You can't scroll wedding TikTok without someone telling you what's "in" and what's "out" for 2026. Most of those posts are about colour palettes and cake styles - which is fine, but not really my department.
What I can tell you is what I'm actually seeing on wedding days across Cambridgeshire, and which trends are genuinely changing the way couples plan their day. Some of these are great. Some need a reality check. Here's my honest take.
1. The Irish goodbye
This one's everywhere right now - and for good reason. An Irish goodbye is when your guests leave without the formal farewell tour. No queuing up to hug the couple. No dragging you off the dance floor every five minutes for another round of "thank you so much for coming."
Some couples are even mentioning it in their speeches: "If you need to leave later, just go. Don't worry about finding us."
As a photographer, I love this. The last few hours of a wedding are some of the best - shoes off, hair slightly undone, everyone properly relaxed. If you're constantly being pulled away for goodbyes, you lose that momentum. Let people slip out when they need to. The people who matter will be the last ones standing.
The only thing to keep in mind: if you want a sparkler exit or a send-off shot, obviously that's the one moment you do want everyone together. But outside of that - let them go. You'll have a better night for it.
2. Micro weddings and smaller guest lists
This has been building since lockdown, and it's stuck. Couples are choosing 30-50 guests instead of 150, and spending the budget on experience rather than numbers.
I saw this firsthand during lockdown. Couples who were forced into smaller numbers often told me afterwards it was a blessing - they only invited the people who truly mattered, and the day felt more personal for it.
From a photography perspective, smaller weddings are often more relaxed, more emotional, and more intimate. There's less herding, more genuine interaction, and the couple actually gets to spend proper time with everyone there. The photos reflect that.
If you're on the fence about cutting the guest list, I'd say this: the people who love you will understand. And you'll actually remember speaking to everyone at your wedding, which is rarer than you'd think at a 150-person day.
3. First looks (before the ceremony)
More couples are choosing to see each other before the ceremony rather than saving the big reveal for the aisle. It's a private moment - just the two of you (and me at a respectful distance with a long lens).
I shoot these regularly now and they're consistently some of the most emotional images I capture all day. There's something about that moment without 100 people watching. The nerves are real, the reaction is real, and you actually get to talk to each other.
The practical benefit? It calms the nerves before the ceremony. By the time you're walking down the aisle, you've already had that moment and you're both more relaxed. It also opens up the timeline - we can do couple portraits before the ceremony instead of eating into your drinks reception afterwards.
It's not for everyone. Some couples love the traditional aisle reveal and that's completely fine. But if you're curious, it's worth considering.
4. Unplugged ceremonies (or not)
This is one where I take a different view to a lot of photographers. Many will tell you to ban phones entirely. I don't - and I'm genuinely happy either way. I can see the benefits on both sides.
Phones and iPads are part of the world we live in. Some of the clips guests capture on the day are brilliant - genuine, shaky, emotional little moments that can be really special. And you can see the pride on their faces as they're doing it. They love being part of it. I'm not going to tell someone's nan to put her phone away.
On the other hand, an unplugged ceremony means every guest is actually watching. You can see every face, every reaction in the photos - and there's no iPad poking into the aisle shot. Couples who go unplugged often tell me afterwards they're glad they did.
What I do ask, whichever way you go, is that guests are respectful about it. There's a reason I've asked everyone to stand in a line for the confetti - please don't dive into the middle of it with an iPad, favouring your shot over mine. Same goes for the first kiss. And during group shots, if I'm asking 30 people to look at me, it doesn't help when Uncle Dave is waving from the right with his phone out. I call it chameleon eyes - it splits everyone's attention and it'll show in the photo. Put the phone down, Dave. My pic will be better.
So my stance isn't "ban phones" or "phones out." It's whatever suits you as a couple. Just ask your guests to be a guest first and a content creator second.
5. Content creators
This is the newer addition to the wedding day team. Couples are hiring a dedicated content creator alongside their photographer - someone specifically there to capture reels, TikToks, and behind-the-scenes clips for social media. It's usually a choice between a content creator or a videographer, not both - three people directing would be a lot for everyone involved.
For couples who are big on Instagram or want a more candid, social-first edit of their day, this can be a really good addition. I work well with whoever the couple brings along, and I've met some genuinely brilliant creatives who bring fresh ideas and a different perspective to couple shots.
A word of caution though: as with photographers and videographers, there are levels to this. I've also worked alongside some pretty ropey ones. Your content creator will be with you all day, they'll be in a lot of the same spaces as me, and if the edit isn't what you hoped for, you're unlikely to get a second attempt without a fight. Do your homework. Check their previous work. Ask for references. The same due diligence you'd give your photographer should apply here.
The other thing worth knowing: a content creator is not a videographer. They're producing short-form social content - 15-60 second clips. If you want a proper wedding film with audio, speeches, and a cinematic edit, that's a different skill set entirely. Both are valid - just make sure you know what you're actually booking.
6. Relaxed, candid-first approach
This isn't new, but it's gone from niche to mainstream. More couples than ever are specifically looking for a photographer who takes a documentary, candid-first approach rather than a heavily directed, pose-heavy style.
I get a lot of enquiries from couples who say exactly this: "we want someone relaxed, not someone who'll take over the day." There's still structure to the day - there has to be - but it's a chilled timeline tailored around them, not a rigid shot list they're working through.
