2025 Wedding Photography Trends

Yes, it’s that time of year when I roll the dice and make my predictions on the wedding photography trends we can expect to see coming up. For a quick recap, here’s what I said would be trends for 2024, which has been pretty accurate. So as 2025 fast approaches, what can we expect to see in wedding photography?

As predicted, the biggest change the wedding photography industry is experiencing is a generational shift, driven by Gen Z couples entering the market, bringing fresh energy and style to weddings and how they are captured. Gone are the days of polished, Pinterest-perfect weddings so what can we expect instead?

This new generation values authenticity, rawness, and a celebration of life’s imperfections. Inspired by Gen Z’s poster bride, Millie Bobby Brown, the trends for 2025 are all about capturing a vibe, a mood, and the realness of the day, rather than following a particularly linear story.

Recently, I’ve been wondering if this is partly down to us shooting with social media posts in mind, rather than a collection of images in an album. Although please let’s keep pushing people to have prints over pixels, all day, every day.

Now I’m not here saying you HAVE to follow industry trends but as someone entering their 25th year as a wedding photographer, I remember a time when spot colour was the hottest trend and that’s one that most of us can agree is best left in the past. (Although if Dutch Tilt can make a comeback, then who knows!!)

Let’s look at the biggest wedding photography trends that will shape 2025.

1. Vibe-Driven Photography: Single Image Storytelling

It’s safe to say the iconic wedding photos of Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi by Divine Day exemplify this shift toward vibe-driven photography – single images that capture the spirit of the day. While storytelling remains important, Gen Z couples are drawn to powerful, standalone shots that convey atmosphere, emotion, and style in one frame. Think dramatic lighting, unconventional poses, and creative compositions that could stand alone or as part of a carousel.

This approach doesn’t mean couples are forgetting about loved ones. They still prioritise family photos, but with a more candid, relaxed style. Gen Z values authenticity, so expect both “vibe” shots and meaningful family moments, all captured with a natural, unposed feel.

2. Goodbye, Pinterest Perfection – Hello, Authentic Chaos

Pinterest has long dictated wedding aesthetics, but 2025 ushers in a messier, more spontaneous vibe. Inspired by apps like BeReal, couples now want images that catch them in real moments, without obsessing over perfection. This shift means photographers need to let go of perfectionism and embrace the unpredictable.

This trend is all about documenting the day as it unfolds, capturing the beauty and chaos in equal measure. More spontaneous, less posed shots reflect the wedding as it truly was, rather than an idealised version. And this sets the stage for our next trend: late-night flatlays.

3. Late Night Flatlays: Celebrating the Aftermath of the Party

Detail shots used to mean perfectly arranged items like invitations, rings, and florals. In 2025, we’re embracing the “late-night flatlay,” which captures the remnants of the party in all its chaotic beauty. Picture tables littered with empty champagne flutes, half-eaten cake, discarded shoes, and spilled drinks. These shots tell the story of the celebration’s aftermath, capturing the essence of the night.

Photographers will most often use direct flash for these shots, giving them a raw, dynamic look that feels real and lived-in. It’s less about neatness and symmetry, and more about celebrating the “lived-in” quality of the wedding day.

4. Direct Flash, All Day Long

Direct flash isn’t going anywhere in 2025; in fact, it’s becoming a staple throughout the entire wedding day., no longer stashed in the camera bag until the sun goes down.

Photographers are using it even in daylight, bringing back that nostalgic, 90s-style pop-up flash look. This trend gives images a candid, snapshot feel that Gen Z loves, breaking away from the fine art, shallow depth-of-field portraits that have dominated for so long.

Direct flash during daylight can also add a high-fashion editorial edge, blending retro vibes with modern sensibilities. It’s a perfect aesthetic for younger couples who want photos that feel both timeless and trendy.

5. Polaroids and Instax Prints: Bringing Back Analogue Nostalgia

Gen Z grew up in a digital world, so their fascination with instant prints is only growing stronger. Expect to see Polaroid and Instax cameras making a comeback at weddings, with couples asking photographers to incorporate instant prints into their packages. Some couples may even bring their own cameras for guests to use, creating an analogue guest book with candid, tangible memories.

