The Biggest Wedding Photo and Video Trends for 2022

It’s hard to believe 2021 is already part of our past and it’s time for 2022 couples to tie the knot. Wedding planning in today’s climate is anything but easy, especially with the pandemic posing an entirely new set of challenges for couples. It’s never been more important to find a vendor you trust to help you navigate all the unpredictability of wedding planning, especially when it comes to capturing the photos and videos from your special day. 

Documenting important moments with your loved ones is something everyone appreciates a little more after so much time apart, which makes it so important to work with a photographer and videographer that can deliver what you’re looking for. So, what can you expect when it comes to photography and videography this year? “Our couples also place high value in seeing their friends and family represented in the film, especially after the last two years,” say Kaleb and Elaine Jiminez, owners of KEJ Productions. 

Read on for more predictions from the best wedding photographers and videographers around. 

Photo Trends for 2022 

After so much time not being able to spend time with family and friends, capturing the moments when that can finally happen again are of the utmost importance. From nighttime portraits to a twist on a boudoir photo shoot, these are the wedding photography trends you can expect to see this year.

Ditching Traditional Shots

Couples are opting for more candid, natural shots versus overly posed pictures. “Most of my couples are ditching the traditional bridal party photographs,” says professional wedding photographer Laurken Kendall. “I can see what photographs get printed and downloaded most and often times I find that the couples and bridal parties members are skipping right over the posed photos and going for the ones that depict them all as a sweaty pile of bodies caught raging to the music during the reception or all piled together in an unstructured impromptu photograph that I encourage at another point in the day, such as piling together after everyone jumps into the pool during a blazing hot summer wedding reception.”

Editorial-Inspired Engagement Photos

Couples are taking advantage of their engagement session with their photographer to capture memories they may have missed out on over the last couple of years. “We are also doing more pre-wedding shoots than we have in past years,” says KT Merry of KT Merry Photography. “These are more involved, sometimes one to two days with multiple high-fashion looks than your standard engagement session. Couples are realizing that they have a unique opportunity to create elevated editorial imagery and wear some incredible looks ahead of their wedding day to document this incredible time in their lives.”

Professional Photography for Every Wedding Event

Engaged couples don’t just want their wedding photographer—they care just as much about capturing the events leading up to the wedding as they are about the day itself. “I've noticed couples wanting their photographers for more than just the wedding day nowadays,” says Barbarah Perttula of Barbarah Perttula Photography. “I've now seen photographers involved in the bachelor or bachelorette parties (usually when it's co-ed), rehearsal and welcome dinners, goodbye brunches, and honeymoon adventures! The latter makes so much sense if you're already at a destination wedding and your couple is having an adventure day in an epic location or just a slow morning in a beautiful location where they're honeymooning.”

Nighttime Portraits

There’s no need to rush to get all your photos taken before the sun goes down, especially when nighttime photos are so unique. “So many couples are building a nighttime portrait session into their day. As I work through each couple's timeline, we talk about things we can do to make their wedding portraits more gritty yet editorial,” says Kendall. “One of the ways we can do that is to take them out into a back alley, a wallpapered hallway or a dark corner of a tiled bathroom and get some edgy photographs using a flash. This allows for a total change in vibe so they end up getting two totally different feeling wedding portraits—those emotional and breathless daytime portraits and then the tipsy, rock n’ roll end of night stills with tons of vibe.”

Hiring a Fashion Stylist

Not only is it helpful for the photographer to have a stylist nearby, but who wouldn’t want to feel like a celebrity for a day? “This is something we’ve been recommending to our couples for years and we’re thrilled to see more couple’s investing in hiring a fashion stylist for their wedding,” says Merry. “This affects photography immensely as it impacts the overall elevation of an image and also means that as a photographer I can focus on creating amazing images without having to trying to also make sure the fashion is looking great.”

Boudoir Session for Two

A boudoir session is usually a more sensual photo shoot that the bride does as a gift for the group, but consider using the session as an opportunity for quality time and to really capture the love. “I'm loving when couples want an intimately cozy or steamy session for just the two of them,” says Perttula. “I love capturing that raw connection and those tender moments between two people in such an intimate way. Most couples hit a point where wedding planning becomes exhausting and stressful, so this time alone is a great way to reconnect with each other and remember why you're taking this big step in the first place.”

Film

One trend the Brides editors are now seeing often in wedding submissions? Use of film cameras in addition to classic digital cameras for wedding photos. While the majority of snaps by wedding photographers are taken in the digital format, a few photos taken on real film can add a cool retro dynamic to a wedding album.

Videography Trends for 2022

Videography has always been important to couples, and it will be even more so in 2022. You can’t put a price on the beauty of capturing your special day in real time. From live streaming to highlight videos and social media, below are the trends you can expect to see this year.

Save the Date Videos

Paper save-the-date cards are great, but if you really want to stand out--consider sending a video instead. “Expect to see more save the date videos in 2022,” says videographer Abi Matesun of Malekfoto Weddings. “Just as a Hollywood trailer gets you excited about an upcoming movie, many couples are adopting the same strategy to set expectations for their guests about their wedding day.”

8mm Film

While using film is definitely a photography trend at the moment, it's also making its way to the videography space. The motion-picture style evokes a vintage vibe, giving your wedding day images a more romantic feel. “We really love the emergence of 8mm film. There's a nostalgic element to that medium that cannot be emulated digitally. It adds a touch of romance when accompanied by digital imagery,” say Kaleb and Elaine. Videographer Kalechi Noel of Luxor Wedding Films feels similarly. “They all want to feel like their wedding is a movie production,” he says of his couples.

Live-Streamed Weddings

With the pandemic still raging on, friends and family may not feel comfortable traveling just yet, so expect live-streamed weddings to continue into 2022. “With the rise of new Covid variants, hybrid weddings will definitely be a thing in 2022,” says Matesun. “This means that couples would have to consider hiring a live streaming service to enable loved ones with underlying conditions to be part of the celebration from the safety of their homes.”

Extended Videography

As with photos, couples want every moment of their big weekend captured, and not just the wedding. “Whereas before there wasn't necessarily the desire to have imagery teams present for the whole weekend, we're seeing more and more of our couples place high value on having a videography team present to capture the entire wedding experience,” say Kaleb and Elaine.

Highlight Videos

People’s attention spans are shrinking, so many couples are opting for highlight reel versions of their wedding videos to share on social media. Plus, it saves money.  “In the era of ever-shrinking attention spans, compiling five-minute wedding highlights to share with friends and family is an absolute MUST,” says Matesun. “And, it also helps couples save some money, since the video company is not spending additional hours on the long edit. Highlight reels also make for a great way to share the wedding and couple’s love with all those who couldn’t attend the wedding.”

Social Media Influence

The influence of social media is taking over weddings. From TikTok to YouTube, couples are incorporating elements of these platforms into their wedding day. “There is an increased effort, focus and concentration on going viral. Bridal parties will do more organized dances, routines, and activities for the sole purpose of going viral,” says Noel. Matesun noted another social media trend gaining popularity. “Inserting photos into wedding videos,  as seen in many viral TikTok  videos,” he says. “A combination of carefully curated photographs inserted into a video timeline can create a pretty unique visual experience.”