Three Reasons Why Story Matters in Wedding Photography

As a lifelong storyteller and former professional journalist, I see the world in stories. But what does it mean to take a story-based approach to wedding photography? How does that impact your photographs? Here are three reasons I believe story matters:

1) It’s all stories.

Yes - the story of the two of you getting married is a great one, but it’s really only one of the many, many stories unfolding on your wedding day.

Your wedding day includes the stories of two families intertwining, of multiple generations coming together. There are stories in the location you’ve chosen, the cultural traditions you choose to include, every detail you’ve chosen, every interaction between the people there.

To miss these stories is to miss something profound. Which leads to reason two:

2) Context matters.

Early on in my wedding photography career I photographed a wedding I will never forget. The photographs of the bride and groom were stunning. But among the most precious photographs I took were those of the groom’s father. Shortly before the wedding, he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The photographs I took of him that day, in moments of celebration and bittersweetness, matter just as much of the photographs I took of the bride and groom. They captured his love for his wife, his son, his new daughter-in-law, and are no doubt among the most treasured photographs the family has of him.

The news of the father’s illness was not public at that point, but because I knew it, I photographed differently and created a different set of photographs.

I’m always conscious of how fleeting people’s lives are when photographing grandparents and others with many years under their belts. We never know how many times we’ll be able to celebrate with family members, so these photographs are a critical opportunity to capture celebration and love.

3) Your life is the real story.

Wedding photographers come from so many backgrounds. Some have been obsessed with weddings, or design, or fashion since they were little. I have been obsessed with stories since I was little. I love photographing weddings because they represent one chapter of your story. But honestly, I’m just as interested in all of the chapters before and after your wedding. I’ve now worked with many of my clients for 10-15 years. Documenting their lives as their stories unfold is my greatest joy.