What I'm also seeing more of is couples choosing their getting-ready location based on the experience rather than convention. Instead of a big venue, they'll get ready at a family member's house because it's relaxed, it's meaningful, and it happens to have great light and nice spots for photos. The ceremony and party might then be in a private area of a local park with a marquee, or on a farm. The whole day is designed around how they actually want to feel.
This is exactly how I work, so I'm biased - but I think it produces better photos and better memories. It's the thinking behind how I approach a wedding day.
7. The after-party outfit change
Brides changing out of their ceremony dress into something different for the evening - usually a shorter dress, a jumpsuit, or something they can actually dance in without worrying about someone standing on the train.
From a photography perspective, I love it. It gives me a completely different look for the evening photos, and there's a real shift in energy when someone changes into their "party outfit." The dancing shots have a different feel.
The timeline consideration: build in 15-20 minutes for the change. Don't assume you can nip upstairs and be back in five minutes - you'll want to check yourself in the mirror, your bridesmaids will want to see, and there'll probably be a few photos of the new look. If it's not in the timeline, it'll eat into something else.
8. Weekday weddings
Tuesdays and Wednesdays used to be the budget option. Now they're a genuine choice. Venue availability is better, rates are often lower, and some couples just prefer the idea of a midweek celebration where everything feels a bit less "wedding factory."
I'm seeing more of these and I think they're underrated. The venues are quieter, there's no rush to get out for the next wedding coming in on Saturday, and there's a slightly rebellious energy to getting married on a Wednesday that I quite like.
The only thing to consider is guest availability - not everyone can take a midweek day off. But if your guest list is manageable and your key people can make it, it's a smart move.
9. Pre-wedding shoots
Engagement shoots or "practice run" sessions before the big day. The idea is that you get comfortable in front of the camera, we get to know each other, and you walk into the wedding day already knowing what to expect.
I don't include these in my packages anymore. I found that when they were bundled in, they often became an obligation rather than something the couple genuinely wanted - and I spent more time than I'd like dragging people round parks who weren't really feeling it. On top of that, the British weather made scheduling a nightmare. We'd book a date months out, the forecast would turn, and the session would get cancelled last minute.
These days, if a pre-wedding shoot is something you genuinely want, I'm happy to arrange one separately. I'll keep the fee reasonable if you've already booked me for your wedding - and because you've actively chosen to do it, the session is usually much better for both of us.
The upside when they work: they genuinely do make the wedding day easier. You already know my style, I already know what makes you laugh, and the "being photographed" feeling isn't brand new on the biggest day of your life.
10. The "no group shots" movement
I've seen this talked about a lot online - couples saying they're skipping group photos entirely in favour of a fully candid day.
In theory, it sounds liberating. In practice? I've yet to do a wedding where it actually happens. Every couple who's told me they don't want group shots has ended up doing them on the day - because Grandma asks, or Mum has "just a couple of combinations," or someone reminds them they don't have a single photo of both families together.
My advice: don't fight it. Keep the list short and sensible (here are my tips on that), give me 20-30 minutes, and it's done. The stress isn't the group shots themselves - it's the lack of a plan. With a plan, they're painless. Without one, they're chaos.
Skipping them entirely sounds great until you're looking through your gallery six months later wishing you had that one photo of everyone together. You can't go back and get it.
One more thing: editing & style trends
This one isn't a trend I'd recommend - it's one I'd ask you to think carefully about.
Direct flash, intentionally blurry images, heavy orange and teal colour grading - they're everywhere right now. They look striking on Instagram. They get likes. And I understand the appeal.
But here's the thing about editing trends: they date. Fast.
I started my career shooting in nightclubs where the lighting was genuinely difficult. I learned to work with available light because I had to - and that experience is exactly why I don't need to fire a flash in your face during the drinks reception or blur half your gallery for the sake of a look. The technology and skill exists to get clean, natural, beautiful images in almost any light. We've come a long way. I'm not sure why we'd choose to go backwards.
I recently photographed a wedding where the bridesmaid - who'd had her own wedding shot in a trendy direct flash style - spent the first part of the day worried I was going to do the same to her sister's photos. She'd ended up with a gallery she was mostly unhappy with. Half the images were soft for no reason, the flash look felt forced, and what seemed edgy at the time didn't hold up six months later. She was micro-managing me until I showed her the back of my camera and she could see the difference.
The part that stuck with me was that she'd paid a premium for that style - and when she raised concerns with her photographer, the response was "that's my look." Which is fair enough. But it meant she'd paid top money for something she couldn't change after the fact.
That's the thing worth knowing: if you book a photographer specifically for a trendy editing style, that's what you'll get. And if you change your mind once the gallery arrives, there's usually no going back. It's not that these photographers aren't talented - many of them are. It's just worth asking yourself whether the look you love right now is the look you'll still love when you're showing these photos to your kids.
My advice? Think about how your photos will look in ten years. A well-lit, natural image of you laughing with your best friend will still look beautiful in 2050. A deliberately blurred, orange-graded shot with a direct flash might not.
Your wedding photos are the one thing from the day you'll look at for the rest of your life. Choose a style you'll still love when the trend has moved on.
The short version
Trends come and go. Colour palettes change every year and nobody will care about your cake design in 2028. But the trends that affect how your day feels - the timeline, the approach, the guest experience - those are the ones worth paying attention to.
The best weddings I've photographed aren't the most on-trend ones. They're the ones where the couple planned with intention, trusted the people they hired, and actually enjoyed themselves.
If you're planning a 2026 wedding and want to talk through any of this, drop me a message - I'm always happy to chat through what works and what doesn't. You might also like my wedding day timeline tips, or take a look at my wedding photography.
