2026 Wedding Photography Trend Predictions

Every year around this time, I sit down with a strong pot of tea, scroll back through the past season, look at what’s emerging in the wider photography world, and piece together where I think our industry is heading next.

Last year’s predictions – which you can revisit here, turned out to be pretty spot-on. The biggest shift was Gen Z entering the wedding market and ushering in what I called Authentic Chaos: a move away from the hyper-curated, Pinterest-perfect aesthetic and towards something more real, more expressive and (thankfully) more fun.

And because weddings take a long time to plan, trends don’t swing wildly year to year – but they do evolve. So while much of what I predicted for 2025 will continue, like reception drone photography – I’m also seeing some new developments brewing for 2026.

Here’s what I think is coming next…

Early Photoshop Aesthetics Are Stirring Again

Let’s talk about that Timothée Chalamet Las Vegas shoot by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue.

Whether you loved or loathed it, we can all agree it had big Photoshop Elements circa-2005 energy, slightly surreal, slightly jarring, and very early-digital in tone.

But here’s the thing: Pop culture moments like this are industry weather vanes.

We’re already seeing so much rewinding and nostalgia – So yes, it is only a matter of time before early Photoshop-era quirks slip back into creative wedding photography.

And I’m calling it now: Spot colour will return in 2026, but reimagined, not earnest, but satirical, fashion-led, self-aware.

Medium Format: Luxury Cameras for Luxury Weddings

Luxury is one of the strongest forces shaping weddings right now and it’s only natural that photographers start levelling up the tools they use to document them.

Medium format used to mean big, slow and wildly impractical. But the Hasselblad X2D II and Fujifilm GFX cameras have changed that narrative. They are compact, modern, intuitive, and produce files that feel… different. In the best way.

Fun comparison: The Canon R5II is only 94g lighter than the X2D II.

We’re also seeing a huge return to medium format film – Contax 645s, Pentax 67s, Mamiya 645s… they’re popping up everywhere.

As someone whose early career was shot on medium format, this trend feels like a full-circle moment. Think of it this way: if you are branding yourself as a “luxury photographer,” the gear you use needs to support that story.

Early DSLRs Are Back (Yes, Really)

This one makes me smile.

Photographers are getting tired of perfection. Modern cameras are incredible, almost too incredible and there’s a quietly growing desire for a shooting experience that’s a bit more rugged, a bit more hands-on, a bit more… imperfect.

Cue the comeback of the chunky DSLR:

Nikon D700
Canon 5D Classic
Canon 1Ds series

These cameras produce images with grit, texture, warmth and imperfection that modern mirrorless sensors don’t naturally give you. This renaissance isn’t coming from TikTok – it’s coming from photographers who want to feel the craft again or those that entered the market post mirrorless and want to try something different.

Compact Digital Cameras: Chaos, Fun and Flash

Separate from the DSLR revival is the Gen Z-fuelled point-and-shoot comeback.

Think:

Canon Powershot
Nikon Coolpix
Sony Cyber-shot

Canon has already reported massive spikes in compact digital sales – and many of the nostalgic models have been re-released because demand is so high.

The output?

true “found footage chaos”

harsh, unfiltered pop-up flash

motion blur

slightly crunchy ISO

These little cameras are being brought to weddings as fun second shooters, capturing the messy, human, hilarious sides of the day that DSLR shooters sometimes miss.

This trend is pure personality – and couples love it.

The Cinematic Influence Goes Mainstream

Camera tech shapes how we shoot and 2026 is going to be a big year for that.

Remember when the Canon 5D MkII dropped and suddenly half the industry became hybrid overnight? We’re on the cusp of another shift. Canon’s R6 Mark III is making cinematic video accessible at a great price-point, and Nikon teaming up with RED (yes, that RED) to create the tiny-but-mighty Nikon ZR. This is a genuinely exciting direction.

Even if you never plan to shoot a second of video, these cameras will influence the look of stills:

moodier shadows
richer colour science
more stylised portrait lighting
a heavier “movie still” vibe across galleries

Cinematic storytelling isn’t going to be a niche next year – it’s about to become part of the visual language of weddings.

Fine Art Wedding Photography Makes a Confident Comeback

For a while, fine art slipped into the background while editorial and documentary styles took centre stage, but that’s about to shift. So if all that talk of chaos and early PS is bringing you out in hives, be assured that 2026 will see a fresh resurgence of:

airy natural light
pastel tones
soft-focus portraits
the beloved 50mm f/1.2 glow
classic compositions

The brilliant José Villa and others have carried this torch for years, but younger photographers are now rediscovering the timeless appeal of this style, especially in the luxury market.

Because at the end of the day, couples want artwork that will still look beautiful decades from now.

The Gothic Revival

This is another wild card hitting the industry, thanks to the Netflix film adaptation of Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Tell me I’m not the only one obsessed with Mia Goth’s costumes inspired by biology. The silk wedding dress with bandages is a modern homage to [the 1935] Bride of Frankenstein.

Next up on the goth radar is Charli xcx’s white corseted look for her video ‘Chains Of Love’ which is from her soundtrack album for the 2026’s Wuthering Heights. Directed by Emerald Fennell, we can again expect gothic, wild and a darker shade of romance infiltrating wedding moodboards.

Yes, it’s going to be a Gothic Revival, I’m fully expecting this to become a major trend in both weddings and in photography. Think candlelight, huge swathes of fabric and the opposite of lighthearted – let’s name it darkhearted and bulk buy Mac’s ‘Living Dead’ lipsticks now before they sell out.

Proposal Photography Is Now Fully Mainstream

Proposal photography has been growing for years, but Taylor Swift posting her proposal online pushed it directly into the cultural spotlight.

Proposals are now:

planned
styled
filmed
photographed professionally

And offering proposal photography doesn’t just give you a new income stream, it gives you the perfect lead-in to booking the wedding.

If it’s not listed on your website yet, it should be.

Final Thoughts: 2026 Is About Creative Courage

If 2025 was the year of Authentic Chaos, 2026 is the year of Intentional Evolution.

We’re seeing:

cinematic visuals
nostalgic digital aesthetics
luxury mediums
playful creativity
fine art resurfacing
documentary and editorial remaining essential

It’s a year that invites photographers to experiment, explore, and expand – without losing sight of the foundations of good storytelling – which will never go out of fashion.

A big, exciting mix of past, present and future colliding. Mixing the tools of the past, with the tools of now, having some creative fun with it. And I’m here for every bit of it.