Why Couples Are Requesting Blurry Wedding Photos

This new 2023 year already has seen so many new different wedding trends, but one of the most unique ones a wedding photography studio has seen take off is the trend for blurry wedding photographs.

The trend, initially popularised by a TikTok video by wedding photographer Asantae Haanstad suggested that a wedding album should have a couple of blurred photos amidst the hundreds of perfectly shot, perfectly staged pictures of the big day.

The idea behind this, much like the wider trend for blurry social media photographs is that they convey dynamism and feeling of movement that makes a moment feel spontaneous, unique and special like the viewer is in the moment with them.

Whilst some people adored the vibe of these photos, others were critical of including blurry photos in a set, although this appeared to be based on the assumption that the majority of the photos are blurry or that a moment was captured with this blurry aesthetic and not in focus.

Ms Haanstad clarified that neither aspect was correct; she would always do a second take in focus and would typically only include three of these blurry photographs if requested and if they came out with the desired aesthetic.

The trend originated on Instagram, with several celebrities producing deliberately hazy shots intended to look like they had been taken with an instant camera.

It seemed to be the opposite of every social media aesthetic choice in the years prior, which trended towards a highly curated portrait of a person’s life. Arguably, that was the entire appeal.

Blurry photos are a celebratory haze of a life lived in the moment without fear or a focus on how to stage the moment for a photo op. It is the capture of a world in motion when people’s lives are moving at a breakneck pace.

It highlights to future generations that a wedding was not just a moment or a series of staged photographs but a living ceremony and expression of eternal love.