Contemporary wedding photography is a phrase that refers to the new trends in wedding photography (Orange County wedding photojournalism and Los Angeles are my areas of service), which of course is branching away from traditional wedding photography. Traditional wedding photography is often the typical posed shots (formals) that older generations like. On the other hand, contemporary wedding photography uses a combination of (or a transition from) formals/posed shots and (to) wedding photojournalism, which uses a candid documentary approach to getting unscripted shots. This can either be documentary or artistic, depending on the style of the photographer.
Wedding photojournalism is the new trend that is forming contemporary wedding photography. It is an approach that the photographer captures the day from a distance to influence the subjects as little as possible. By using a photojournalistic angle, the pictures are more genuine. It is easy to see the difference in posed photography versus photojournalism, since posed photos often involve unnatural poses and the subjects looking directly at the camera.