In the heart of Venice, just before Christmas, haute.weddings embraced the low light and romance of the city in winter and let that shape the story of Cassandra and Umberto.

See the wedding feature, with words from Haute Weddings about how they planned and captured each part of the day. As we like to say, a wedding feature, but from the photographers POV.

There’s a new category in wedding photography.

It’s NOT documentary photography.
But it’s not fully editorial photography either. It’s some kind of hybrid.

It’s a style that takes directed and concepted editorial ideas - you know the poses and ideas that are ‘editorial’… and blends them with the more raw, in-the-moment, carefree and casual feeling of documentary photography.

So here it is. We are coining a new term. We’re calling it Loose Editorial.

And it’s here to give you permission not to be ‘editorial’ or ‘documentary’. You can be Loose Editorial.

So what is Loose Editorial?
Loose Editorial takes editorial ideas and makes them less polished, less perfect, and more ‘real’.

It’s a strong fashion inspired pose, but titled and on film.
It’s using direct flash, but while the couple is having a moment.
It’s a concepted shot on a beach, but the inbetween moment is chosen.
It’s the wedding shoes styles like a product, but captured in a relaxed, casual frame that isn’t perfect.

It’s about using elevated editorial ideas, but then making it feel raw and real, not perfect and polished.

Editorial but loose, relaxed, casual. You get it??

Where does it come from?
This isn’t just a trend. It’s more of a visual reflection of where culture is heading.

People want curated, but not try-hard.
They want cool, but not lifeless.
They want to see themselves in their photos — but a better version.

You can see it in fashion campaigns. Aka, every Jacquemus campagin.
The Tiktok vibe of the “low effort effort.”

What this means for photographers
Don’t listen to documentary photographers who want to tell you their way is better because they don’t interfere in the day. Don’t listen to editorial photographers who tell you your photos aren’t perfect.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between those two extremes… THIS is your framework.

Loose Editorial gives you a way to approach your next wedding with strong direction and with freedom.

You can style details with purpose. But not over-edit the soul out of them.
You can pose and direct couples with cool ideas and concepts. Then direct them to break the pose and live in it.
You can use direct flash, but in
You can combine more imperfect technics like film, tilt, wide angles in with your editorial direction and find something that feels real and elevated.

So what do you think? Does Loose Editorial give you language to describe your vibe? REPLY back and let us know!

Known for their rule-breaking ideas, alternative compositions, mastery of light, and emotionally instinctive style, Joel & Justyna create some of the most striking wedding imagery in the world.

In this live workshop, they’ll be pulling back the curtain on how they “BREAK THE RULES” — from how they shoot, to how they see.

You’ll get: 1 hour workshop content + Q&A time with Joel and Justyna
July 15th, 5.30PM CET
Access inside Lensel PRO only
Replay will be available the day after

⬇️ When a caption and photo set go together oh so perfectly.

⬇️ Vlasta Wedding nailing the money shots and making it look way too easy.

⬇️ Florence, but different. We LOVE this campaign for Pitti Uomo that showcases so many different shot ideas. Focussing on sun and shadow too. Dive in.

⬇️ In love with the super clean 35mm work here.