A brilliant guest blog by Essex wedding photographer Ross Willsher Photography


Are you drowning in wedding overwhelm? In a spin from social media inspiration? Overloaded with wedding terminology? Fear not! Help is at hand. In this article we’re going to look at some wedding photography jargon and break down what photographers actually mean when they use certain words and phrases.

So, take a deep breath, get comfy and for the next 10 minutes, take some time to untangle that busy mind.

If there’s been a seismic shift in wedding photography into the 21st century, it’s focused around authenticity. In my years writing about weddings I’ve seen photography trends shift from vintage through fine art and into a new emergence of fashion photography. There’s been one constant, and it’s evolved in the most beautiful of ways: documentary wedding photography.

As English Wedding has grown and thousands of weddings have appeared on our screens, I’ve learned to understand the subtleties of great wedding photojournalism. As someone who spends most days looking at wedding photos, I know it’s the stop-you-in-your-tracks reality of authentic images which call to me above any others.

It’s not often we say you “need” anything for your wedding! We’re a bit different like that at English Wedding. Your wedding should be YOU – and no other rules apply. Say your ‘I dos’ privately on top of a mountain, or in your living room, or have a massive ‘do’ with everyone you know. You do you.

However (you knew there was a but coming, didn’t you?) if you’re having a few people at your wedding, and you’re thinking about photos and specifically group shots – you will be needing these group photo hacks to make it nice and easy!

As a newly engaged couple, one of the earliest things you book is likely to be a wedding photographer. You’re about to discover a whole world of different styles and ‘approaches’ to wedding photography – so I’d like to introduce you to one of my favourites.

It’s February 2023 now, and most wedding photographers are taking bookings for 2024 and 2025 already. Couples are still having weddings that were originally cancelled in the pandemic, and demand for suppliers is super high! But this doesn’t mean you should rush into booking a photographer. Always choose carefully, explore your options and enjoy learning what you love when it comes to wedding images!

When Warwickshire photographer AJTImages joined English Wedding last month, we were blown away by the creativity of his images. Fantasy fans and movie lovers will be captivated by these, just as we were! Alex invited us into his world to see just how these alternative wedding photos are created – and we’re sharing his inspiration with you today!

creative wedding art inspired by fantasy films AJT Images Warwickshire

After a past in press photography, I photographed my first wedding back in 2008. This is when I realised my true love for photography was in weddings and I haven’t looked back. Here I am, 14 years later and I photograph 40 – 50 weddings a year and I absolutely love it.