Documentary Wedding Photography: My Wedding Photography Style

Karl Drage, Northamptonshire Wedding Photographer

One of the most difficult things to get across without physically showing you one of my wedding photography photobooks is my overall wedding photography style. Predominantly, I’m a story-telling documentary wedding photographer. I love to capture the real moments of your day in a reportage or documentary way. Beyond that, though, I do very much enjoy the time I spend alone with my couples. Contrary to popular belief, it should be a fun, enjoyable experience for all parties! 🙂 I’m also not the kind of photographer who will disappear for an hour here or there. I’ll always be on the lookout for photographic opportunities, even when there’s not much going on; your guests will always be interacting with one another!

I am mainly a documentary wedding photographer, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be magical moments that I look to orchestrate matters

How many pictures?

There are a number of factors that affect the number of images you can expect to receive from me. The most significant, as you might expect, is the duration of coverage required. Longer bookings generally result in more photographic opportunities, though the number of pictures per hour tends to be higher with a shorter booking. Other things that have a substantial bearing are the weather, the number of guests and the entertainment you have planned. I will generally deliver an absolute minimum of 750 different images to the client from a 10-hour wedding photography booking. There have been weddings where this number has doubled.

The Coverage Itself

So what aspects of the day will I normally be looking to cover? As you may or may not have discovered already, my wedding photography packages are all time based. The minimum duration of a long-range booking I am able to accept for a peak season wedding (Friday to Sunday, 1st April to 30th September) is eight hours. If, for whatever reason, you’re still looking for a wedding photographer with less than three months to go before your wedding and are looking for a shorter duration of coverage, please feel free to get in touch and enquire about my availability. I make no promises, but if I can help, I will.

BRIDAL PREPARATIONS

If I’m covering the bridal preparations, I will usually plan to arrive somewhere between one-and-a-half to two hours ahead of the ceremony time, unless you specifically ask me to arrive earlier or later. Some brides are more comfortable without make-up than others. Some people like images of their whole entourage getting ready, too. The ball really is in your court on when you want me to start. If you do feel slightly uneasy in front of the camera but don’t want all of the prep photographing, I always think the tail end of it is the perfect opportunity to take the edge off it – maybe as you’re having the final touch ups made to your make-up and just before you step into your dress.

Finishing touches to the bridal preparations by documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

Documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

Buttoning the wedding dress – by Documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

WEDDING TRANSPORT

If we need to travel to the wedding venue, I will look to capture some pictures of you with the wedding car (ideally including your departure – especially if it’s from your home or your childhood home) before I make my own way there. Regrettably, logistics can mean this is not always possible, and some brides just prefer to be photographed arriving at the venue.

A nervous smile as this bride arrives at the church ahead of her wedding ceremony – Documentary Wedding Photography

Once I’m there, I will cover your arrival before heading off to see how your intended is coping with things!

INSIDE THE VENUE

The anxious wait – The groom waits nervously for his bride – by documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

I’ll endeavour to capture some of the finer details of your ceremony, such as of the flowers or any musical accompaniment you may have arranged.

A harpist performs at a Warwickshire wedding – by Documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

THE WEDDING CEREMONY

For civil marriages I would expect to position myself at the front of the room for the ceremony itself. Normally, registrars are extremely accommodating in this regard, but things can vary greatly if you are getting married in a church. I have had vicars who have been quite happy for me to move around discretely during proceedings, and similarly I have experienced blanket bans on pictures. Usually the reality is somewhere in between. It’s important that you have discussed expectations with the person conducting your ceremony ahead of your wedding day, so that all parties know where they stand.

Once you’ve exchanged vows, rings and signed the certificate (sadly the official register is no more), we’ll do some pictures of a fake signing. Please note: I’m not allowed to take pictures of the actual signing due to data protection laws. If time permits (occasionally, usually on busy Saturdays, registrars can be time-constrained) we’ll bring in your witnesses and anybody else you want pictures with at that stage.

I’ll then move to the back of the room to capture you walking back down the aisle as a married couple. Hopefully your walk will be accompanied by lots of happy and smiling guests! If you remember in all the excitement, it’s a great time to have another kiss or punch the air!

