Say cheese! Getting to know the styles of wedding photography

Photo Credit: Charleton Churchill Photography via Pinterest

Choosing a photographer is one of the most important wedding decisions you’ll make. You and your Wedding Planner have organised and prepared every detail to make sure that everything is perfect, and now all you need is someone who can capture all of that to give you a permanent reminder of just how wonderful your big day was.  

Whatever your budget, you shouldn’t be afraid of spending a fair bit on photography, as this is something you definitely won’t regret in 50 years time when you want to show your grandchildren how incredible you looked in that dress and how handsome granddad used to be!

When choosing a photographer, you should have an idea of the kind of style you’re after. Your planner will offer you a number of photography options corresponding to your style and budget, leaving it to you to look at their online portfolios and make sure you love what they do.

Fundamentally, the styles can be broken down into three categories; 

Photojournalistic, Artistic, and Traditional.

Photojournalistic/Reportage

Photo Credit: Fran Menez Fotografia via www.franmenez.com

Right now, photojournalistic photography is all the rage, and for good reason – candid moments are artfully composed and captured in an unobtrusive way. Reportage images are always charming thanks to the lack of posing and the photographer’s artistic vision, and you can be sure that the atmosphere of the day will be captured as well as the all-important details.

Photo Credit: Studio Uma via Pinterest

Photojournalism tells the story of the wedding naturally and honestly. The photographer must be a good observer and will spend most of his or her time hidden away, waiting for a sideways glance, or a joke that has you all giggling. He or she will give very little direction and will rarely make you pose – the photographer wants to capture heartfelt moments and genuine expressions. Photojournalistic photographers often use long telephoto lenses so that guests will be captured without even knowing it, meaning no stiff, awkward smiles!

Most reportage photographers will make sure there are a few formal shots in the mix as well to keep older relatives happy!

Artistic/Contemporary

Photo Credit: Chaz Cruz Photography via www.chazcruz.com

Artistic photography is often chosen by quirky couples who want something a bit different to remember their wedding day by, and is partly inspired by fashion photography. These photos are unusual and creative, and will incorporate unique angles and colours, as well as detail shots of the dress, the venue, and other features of the wedding itself.

Many Artistic photographers use different lenses and creative techniques to combine the day’s emotions with an element of fun. The photographer will find the most interesting backdrops, lighting and angles and will probably tweak the snaps in post-production to make them as visually interesting and artistic as possible.

Photo Credit: krakorastudios.com via Pinterest

Shots are set up and the photographer will give direction, but they aren’t formal or rigid. Unlike photojournalistic photography, Artistic styles may encapsulate the photographer’s style more than the atmosphere of the event, but this doesn’t have to be a negative if you’ve fallen in love with his or her portfolio!

Traditional/Posed

Photo Credit: Luma Photo via stylemepretty.com

Traditional photography is always a winner with parents, and has a great emphasis on formal portraits of family and guests. Traditional photography is for you if you want to guarantee you have a photo with each of your guests, or snaps of lots of particular groups together.

A good traditional photographer will know how to pose people to get the best pictures possible, with relaxed and genuine smiles! Obviously, the pictures are set up, but this doesn’t mean anyone has to look stiff or awkward, and traditional photographers often try to show their artistic flair too, so traditional doesn't have to mean boring! Traditional photos will also include the key moments like the exchanging of the rings and the cutting of the cake.

Traditional photographers tend to have a set list of photographs to shoot and don’t capture candid moments, meaning the atmosphere and excitement of the day may not be fully captured. This option is the most intrusive of the three, as the photographer must get various groups together and make sure everyone is sitting or standing in the right place to guarantee a certain photographic composition.

Photo Credit: Erich McVey via weddingchicks.com

And finally...

It is important to know that many photographers combine styles – these are professionals, and although they may specialize in one type, they are usually trained, to some extent, in all three. For example, Photojournalistic photographers usually include a small number of formal portraits, and many Artistic photographers take candid, informal shots too. Photographers are artists, and always want to make your photos look as good as they can.

