Couples get creative with wedding photography

Who wants to have a wedding album full of hundreds of the same old stiff poses?

As wedding planning couples grow increasingly focused on personalizing their big day, more brides and grooms are turning to new, more contemporary styles of wedding photography that leave old conventions behind.

Offbeat settings, photojournalistic styles and bold lighting are some of the hottest trends seen today, according to PhotoWorks.com, the online photo sharing division of American Greetings.

Meanwhile, couples are also getting more playful when documenting their engagement photos - and post-nuptial "trash the dress" sessions have really taken off as a phenomenon among unconventional brides and grooms.

Sally Babcock of PhotoWorks says this same desire for unique photos can translate into a market for personalized items based on these pictures.

"As photography becomes an increasingly important element of the wedding, so does the level of customization that both couples and wedding guests strive to incorporate into the occasion," she explains.

Wedding photography can be incorporated into magnets, mugs, mouse pads and luggage tags to create a meaningful gift, the company says.