The new husband and wife proudly march back down the aisle hand in hand – by documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

The CONFETTI SHOT

We’ll probably look to do the confetti shot next…. It’s always one of my favourite parts of the day and usually produces some great pictures. Most venues now have rules that only allow biodegradable confetti to be used. You might also want to consider supplying some yourself as limited numbers of guests seem to arrive with their own now, and it always feels a real shame if a wedding happens without any!

Confetti shot – by Northants documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

DRINKS RECEPTION / MEET & GREET

We’ll normally then have drinks, canapes and you’ll be congratulated by your guests. Unless we’re really pushed for time or the weather is closing in, I’ll let you enjoy the moment.

“Congratulations!” A big hug for this bride on her wedding day – by Northants documentary wedding photographer Karl Drage

THE NEWLYWEDS

I’ll then whisk you away to our pre-determined location(s) for some pictures of just the two of you. Where practical I’ll try to incorporate the wedding car and to make use of the venue’s surroundings. Feel free to supply some additional props of your own for this bit.

Wedding day transport

Couple pics in the Compton Verney Art Gallery

Posed wedding photography at Delapre Abbey, Northampton

A tender kiss between bride and groom on their wedding day

Posed wedding photography

My bespoke wedding photography packages include both smoke grenades and sparklers for couples who would like to add a bit of extra wow to some of their pictures!

With 9 colours available, you have the freedom to choose the colours that best match with your colour palette.

Gemma and Dan are seen absolutely smashing it at their Central London wedding

FORMAL GROUP SHOTS

Once we’re done, we’ll head back to the main party and get the group shots done. If you’ve not got a wedding car, I’ll probably suggest that we do the group pictures first to save everyone having to hang around gagging for a drink!

An elevated viewpoint often works well for posed group shots at a wedding.

Not all wedding day group shots need to be formal!

WEDDING BREAKFAST ROOM

Ideally there will be a five or ten-minute window prior to the wedding breakfast where I can get in to the room before the guests. This enables me to take some general and detailed shots of your beautifully-presented room.

It’s always worth photographing the room for the wedding breakfast before everyone is allowed in – by Kettering wedding photographer Karl Drage

Intricate wedding day details – by Brackley wedding photographer Karl Drage

Wedding breakfast room – documentary wedding photography

ENTRANCE

I will either plan to be near the top table or follow you in as you’re presented to your guests at the start of the wedding breakfast.

Thereafter, I shall put a long lens on and wander around capturing the interactions between your guests. Hopefully they’ll be blissfully unaware that the camera is trained upon them, as that definitely makes for the most natural images.

SPEECHES

When your speeches take place is entirely up to you. It’s becoming increasingly common for some or all of them to happen before any food is served. My aim will be to move around (subject to space!) during the speeches with the goal of capturing not only the person speaking but also the reactions of those who are listening on intently. You see the whole range of emotions during this part of the day from sad tears, to happy tears as well as plenty of cringing from the groom – and occasionally the bride!

When the Best Man goes hard with his speech – documentary wedding photography

GOLDEN LIGHT / SUNSET / BLUE HOUR

Depending upon the timings for your day and that of sunset, we’ll try to fit in another couple session after the wedding breakfast. The period an hour or so either side of sunset can produce some amazing colours and light. If you’re really pressed for time, the 5 minutes before and 20-30 minutes after sunset are generally the sweet spots, though every sunset is different.

An hour or so before sunset is known as golden hour

If you’re gifted a sunset on your wedding day, you have to use it.

I’m more than happy to respond to any requests from your guests for pictures of themselves with their families during quieter periods.

CAKE CUTTING & FIRST DANCE

With your evening guests now arrived, we’ll usually cut the cake and then go straight into the first dance.

The First Dance between a new husband and wife

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT

You may have arranged evening entertainment for your guests.

Not your average wedding band! – by Kettering wedding photographer Karl Drage.

Dress twirling on the dancefloor – Documentary Wedding Photography

AFTER DARK

Prior to purchasing my portable lighting equipment, I always treated the first dance as the natural cut off point. Now, depending upon the time of year and the duration of your booking, we might be able to play around after dark. I’d definitely encourage you to do this if your venue has any nice external archways, pillars, pagodas or other architectural features.