There’s no such thing as a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ style of wedding photography – it’s all about your preference and who you are. Most couples decide on a combination of a couple of styles, because Artistic or Photojournalistic photos are unique and will be treasured forever, but classic shots will never go out of fashion.

7 Top Tips for a Wedding in Italy on a budget

Feeling the pinch? Here are some ideas about how to save a little bit of money 

while still having the perfect wedding in Italy…

1. Weekend weddings are usually far more expensive than weekday ones. If you get married in the week, you’re likely to pay much less for your venue, and also have a better chance that your dream venue will be available! Couples usually plan a weekend wedding so that guests will definitely be able to come, but seeing as you’re getting married abroad, chances are that your guests will take a few days off anyway, so the day of the wedding shouldn’t be a big problem.
2.  On a smaller level, you can save a little by choosing your flowers carefully. Seasonal flowers will be your best bet – if you want peonies in December, it’s going to cost you! Ask your Wedding Planner or florist to give you some guidance on which flowers are seasonal or in any case less expensive – they may provide you with lovely ideas that you’d never considered.
3.  You can also make some little savings with your choices of food. Consider a buffet option instead of a sit-down meal for instant savings.
4.  Obviously, the main reason for a higher or lower budget is the number of guests. Destination weddings tend to be a lot smaller than weddings at home (although this is not always true!) and keeping the numbers down will clearly save you money, particularly if you’re planning on contributing towards accommodation or flights.
5.  If you’re crafty and creative, DIY elements can also help you save the pennies. When done well, things you’ve made yourself don’t have to look cheap, and your Wedding Planner will be able to advise you and give you ideas. Cake toppers, hair pieces and guest books are easy to DIY and also fit neatly into your suitcases. If you have a friend who’s fantastic with makeup, getting her to do yours for the big day is an ultimate DIY shortcut!
6.  Go off the beaten track. This tip will certainly save you money! Getting married in the most popular regions can cost an arm and a leg, but this is simply because the demand has influenced the prices. If you’re willing to have your wedding in a lesser-known region, your purse will thank you and your guests will get to see somewhere truly Italian. The same goes for the venues themselves. The most popular venues have the biggest price tags, so let your Wedding Planner guide you to less famous venues which will be just as spectacular but with less of a hit to your bank account!
7. Avoid peak times. In Italy, the summer months are the most popular, and prices tend to reflect that. If you can, organise your wedding outside of May-September. October and early November still have very pleasant temperatures, and April is a beautiful month when all the flowers start to come out. Although rain is more likely in early spring, you can be prepared and even if it happens, it won’t ruin your day. Although rarely considered by foreign couples, Italian winter weddings can also be incredibly beautiful, particularly in the little Alpine towns in the far north.

Photo Credit: David Pullum Photography via bridalmusings.com

Cake Creations and Sweet Sensations

If you say the words ‘wedding cake’ to an American or British person, an image will immediately pop into their mind. It’s usually a huge creation, composed of many layers, adorned with flowers, ribbons, sugar paste decorations, or a combination of all three. It’s usually white, and there’s probably a little bride and groom perched on the top. Interestingly, if you say ‘torta nuziale’ (that’s wedding cake, to you and me) to an Italian, they’ll have a very different image in mind.

