TO PRESENCE Social media and its resulting habit of doom-scrolling has caused many to reach the point of perfection fatigue. Today’s couples have grown up exposed to an endless parade of highly curated content from lifestyle to fashion, and of course weddings. Whereas the previous generation might have envisioned their wedding day in the form of scrapbooks, sketches and marked-up magazines, Gen Z-ers naturally gravitate to Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok for their wedspiration. After years spent in the pursuit of perfection, perhaps the pandemic and months spent in isolation reminded us of what matters most. When the wedding industry emerged from lockdown, the trend for more intimate, meaningful wedding days quickly became prevalent, and in the years that followed, this beating heart has remained even though we’re seeing guest numbers begin to grow once more. To reflect these personalised celebrations, there’s a growing demand for photography that showcases candid storytelling, genuine emotion and real moments. A recurring theme we see among our real wedding couples is that many have no desire to spend the moments following their ceremony posing for the camera with an endless parade of carefully planned guest groups. No, they’re far keener to get the party started, and why not? With a documentary photographer at the helm, there’s no need to fear a lack of captured memories of your nearest and dearest. Seeing themselves more as observers, they shoot moments of you and your guests as they unfold. It’s their job to be in the right place at the right time, with the camera pointing in the unsplash.com@jakobowens 48
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