The impact of a few light bulbs on an after dark scene cannot be understated

Love, what it’s all about! This bride and groom have a little smooch on their wedding day at Sedgebrook Hall near Northampton.

Fireworks and / or sparklers are always well received, too!

An awesome session with sparklers after an after dark outdoor wedding ceremony

And I’ve even started playing around with smoke grenades teamed up with studio lights after dark!

PAR-TAAAAAY!

Whether you want pictures of you and your guests getting slightly worse for wear is a very personal thing – some couples LOVE IT and some couples are APPALLED by the idea. The beauty of my time-based wedding photography packages is that the ball is completely in your court!

Did someone say par-tay?

KNOCKING OFF & WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

As you’ll note from the above, there is very little time where I am not actively engaged ‘on duty’. Beyond the time I’m actually with you, I will always do my best to get your fully-edited pictures to you in as timely a manner as possible.

This still represents just a tiny fraction of the images my style of wedding photography is likely to deliver. You’ll be able to view some slideshows from real weddings I’ve photographed within blog posts on the site. Please take a look.

More Information

If you’ve not already done so, please take a look at my WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGES – Karl Drage, Northampton Wedding Photographer.

For more information on what happens when you decide you want me to photograph your wedding, please see: WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY by Karl Drage – How I Work

While every wedding is different, there are certain elements which are usually broadly similar. Take a look at a typical wedding day to see the thought processes I’m likely to employ for your big day.

There’s much more work involved in photographing a wedding than just rocking up and taking the pictures. I’ve put together this guide to explain why wedding photography can seem expensive but it’s really not.

And if you are still on the hunt for your perfect snapper, here’s a list of questions you should ask a wedding photographer before making your mind up.

Get in Contact

If you’d like to enquire about my availability, to discuss other options or if you have any queries, please use one of the methods on the Contact Us page to get in touch.

I am based in Northamptonshire but I am willing to travel out of area, though please be aware this may bring with it an additional cost.

Here’s what my past clients have to say:

02/10/2021

Lisa & Paul

"Karl is much more than a photographer. He truly sees people and tells a story. Both the formal and the more candid shots were so well taken and edited. The composition of the long shots to capturing the look in someone's eye all taken perfectly. I cannot wait until we have them in our hands. Thank you Karl! You were more than our photographer that day! x"

Lisa West

14/04/2018

Claire & Rob

"He turned up on time well dressed and aside the large camera blended right in to our day. Our guests believed he was a family friend. He socialised, took time and patience with our children, and my husband's need to make me laugh. He calmed my worries, picked confetti from my hair and stopped people standing on my dress, all while making us feel at ease and taking incredible pictures. This man made our wedding easy, stress-free and will help us remember it for the rest of our lives. He arrived as our photographer and left as our friend. One of the most heartfelt thank yous I have ever given… Thank you Karl."

Claire Gascoigne

20/09/2020

Holly & Dan

"Karl was fantastic. From the original meeting to our wedding day, he was professional and very supportive. We would highly recommend him."

Holly S

17/08/2022

Kate & Stuart

"Karl Drage is without a doubt the best Tradesperson/Professional that I've ever had the pleasure to hire the services of."

Stuart Willows

October 12,2019

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Gloria+Nate

Karl Drage is a professional Northamptonshire-based wedding photographer covering the following counties:

Bedfordshire Wedding Photographer | Buckinghamshire Wedding Photographer | Cambridgeshire Wedding Photographer | Leicestershire Wedding Photographer | Northants Wedding Photographer | Oxfordshire Wedding Photographer | Rutland Wedding Photographer | Warwickshire Wedding Photographer

Providing wedding photography services in the following towns and everywhere in between:

Corby Wedding Photographer | Daventry Wedding Photographer | Huntingdon Wedding Photographer | Kettering Wedding Photographer | Leicester Wedding Photographer | Milton Keynes Wedding Photographer | Northampton Wedding Photographer | Oundle Wedding Photographer | Peterborough Wedding Photographer | Rugby Wedding Photographer | Stamford Wedding Photographer | Wellingborough Wedding Photographer