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How wedding photography differs around the world, from Chinese and Korean pre-wedding studio shoots to Indian guest portraits and Western documentary coverage.
Wedding photography looks very different from one culture to the next. In China, Taiwan and South Korea, many couples do an elaborate pre-wedding studio shoot weeks or months before the day, with several outfits and sets, and display the results at the wedding. Indian weddings often expect a portrait of the couple with each guest. Western weddings lean towards documentary coverage of the day itself. Knowing the tradition behind each style helps you choose, or combine, what suits your wedding.
Wedding photo traditions by culture: Pre-wedding studio shoot, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, A styled shoot before the wedding, several outfits and sets, photos shown at the banquet; Studio package (sudeume), South Korea, Studio photos, dress rental and makeup booked as a bundle; Portraits with every guest, India and many South Asian weddings, The couple photographed with each guest or family, often on a stage; Documentary coverage, US, UK, much of Europe, Candid photos of the day as it happens, plus a set of family portraits; Formal family portraits, Almost everywhere, Planned group photos of each side of the family.
Chinese pre-wedding photography is a big production. National Geographic describes studios with elaborate sets, couples changing into several outfits (from Western gowns to traditional robes to playful costumes) and some couples travelling abroad for scenic backdrops. It reports the style took off in Taiwan in the 1980s before spreading to mainland China.
In South Korea, studio photography is traditionally bought as part of a bundle called sudeume, which the Korea Herald describes as studio photography, dress rental and professional makeup together. The shoot typically happens before the wedding, and many couples include hanbok (see Korean hanbok weddings).
Indian weddings are photographed at a different scale. Large guest lists, multiple events over several days and continuous ceremonies mean the photographer can't pause the day for set-ups, and there is often an expectation that every guest appears in at least one photograph with the couple. That usually happens on a stage at the reception, family by family, and can take a long time with a big guest list.
In the 19th century, most couples in Europe and America had a formal portrait taken in a studio rather than a photographer at the wedding, as Wikipedia's history of wedding photography summarises. After the Second World War, roll film and portable flash made it practical to photograph the day as it happened, and documentary coverage became common by the 1970s.
Almost every tradition includes planned family photos, but who stands where varies. Some families expect grandparents centre stage; some separate the two sides; some include large extended families. Write the list in advance, with names, and give it to someone who knows both families. The must-have wedding photo list has a starting point, and wedding photos you don't want to forget covers the easily missed ones.
Couples from two cultures often combine styles: a pre-wedding shoot in hanbok or qipao, documentary coverage on the day, and a stage for guest portraits at the reception. Tell your photographer which traditions matter and which moments are non-negotiable. How to photograph a multicultural wedding has shot lists by ritual, and how to plan a multicultural wedding covers the bigger planning picture.
The photos are displayed at the wedding and at home, and the shoot has become an expected part of wedding planning. The style developed in Taiwan in the 1980s and spread to mainland China, according to National Geographic.
A bundled package of studio photography, dress rental and professional makeup that many Korean couples book before their wedding. Some younger couples now skip it or do their own shoots to save money.
Often, yes. Many Indian weddings expect each guest or family to be photographed with the couple, usually on a stage at the reception, so couples plan time for it.
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