Lights, Camera, Matrimony: Wedding Photography's Reels Renaissance

According to a survey by CAIT Research & Trade Development Society, during this wedding season from 15 January till 15 July, approximately 42 lakh weddings are expected to take place nationwide. This will result in a capital influx of about Rs 5.5 lakh crores through wedding-related purchases and services.

With another wedding season come new trends. Wedding photography, an integral part of the wedding experience, is experiencing a revolution as Instagram Reels become increasingly popular. Couples’ preferences are constantly evolving with these evolving technologies and trends.

“We recognise that technology plays a significant role in modern wedding photography. Our partners embrace the use of innovative tools and techniques, such as drone photography and virtual reality, to capture breathtaking and immersive moments. By incorporating these cutting-edge methods, Q Events and our photography team ensure that couples receive unique and memorable wedding photos that stand out from the crowd. We understand the changing role of wedding photography and the evolving expectations of couples. The people we work with tailor their approach to capture the essence of each couple's love story, embracing technology and innovative techniques to create unforgettable wedding experiences,” explains Rituraj Khanna, CEO, Q Events.

He adds that wedding photography is no longer about capturing posed shots and traditional moments. It has become more dynamic and expressive, reflecting the personalities and unique stories of the couples.

Adapting To Change

“The advent of formats like reels has significantly transformed the wedding photography landscape, marking a shift from traditional still photography to more dynamic, engaging, and short-form video content. This evolution reflects the broader digital trends emphasising immediacy, interactivity and storytelling in a compact, captivating format as the new generation does not have the patience to sit and watch lengthy content. So, reels and short videos are perfect that encapsulates the entire wedding in a few minutes,” notes Samidha Bansal, Creative and Design Lead, Weddings By Evensia

She asserts that Evensia has embraced this shift by integrating reels and short-form video content into their wedding services. Bansal observes that the new age photographers have expanded their teams to include videographers and editors skilled in creating compelling short videos. They have invested in training their photographers to think beyond stills, encouraging a storytelling approach that leverages both photographs and video to create a richer narrative of the wedding day.

She highlights, “We have also ensured that they include in their packages, social media-ready content, understanding that couples today want to share their special moments quickly and in a format that resonates with their peers. This includes not only reels but also short video clips and animations that can be easily shared on various social platforms.”

Challenges and Future Trends

Vishal Punjabi, CEO, The Wedding Filmer is behind the viral content from some of the most popular and recent celebrity weddings. While he emphasises that these moments were captured from a place of authenticity, trying to manufacture the perfect moment can lead to disasters.

“I have heard stories of sets catching fire and cranes falling all in the pursuit of the ideal shot. Many fail to realise that most traditional Indian weddings don’t naturally align with the reel-friendly format, pushing people to engage in unnatural actions for the camera,” he adds.

Creating reels has become a means for wedding planners and videographers to advertise and market their services, too. In many cases, they push the bride, groom and guests into creating wedding content, says Punjabi.

As AR and VR technologies become more accessible, they can be expected to play a significant role in wedding photography, offering immersive experiences that allow families and friends to relive the wedding day in a more engaging way than traditional photo albums.

The integration of wedding photography with social media is expected to continue to deepen, with platforms potentially offering new features specifically designed for weddings. This could include live streaming integrations, dedicated wedding story formats and enhanced interactive features for guests and couples to engage with the content in real time, according to Bansal.