Top 10 Ideas for Creative Wedding Photos (Part 1)

These unique wedding photo ideas are sure to make your images pop (and plus, they’re darn fun to take!)

Because I’m a creative wedding photographer who is always making up new photo techniques and finding new angles (as well as having clients who are gung-ho to try all my weird ideas!), it seems only right that my first real blog post be about creative wedding photos. Whether you’re a groom-to-be, bride-to-be, photographer, planner, or bored individual surfing the web, this post should give you some creative wedding photo ideas. No more average, cookie-cutter wedding photos!

First off, if you’re interested in taking unique wedding photos and shots that are creative, be prepared to go to art, hardware, and thrift stores, hunt around your house, and get a bit dirty. If you’re a client who wants something unique, be prepared to make some extra time for experimentation, and make sure you’re ready to possibly get dirty or wet! Going on hikes, getting in water, laying on the ground, standing in front of fire spinners…it’s all par for the course. One-of-a-kind wedding photos often take some time—and a lot of imagination. Don’t want to ruin your wedding clothes? Do the adventure shoot/adventure session the day after, or go to your local Goodwill/thrift store for a cheap wedding dress you can basically use for a “trash the dress” session.

Second…you don’t want me to write any more, do you? That’s like those recipe blogs where you have to scroll down 94 pages just to get to the actual recipe, right? So, onwards with some unique engagement and creative wedding photo ideas for fearless clients:

1. Under water:

Underwater sessions aren’t easy, but they’re amazing fun—and super unique. How many people have underwater engagement shoots or adventure shoots in their wedding clothes? Not many. I have an underwater casing just for these shoots. I took this one during a destination wedding in Hawaii (Big Island).

2. Jumping into something (water, ball pit, leaves):

Want to jump in the water with your wedding clothes on? DO IT. Just make sure I’m there to catch it first! Whether you’re jumping off a dock (above, in New York State), cliff jumping in Italy, or jumping off a yacht in the Bahamas, I’m all about the water wedding. I like to think that I’m a pretty fun wedding photographer, and I can get amazingly fun images when couples decide to jump into something.

Other ideas I’d love to do that involve getting wet in your wedding clothes? Jumping at Chuck-E-Cheese (seriously), at a trapeze school, or around a trampoline park.

3. Find a unique perspective

The ceiling of the main dome at the Palace of Fine Arts (San Francisco, California) is awesome, but unless you get down to look up, you’ll never see it. I used my wide-angle lens to capture this couple during their San Francisco City Hall elopement.

4. In a museum:

I took this engagement photo right after he proposed to her! It was inside the spy/hacker museum Spyscape in New York City. There are so many wild, fun shots from that evening!

5. Use Light Creatively

After dinner, Caitlin and Timothy agreed to go outside with me. My assistant and I had set up a spot for them to stand, and I put the camera on a long exposure while running behind them with a light source. So cool!

6. Upside-down

I’ll leave this to your imagination, but one hint: We shot this one in Austria. The best part about getting married in Europe is that instead of going to another state for photos, you can go to another country! In terms of creative wedding photos…this may be my favorite of all time.

7. Find a unique location

Yeah, this seems obvious. But you’d be surprised how many people want something different, but only allow 30 minutes for photos. If you really want unique, one-of-a-kind wedding images, then dedicating several hours, half a day, or even a full day is key. This allows you to drive, hike, plan, and play as long as you need to get some incredible shots. If you’re eloping, that’s even better. More time, right? I photographed this quirky couple in an amazing, out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere California sculpture park that I’d scouted out. It was wacky and absolutely wonderful.

8. Get in (or at least near) a waterfall

This lovely falls is in New Paltz, NY, and is super easy to get to. Plus, you can hop in or get right up to the edge. Heck, you can even get right at the top of the falls if you’re not afraid of heights! Speaking of which…when will I get to photograph a couple having a skydiving wedding? Or a trapeze wedding?

9. Take a long hike

Escape the stress on a nice hike. You get to know your photographer (or me, my clients), you spend time chatting before this huge camera lens is held up—which, let’s face it, can be daunting—and it’s downright beautiful. Plus, you get to explore places with your handy-dandy photographer (well, moi) that you otherwise wouldn’t have known about! I took Erin and Jenn on this 2-hour hike in beautiful Acadia National Park, Maine. My assistant and I carried their dress and suit up, waited while they changed in the woods, and then photographed them on top of the mountain. It was one of my favorite photoshoots ever, and the views were stunning. Plus, look at that dress!

10. Props can be pretty cool

I’m not talking about a top hat or an umbrella here. I mean little tricks of the trade your photographer could use, such as pipes, prisms, petals, and other things not necessarily starting with the letter “p.” This is a copper pipe photo I took at the Sutro Baths in California—no Photoshopping!

Look, engagement photos and wedding photos aren’t the only thing you need to worry about in life, but then again…when are you going to have an experienced photographer take photos of you again? When are you planning on looking so good, and paying a good sum for a photographer? For most, the answer is never again/not for 10 years at least. If that’s not you, I want to know your celebrity lifestyle.

So, if you’re not one who wants average wedding photos, this list is hopefully a great way to help you understand what to look for in a photographer’s portfolio. If you’re a photographer, I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions (address at the bottom of this post). The best lesson here from my “Top 10 ideas for Creative Wedding Photos” list? Creative wedding photography takes planning, spontaneity, a creative eye, time, and a sense of adventure. I’m always working on new ways to make my clients’ photos stand out, so expect to see more creative ideas soon!

info@KathrynCooperWeddings.com

www.KathrynCooperWeddings.com

Want to hire me already to get photos like these–and even cooler? Fill out my simple contact form here, and let’s have some crazy fun!