Steal some of these ideas for preserving your wedding day.


As the memories fade and the leftover cake is all gone, one of the essential ways you’ll have to remember your wedding day are with photos and videos, preserving precious memories for generations to come. So you not only want them to be top notch, but don’t want them to look like everyone else’s. Here are the top trends in wedding photography and videography—and how to make them work for you.

1. Vintage post-processing and textures
Amber Silva of Artistic Imagery says vintage post-processing definitely has been a hot trend this past year. Tints, fades and textures all contribute to the look. Some photographers specialize in this, while others include it as one of many approaches to post-processing an image. Silva suggests couples ask photographers during the initial consultation if they offer it.

Textures lend a dimensional quality to photographs and can give pictures different feels: gravelly, antique, weathered. Jennifer Dunham Starr of The Memory Journalists says textures add an artistic element to wedding photos and “make them a collection of artwork.”

2. Photo booths and photo stations
Photo booths and photo stations are two popular trends. Photo booths are just what you think: those old-fashioned booths that you sit in, pose for some goofy shots and wait for the photo strip to pop out. “Photo booths are very self-sufficient once they’re up and running,” explains Silva, “and the prints are an immediate gratification.” Photo stations, which are a bit more involved, can include customizable backdrops, props and good lighting. Prints from stations, if any, take longer than those from a booth. “Instead of just a booth with an automatic camera, they have a photographer there, with a backdrop and studio-style lighting,” says Scott Fischbein of Fischbein Photography. “I’ve been doing that at some weddings lately, and it’s great fun.” Silva echoes that sentiment: “Offer either of these (booth or station) during the cocktail hour and during the open dance portions of the reception . . . the more alcohol flowing, the better.”

Next up? Video booths, according to Dunham Starr, in which guests record little love tips to the bride and groom.

3. Loading stations
Having disposable cameras at guest tables is out. Instead, Silva suggests providing loading stations, in which guests download images they’ve taken of the wedding with their own cameras onto a laptop for the bride and groom to enjoy.

4. “Save the Date” videos
One way couples are using multimedia technology to the fullest is to make videos for their Save the Date cards. “Everybody’s so worried about spending money on something people may, accidentally or otherwise, throw away,” says Silva of the traditional paper versions. Instead, video Save the Date messages are shot and sent out either on a disk or hosted online, to save couples the trouble of printing, ordering and shipping them out. The videos usually are about 30 seconds long—“enough of a tease to get guests antsy for the wedding,” explains Silva.

5. Same-day videos
Same-day videos, shown at the reception, include footage from throughout the wedding day, usually up until when the reception gets under way. Brides, grooms and their guests love seeing what they’ve just experienced, but these can be a challenge for the videographer. “The videographer absolutely needs a team of assistants when doing these, so as not to miss any moments while editing—and editing takes a good portion of the day,” says Silva. All footage is edited behind the scenes, and because of the amount of work involved, same-day videos can be pricey. Artistic Imagery, for example, charges $1,200 on top of its regular wedding fee. According to Silva, same-day videos “are extremely stressful on the editor.”

6. Photo fusion
Another trend gaining steam is photo fusion, or video fusion, in which a photographer or videographer uses both photos and video to create a video or slideshow. This usually requires a two-person team to shoot both stills and video. Fusion photography has become popular in the current economy, because it allows couples who may not be able to afford both a photographer and a videographer to have video of their big day at a more reasonable price.

7. High fashion
Dunham Starr says some couples are choosing a high-end fashion-magazine style approach to photography. The high-fashion style requires photography techniques employed both behind the camera and at the computer. The photographer edits and manipulates each digital image to glamorize the couple’s romantic interaction and make them look like celebrities. Beth Baugher of True Love Photo says she even is seeing high-fashion apparel, such as headpieces and birdcage hats, popping up in a lot of wedding photography.

8. Location, location, location: gritty cityscapes, skylines and more
A look also inspired by high-fashion magazines is the trend of shooting a couple’s engagement photos “on location.” Dunham Starr says current favorite locales are urban settings with graffiti walls and murals, skylines with cityscapes in the background and country scenes with tractors, golden fields and bales of hay.

9. Trash the dress
Forget storing your dress in a dry cleaner’s bag in the back of the closet. If you’re dying to wear your dress one last time without worrying about it getting dirty, it’s time to trash it—and record the experience on camera. “Trash the dress” photography sessions let brides wear their prized dresses in unusual locations, such as swimming pools, the ocean, amusement parks, even back alleys. Because the ceremony is over, a bride often is more relaxed than on her wedding day, which allows her personality to shine through and makes for some great photos.

10. HD video
“HD video is becoming huge,” says Dunham Starr. High-definition video has a higher resolution than standard definition and is usually shot in a widescreen format, which provides a bigger and clearer picture. But won’t the added clarity pick up all of your little flaws? Apparently not, as videographers, just like photographers, use filters and editing to make their subjects look better. HD video can be expensive, but you can’t beat the picture quality. And when you watch it later on, you’ll feel like you’re experiencing your nuptials all over again.