When you come to Italy to get married, it’s important to talk to your Wedding Planner about your choice so that they can find the perfect supplier for you – as with many things in Italy, there’s no big bakery which can make whichever kind of cake you want. A delicious Italian wedding cake will be made by a specialist pastry chef, while a stunning American-style creation will be made by a different kind of baker. To help you decide, let me talk you through the options:

Left to right: Frutti di bosco cake, Torta Cappelliera, Traditional Italian Cake on three levels
Photo credit: The Happy Couple via brides.com / Emma Innocenti of Innocenti Studio via weddingchicks.com / Kate Headley via brides.com

If what you're after is traditional, you have lots of different types of cake to choose from. The truly traditional Italian-style wedding cake is on just one level, or perhaps on a couple of very low levels, but what it loses in height, it makes up for in diameter - they're often over a metre across! These cakes can be made in various geometric shapes, or even shaped like a heart. To non-Italians, these seem more like a dessert than a cake, and can be made with any combination of flavours and fillings. They are often based on classics such as millefeuille (many layers of thin pastry with cream in between), charlotte (a semifreddo with fruit), or mimosa cake (made with liquor, syrup, and a citrus curd), although other types are possible and your best bet to know what you like is to get tasting!

The torta cappelliera is the middle road between an Italian cake and an English/American one. Filled with the flavours of Italy, the cake is stacked higher than traditional ones, making it stand out a little more. Flavours are very similar to the traditional cakes, meaning dessert-like tastes and textures, and plenty of cream or fruit, or both!

As far as decorations are concerned, traditional Italian cakes are often covered with a cream-based topping, with meringue pieces, or even fresh fruit. The focus is more on the taste than the appearance, so while they’re certainly not as spectacular as English/American wedding cakes, Italian pasticcieri (bakers) have been practicing their recipes for centuries, and the results are truly delicious - and they aren't bad looking, either! A further bonus of the typical Italian cake is the price – compared to a towering American cake, this option comes out much less expensive. It also may be the best choice to make your guests feel truly immersed in Italian culture – you can get an English/American-style cake in Italy, but you certainly can’t get an authentic Italian cake in the UK or US!  

 

Photo credit clockwise from top left: Vasia Weddings via stylemepretty.com,
Rachel Whyte via weddingchicks.com, jldesigns.blogspot.com, fabulousfoodblog.com via Pinterest

Also popular in Italy are satellite or multiple multi-level cakes. Three, five, or even ten cakes are displayed on separate stands and on different levels, either in a tower, or more randomly spread out over a table. This solution allows you to have an impressive display, but composed of cakes which wouldn't necessarily be strong or dense enough to support the weight of each other. This option also makes cutting and sharing an easy job, and means you could even have different flavours to please even your choosiest guests!

Photo credit left to right: Meg Perotti via elizabethannedesigns.com, Keller+Keller via bostonmagazine.com, Taylor Rae Photography via stylemepretty.com

English or American cakes are becoming increasingly popular in Italy. These tend to have either circular or square layers one on top of the other, and are a bit more fancy and extravagant than the other options, which is reflected in the price.

In Italy, they are usually made with fairly dense sponge cake (as the cake must be strong enough to support the weight of the upper layers!), and covered in a royal icing/sugar paste layer, or perhaps buttercream. On the whole, there aren’t so many flavour options available as there would be abroad, and the cake itself is not exactly like those in Britain or America, but in recent years, Italian ‘cake designers’, as they have branded themselves, have started to experiment with new recipes and flavours, creating a fusion between the classic wedding cake and the taste of Italy. 

Especially with these cakes, choosing your supplier is key. Some suppliers will not meet your expectations, but fear not - your wedding planner will have tried and trusted bakers who won't disappoint you. These cakes are edible works of art, and sometimes it almost seems a shame to eat them… oh, just kidding! 

Photo credit left-right: Hazelwood Photo via weddingwire.com, cottonandcrumbs.co.uk, Studio222 Photography via weddingchicks.com

If none of those tickle your fancy, how about a single portion solution? Also increasing in popularity here in Italy are cupcakes, and a cupcake display means individual portions, no cutting, and a fun, playful feel. Cupcakes can of course be decorated and personalised to look just as special as bigger cakes, so you won't be limited. You could also have a very small cake at the top of the tower for you two, so you won't miss out on the all-important cutting element.


We'll have a slice of each, please!