My Approach to Photographing Emotion and Connection as Your New England Wedding Photographer
Have you ever looked at a wedding gallery and stopped scrolling – not just admiring the pretty images, but actually feeling the emotion radiating from them? The way a best friend’s face lights up seeing the bride for the first time, grandparents stealing glances at each other during vows, remembering their own wedding day, or the quiet moment when a partner’s hand finds yours during dinner.
These little moments – the genuine laughter, the happy tears, the connections that make your love story uniquely yours – are what make up the heart of your wedding day. And they’re exactly what documentary style wedding photography is designed to capture. This photography style is the foundation of how I approach every wedding I photograph throughout New England, and it’s about so much more than just beautiful images (though yes, those matter too). It’s about preserving the joy, emotion, and connection that make your celebration feel like you.
What is Documentary Style Wedding Photography?
If you’ve researched wedding photography, you’ve probably come across terms like “photojournalistic,” “documentary,” “candid,” and “editorial”. These terms can start to feel overwhelming quickly and you may simply be wondering “what do each of these styles actually look like?”.
Think of wedding photography as existing on a spectrum. On one end, you have highly editorial, fashion-forward photography where nearly every moment is directed or posed – think Vogue-level production. On the opposite end sits pure documentary photography, where the photographer becomes a quiet observer, capturing each moment exactly as it unfolds without any direction whatsoever.
Documentary style wedding photography lives in the thoughtful space between these two approaches, and that’s where my work finds its home.
What Documentary Wedding Photography Means to Me
For me, documentary style wedding photography is about observing and documenting moments without interrupting them. It’s about preserving the authentic joy and connection as it naturally unfolds. It’s about being curious – deeply, genuinely curious – about the layers of love unfolding in front of me – the little glances, the quiet tears, the belly laughs that catch you off guard, and all the joy that fills the space between the big moments.
But what sets my approach apart from purely hands-off documentary work is that I also know when to gently step in with guidance when needed. For a lot of couples, being in front of a camera (especially during formal family portraits or couples photos) can feel awkward and overwhelming. That’s where my blend of documentary observation and gentle, intentional direction creates something really special.
How I Approach Your Wedding Day as a Documentary Wedding Photographer
My philosophy in wedding photography is rooted in something I tell all my couples: your wedding day is so much more than just photos. What we’re creating together is an experience rooted in joy, presence, and connection – a day where you actually get to soak in the moments that matter most with your favorite humans.
The Documentary Moments
During the heart of your day – your ceremony, reception, dancing, and the quiet in-between moments – I’m working in full documentary mode. This means:
- Anticipating emotions as they’re building and unfolding
- Watching the layers of connection that make your celebration uniquely yours
- Noticing the details others might miss – how your dad’s expression shifts during your vows, the way your friends lean into each other during speeches, or stolen glances across the dance floor
My background as a teacher for over 12 years has shaped this skill more than any photography training ever could. When you’re managing a classroom of 20-something kids with different needs and emotional states, you become really attuned to reading the room. You learn when to step in, when to give space, and when someone needs support.
That same awareness translates directly into how I photograph weddings.
The Gentle Guidance Moments
During formal portraits and family photos, I blend in gentle guidance that creates space for real emotion to surface naturally.
Instead of just positioning you and asking you to smile, I might ask your mom a meaningful question that she then shares with you directly, or create a little moment between you that allows genuine laughter or tenderness to emerge organically. Suddenly, you have an image filled with real emotion – the kind of photo that makes you feel something every time you look at it.
These skills work beautifully whether you’re planning an intimate 10-person elopement or a 150-guest celebration – I just adjust what you need from me.
For bigger weddings, I’m really comfortable coordinating larger groups. I can easily wrangle 50 family members for group photos and move everyone through quickly and efficiently – all while keeping the energy fun and light – so you can get back to celebrating instead of feeling like you’re missing your own party. Ask any of my past couples and they will tell you I’ve got a big voice and am not shy to use it when needed.
For intimate elopements and smaller celebrations, there’s naturally less need for that kind of group direction. I become much more of a fly on the wall, giving you space for quiet moments and gentle, uninterrupted time with your people. But, even at small celebrations, I’m quietly stepping into a coordinator role when needed – helping you flow through your day, making sure things move seamlessly without you having to think about logistics. You don’t need to hire a separate coordinator for an intimate wedding because I’ve got you covered.
What You Can Expect When You Work With Me
One of the things my clients mention most often is how organized and intentional every part of my process feels. From initial booking all the way through your wedding day and beyond, you’ll always know exactly what to expect.
We Start Planning Early
While some photographers begin the planning process with couples just three or four months before the wedding, I like to take a different approach. We start everything up front – questionnaires, timeline planning, all of it. I’ve found this creates so much more space for you to actually enjoy your engagement instead of feeling stressed.