For photographers, offering instant prints as part of your service is a unique selling point. These instant photos create immediate nostalgia, giving couples a special memento that stands apart from their digital images.

6. Hybrid Content: Blending Photos and Video Clips

Movement is a major theme for 2025, not just in the form of motion blur in still images (yes that trend is still ongoing) but also with hybrid content that combines photo and video. As platforms like Pic-Time start to support video clips in galleries, photographers are capturing short clips of key moments, like a dip kiss halfway down the aisle or a twirl on the dance floor. This adds depth to the gallery, creating a more dynamic experience.

These short video snippets are also ideal for social media, where quick, engaging content is king. By blending still and moving images, photographers can offer a multi-dimensional view of the day.

“Couples want photos that capture the wild, sweaty fun of the night, showing their friends and family letting loose on the dance floor.”

7. High-Energy Party Photos: Embracing the Messy Celebration

The “party” part of the wedding is taking centre stage in 2025 as younger couples put more emphasis on the after-party. With tequila towers, celebrity DJs, and multiple outfit changes, the reception is no longer the formal end – it’s the main event. Couples want photos that capture the wild, sweaty fun of the night, showing their friends and family letting loose on the dance floor.

Photographers should prepare to stay late to capture these moments, focusing on close-up shots of guests in all their disheveled glory. It’s about documenting the spontaneity and energy of the celebration, giving couples images that showcase the unfiltered joy of the night.

8. Multi-Day Weddings: Expanding the Celebration

Multi-day weddings are increasingly popular in the UK, inspired by destination weddings and U.S. trends. Many couples are now extending their celebrations over an entire weekend, with pre-wedding parties and post-wedding brunches. This shift gives photographers an opportunity to expand their packages to offer full weekend coverage.

Multi-day events require a new approach and pricing structure. Think about creating packages that allow for coverage that captures not just the wedding but the lead-up and aftermath as well. It’s a way to offer clients a complete narrative of their wedding experience.

Additional Trends to Watch in 2025

Here are a few more trends set to impact wedding photography in 2025:

Candid Portraiture: While posed portraits remain popular, there’s a strong shift toward candid portraiture that feels intimate and real. Photographers are capturing in-between moments to create a look that’s both editorial and documentary – I predict that “Editorial Documentary” or even “Docutorial” will become a style definition.

Drone Photography: Couples already love the sweeping, cinematic views that drones can capture. But expect Photographers to bring out the drones for venue shots, reception scenes, and dynamic angles throughout the day.

Dutch Tilt: Yes, like I mentioned at the start, horizons might no longer be straight. Potentially down to the nostalgia for film photography – there was no Lightroom when I started in 2000 so if it was wonky, it stayed wonky. But equally this trend might be down to what my good friend Taylor Swift sings “I come back stronger than a 90’s trend” – in the 90’s cameras were twisted sideways in an attempt to add a little energy to images of inanimate objects like the wedding cake. In 2025 expect to see all kinds of images getting tilted so get used to switching that viewfinder spirit-level to 45 degrees!

Second Photographers Specialising in Social Content: Some couples will be seeking to hire second photographers just for social media content. This lets the main photographer focus on timeless shots while the content creator captures in-the-moment footage for Instagram and TikTok.

Conclusion: 2025 is All About Authenticity, Energy, and Realness

2025 is shaping up to be a year that celebrates authenticity, raw emotion, and high-energy moments in wedding photography. With Gen Z couples driving this shift, the need for perfectionism is giving way to individuality and realness. From the chaotic beauty of late-night flatlays to the nostalgia of instant prints and all-day flash, wedding photographers are in for a dynamic year that embraces the beauty of life’s imperfections.

As someone who is a quarter of the century into this game, I utterly love that Gen Z are bringing in a fascination for analogue and rawness. This year, the role of a wedding photographer is more creative than ever. Embrace the mess, lean into the energy, and remember that sometimes, the most impactful images are the ones that feel the most real. 2025 is a year to welcome a vibrant, unfiltered approach to wedding photography, and I am 100% down for it.