How Street Photography Shapes My Documentary Wedding Photography

I love street photography from two angles (pun intended):

1) I enjoy looking at great street photography work &

2) I love taking a few hours away from life and photographing people.

There’s something about it that keeps me grounded. It forces me to be present in the space that I’m photographing in. It’s the act of walking, watching and waiting. No plan, no posing, no direction and no expectations from anyone about that I ended up producing (which is sometimes nothing). My only other hobby is jiu Jitsu and oddly enough, there is an overlap. i get in to that same “flow state” with both. activities.

Street photography is about photographing people and that’s where my photography began and it’s what continues to shape how I photograph the world around me but also how see a wedding day.

When I photograph a wedding, I use the same instincts that guide me on the street. It’s about anticipation, awareness, timing and above all, respect. It’s not about chasing a perfect composition or making people perform for the camera. It’s about telling the truth. Quietly, honestly and without getting in the way or ruining anyones day.

What Is Documentary Wedding Photography

Documentary wedding photography is about capturing the day as it naturally unfolds. No staged moments or fake smiles. No constant interruptions or forced reactions. It focuses on emotion, connection and storytelling. The kind of photographs that will still feel real in twenty years.

Couples who choose this style usually want to be present with their guests. They want the day documented, not directed. They often tell me that they don’t like being photographed. My role then is to blend in and observe. To create a visual story that feels true to them and to everyone who was there. I’m not a fly-on-the wall. I interact with people. I enjoy having the chats and a bit of craic with people.

The Street Photographer’s Mindset

Street photography is the best training ground for this kind of work. When you photograph strangers you learn how to anticipate gestures, moments and emotions before they happen. You start to read the rhythm of a scene and recognise emotion before it actually happens. You have to be fully and totally able to use your camera as an extension of yourself.

You also learn patience. Sometimes you stand in one spot and wait for something small to happen. Other times it’s about stepping in closer, trusting your instincts and reacting in half a second. Those same skills are what allow me to document weddings and catch those little fleeting moments with your family and friends that you won’t have noticed in the flurry of your wedding.

On a wedding day the light can change every second and emotions can flicker from intense anxiety to joy to sadness in a second. Think of the anxiety on the face of the groom as he is standing at the top of the aisle, waiting to see his bride or groom (after all those months of wedding planning) to the happy joy-filled moment when they see each other for the first time while to the brides father is overcome with sadness after he hands over his daughter for the last time. Three different perspectives, three different intense emotions all within three short seconds. You only get one chance to capture each of those moments ad you definitely can’t ask them to “do it again because I missed it”.

Street photography taught me to stay alert, stay curious and always be ready.

Street photography also teaches humility. You realise very quickly that you can’t control what happens in front of the camera. You learn to let go of perfection and to work with what the world gives you. That mindset carries into my wedding work where no two moments ever unfold the same way. Instead of trying to control the scene I focus on responding to it.

That’s what keeps the photographs honest and full of life.

From the Street to the Wedding

The biggest difference between photographing strangers on a street and photographing guests at a wedding is permission. I remember Dom from York Place Studios describing weddings as “consensual street photography”. In some ways, it makes weddings easier than street photography. In other ways, harder.

On the street I’m always careful to respect people’s boundaries. I photograph in a way that’s discreet and kind. The same goes for weddings. The difference is, I’m being commissioned for weddings which obviously comes with more responsibility.

Street Photography with wedding guests

My goal is to capture the energy of the day without ever making someone feel uncomfortable. I use the same techniques I use on the street staying close but unobtrusive, framing through crowds and waiting for gestures or laughter that reveal something genuine.

Most of my favourite guest photos come from these quiet moments of observation. A flower girl tugging on her dad’s sleeve during the speeches. Two friends reconnecting over a pint. Moments that happen naturally when people forget the camera exists.

What I love most about photographing guests is that it’s where the real heart of the story lies. The couple may be the centre of the day but the energy comes from the people who surround them. The laughter during the drinks reception, the emotional glances during the speeches, the chaos on the dance floor. These are the moments that say way more about the wedding than the portraits do. My street photography background helps me recognise these layers and make sure they are part of the story too

Street Photography Lessons That Shape My Work

Anticipating the moment

Here are some of the ways street photography influences my wedding work:

• Anticipate & wait for the moment – watch for gestures, laughter or emotion before it happens. The concept of “hunting” vs “fishing”.

• Stay aware of the environment – use the venue, light and background to tell a wider story.

• Be discreet – shoot quietly and intuitively so people stay relaxed. I photograph with a Sony A9ii which has a completly silent shutter meaning you won’t hear that “cah-chunk” sound when I take a photo.

• Get close but stay respectful – the best photographs are intimate without being intrusive.

• Be patient – don’t rush from one thing to the next. Let moments unfold.

• Vary perspective – shoot from high, low or through objects to add visual interest.

• Keep it simple – focus on one emotion or story per frame.

• Look for meaning – I avoid filler images and focus on moments that matter.

Each of these ideas comes from hours spent photographing life on the street and every one of them has helped me tell stronger stories at weddings.

Sometimes the most meaningful photograph comes from the quietest moment. Street photography trained me to recognise those moments of pause where emotion sits just below the surface. At a wedding those are often the images that end up meaning the most to people - small, understated frames that hold the most weight.

Why It Matters for Couples

Punchestown Racecourse 2024

I believe the best wedding photographs are the ones that feel alive. Not staged or predictable but filled with genuine emotion. I genuinely believe that my street photography hobby helps me create images that feel spontaneous and real.

When you look back at your wedding photographs you should remember how it felt, not how it looked for the camera. You should see your guests laughing, your parents dancing and those little moments that happened between the big ones.

That’s the heart of documentary wedding photography.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about truth.

If this approach to photography resonates with you and you’d like your wedding story captured in the same honest way, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to start the conversation.