2014 Wedding Photography Trends

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A wedding, no matter how well-planned and grand, lasts for one day. It's the memories that last a lifetime. That's why the single largest expense, outside of the overall rental and catering arrangement, is the cost of the wedding photographer.

Your photographer's job is to capture the special moments as well as the taste and feel of your wedding. More and more, today's weddings attempt to create a special photographic effect.

There's a hot new trend of generating a social media presence with hashtags, websites and guests' posts. Wedding videos have gone viral by playing with the presentation. There's an opposite trend toward unplugged weddings, at which the guests turn in their mobile devices at the door. Traditional formal portraiture is back in vogue, while the candid shots have never been more popular. Vintage weddings call for toned black and white photography. The trend in all-night parties calls for society paparazzi to record the revelry.

Wedding planners are even looking to hire more than one photographer in order to get the full range of experience recorded for family posterity. Choosing a photographer who specializes in photojournalism, for example, guarantees the best candid shots. Here are the top new trends in wedding photography for 2014.

The Social Media Event
One of the newest trends for 2014 is to provide a location for guests to recharge their mobile devices. Instagram and Pinterest albums are welcomed. A hashtag is often set up for the wedding well in advance, and photographs of the wedding party are taken before the wedding day itself. Graphic designers can even hack the wedding pictures to photobomb the event after the fact, as in the Jurassic Wedding photo that went viral last year showing a Tyrannosaurus Rex chasing the wedding party.

Unplugged Weddings
The opposite trend is popular with couples who wish to shun the media and focus on a simple, traditional ceremony. Often, the venue is selected for its natural beauty or its religious presence. Cell phones are collected at the door. The wedding then proceeds in an old-fashioned, intimate setting. The wedding couple controls the images recorded by allowing only the official photographer to take shots.

Photography Shoots Before and After the Wedding
While pre-wedding photography has been a trend, post-wedding photography is catching on as well. The trash-the-dress trend involves the bride, in her dress the day after the wedding, walking into the ocean, rolling in mud or otherwise demonstrating that this dress was truly meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime outfit. Sexy but tasteful morning-after shots are trending, to compete with a trend in prenuptial boudoir shots for the groom's eyes only. Informal shoots of the wedding party in regular clothes show the group as friends in real life. These photographs can be taken quite informally by the participants themselves.

Photo Booths at the Wedding
Vintage photo booths are a popular trend. Guests can pose for photographs in a make-believe setting, often with props and even disguises (such as mustaches). The photographs make instant wedding favors.

Extending this trend this year is a new use of infrared cameras to capture videos of the guests in low-light situations. A slow-motion video booth produces a timeless memento of the celebration. Real-time projection of the live recording adds another layer to the dazzling dance-floor spectacle.

Formal Portraiture
The "Southern Belle" portrait of the bride-to-be, in a formal indoor or outdoor pose, is trending this year. The bride may not even be smiling. Her calm, serious, straightforward but joyful look is one for the ages. Over-the-top floral arrangements are trending this year as well. Both suit the trend for formal church weddings this year. A traditional wedding photographer will know how well to work with this situation.

Candid Shots
Every wedding album calls for classic shots, from the cake-cutting ceremony to the first dance and beyond. Posed candid shots are trending now.
They give the photographer several chances to record the perfect image to be preserved for posterity. A photojournalist or film-and-video cinematographer has relevant experience in capturing the best shot. Black-and-white photography, often toned toward sepia, gives an informal feeling to the snapshots.

Rustic Woodland Weddings
Fairy-tale weddings in woodsy clearings have popped up on the popularity charts. These quaint and charming events combine artsy details, hand-crafted outfits, and back-to-nature elements for a return-to-innocence event.

Trellises, arches, wildflower place settings and other natural elements create a special feeling. A portrait photographer experienced in working outdoors will find the best way to capture both the natural setting and the artfully arranged details.

Wedding photographs are keepsakes. Taking shots before and after the wedding can make the day itself less stressful. Following the newest trends can be a lot of fun. Adapt the trends to suit your style.

About the author:
Anna-Nicole Del Re is a professional photographer and the Marketing & Operations Manager at Viva Photography, a leading Wedding and Portrait photographer in Perth Western Australia and Melbourne Victoria. Connect with Anna-Nicole on Google+.