Photojournalistic wedding photography is all about capturing the moments that matter on your special day. Your mom seeing you in your wedding clothes for the first time. The first kiss you and your new spouse share. Your dad wiping a tear from his eye during his toast. But it’s not just about preserving those “big” moments forever. Documentary wedding photography is also about helping you remember the little and often unexpected moments. Things that are just as important as the bigger events but will disappear if left uncaptured. We’re talking about the meaningful smiles you and your partner share. The way they gently stroke your hand when holding it. The loving glances you give each other while talking to other people during the cocktail hour. Or maybe the way one of you fixes the other’s wedding clothes, like one groom did for the other before this gay Washington DC wedding.
That devotion to preserving those little moments on film for you is what makes documentary wedding photography so great. Every photographer, no matter what their style or approach, will capture the big moments for you. They’ll give you photos of your first look. They’ll get your ring exchange. And they’ll take pictures of your first dance. What a lot of them won’t give you, though, is that part that photojournalistic wedding photographers will. All the little but significant moments in between the big ones.
Why does this matter? Because as we alluded to earlier, you will remember the big events. You’re not going to forget that you exchanged gifts before your ceremony. Or that you exchanged handwritten vows. Or that you had a sparkler exit. But what about all the little moments? Moments so brief that you might not even be aware that they’re happening? The things we mentioned above that, though tiny, speak volumes about your relationship? If your wedding photographer isn’t capturing those on film, they’ll be lost forever.
Even the way that a photojournalistic wedding photographer preserves the “showpiece” moments will give you something extra. Instead of delivering you pictures that tell you that something happened, we’ll create images that focus on how those moments made you feel. As we said, you’ll still remember in 30 years that you exchanged rings or had a first dance. (At least, we hope that’s the case!) But when you look at your wedding photo album, you do so because you want to relive the feelings you had when the circular symbol of love went on your finger and when you and your new spouse twirled around the dance floor.
This picture of one groom fixing his future husband’s tie is a perfect example of the kind of image you can expect from a photojournalistic wedding photographer. It captures exactly the sort of precious little moment we’ve been talking about. A small expression of love and tenderness shared between two people about to spend a lifetime together. One of those little gestures that makes a marriage work. And the kind that gets lost forever if your wedding photographers are not committed to preserving them on film.
This moment took place as the two grooms were getting ready for their same-sex wedding at The Conrad Washington, DC. Their venue is a fabulous luxury hotel in the Downtown neighborhood of the Nation’s Capital. Its highlight as a wedding venue is its glorious rooftop space. That area is an unparalleled spot for a wedding ceremony with gorgeous views of both the US Capitol and the Washington Monument. You literally can’t find a more “DC” place to exchange your vows and rings!
The grooms got ready in one of The Conrad’s stylish, ultramodern suites. The main room had a window that was facing west, which meant that there was lots of late-afternoon sunlight spilling in. It was creating some very cool contrast between light and shadow. So as this little moment was playing out, we positioned ourselves to take advantage of that. The result was a photojournalistic image that captured a very significant little moment in time but that also did so with style, flair and creativity!
Interested in learning more about our services? Please visit our Wedding Photography FAQ page for answers to all your questions! Ready to inquire about our availability on your wedding date? Contact us now to get the conversation started!
Location: Conrad Washington, DC, 950 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001, United States.
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