Your first timeline review call happens at six months out (or earlier if you prefer), which means you’re walking into your final months with a solid plan already in place:
- Your ceremony time is set
- You’ve coordinated with your other vendors
- For adventure weddings, your entire concept and activity timeline is mapped out
This early planning approach means you’re not scrambling in those final weeks before your wedding. Instead, you have space to feel excited, grounded, and ready to soak in every moment of your celebration.
Getting to Know Your Story
From the moment you inquire, I invest significant time understanding who you are and what matters most to you both. This typically starts with a detailed questionnaire about the important people in your life, then continues through our two logistic planning calls, where we dive deeper. Throughout the planning calls, I look to understand:
- What you want your experience to feel like, not just look like
- Your vision – what you loved (and didn’t love) at other weddings you’ve attended
- The landscapes and settings that feel like home
- Your family dynamics and any sensitive situations
- Your closest relationships and who holds special significance
With all these details in mind, I then build out your entire timeline.
One of the comments I consistently hear from my couples is that they don’t want to feel rushed on their wedding day. They want to stay present and experience meaningful time with the people they love most, while also honoring those who may not be present with them to celebrate.
Grief, in particular, comes up often in my conversations with couples. My own experience with losing a loved one has shown me what it means to hold space for both joy and tender emotions on your wedding day. Whether you’re honoring someone who can’t be there physically or navigating complicated family dynamics, I’m here to support you every step of the way.
Timeline Design & Details That Help Tell Your Story
Depending on what you need, I can create multiple timeline options. Seeing a few ways your wedding day could look helps you choose a timeline that best fits your priorities. This often has the biggest benefits for:
- Adventure weddings: Different options that outline various activities and experiences
- Couples who are torn about a first look: If you’re not sure whether you want to have a first look with your partner, I can create a timeline for each so you can see which meaningful moments each one offers
- Couples who are uncertain about timing: If you’re not sure when to start or end your day, I can create options with different start and end times so you can see how each affects your celebration
No matter what type of celebration you are planning, I am happy to create as many timeline variations as you need to feel confident in your decision. And if you’re curious about what an actual wedding or elopement day timeline looks like, this post shares some sample timelines and planning tips to consider.
During the timeline planning process, I also create a complete formal portrait list, so you have one less thing to figure out.
I’ll also scout out your venue in advance – walking through during a similar time of day as your celebration, studying how light moves through the space, and noting backup options for weather.
Not Just One, But Two Documentary Style Wedding Photographers
One of my favorite things about being a documentary wedding photographer in New England is that my brother Tom second-shoots most weddings with me. He’s been trained alongside me for seven years and is incredible at capturing quiet, authentic moments in that same documentary style. Some of my very favorite images from weddings are photos Tom has taken.
These photos were both taken at the same moment during the ceremony. Tom stayed farther back to capture the entire scene (your guests, the setting, all of it), while I was up close photographing the intimate connection and emotion between the couple.
In this example, the ceremony space was pretty tight, so I stayed centered to capture the couple and what was happening right at the heart of the moment, while Tom was able to move around and get all the sweet emotional reactions happening throughout the crowd.
Having a second shooter at your wedding means double the perspective and more layers to your story – while I’m photographing your ceremony from one angle, Tom’s capturing the expressions on your guests’ faces or taking in the whole setting from another. Plus, couples and their guests absolutely love him! If anyone is walking away with new friendships by the end of the night, it’s definitely Tom.
Creating Heirloom Photography
When you hire a documentary wedding photographer, you are, of course, hiring someone to tell your story through beautiful images. But, beyond that is the opportunity for your photographs to become family heirlooms – tangible pieces of your story that will be passed down through generations.
This is why every wedding I photograph includes an album credit. Each couple has the opportunity to create a custom heirloom album with me. I’ll design and put together something you can hold, flip through on anniversaries, and share with the people you love.
Documentary style wedding photography captures not just what your day looked like, but what it felt like to be there – the layers of love between you and your partner, between you and the family and friends who showed up to celebrate you, or between you and the natural landscapes where your relationship has grown. Everything from the way the light filtered through the trees during your vows, the sound of laughter echoing across the water, or the feeling of barefoot dancing under the stars are the parts of your story worth preserving.
Ready to Plan Your Documentary Wedding Photography?
If you’re searching for a New England wedding photographer who will hold space for your moments, document genuine emotion and connection, and help you stay fully present on your wedding day – I’d really love to talk with you.
My approach to wedding photography weaves together documentation and gentle guidance. What I hope for every couple is that you walk away feeling like you had a trusted friend by your side, and that your images feel like both art and emotion – photographs that capture something essential and true about who you are together.
Ready to start planning your documentary style wedding photography experience in New England? I’d love to help you talk through your vision and how we can create something meaningful together. Simply reach out to schedule a consultation with me, and let’s start this journey. I can’t wait to hear your story.
