Photographer John Dolan describes himself as a disruptor. Just don’t call him a wedding photographer. “I am a photographer at a wedding, not a wedding photographer and that is what saves me from shooting cheesy pictures,” he explains. Dolan’s work has featured in Harper’s Bazaar and Martha Stewart Weddings, while his impressive roster of clients has included Jennifer Lopez, Ben and Christine Stiller, Kate Bosworth, Bridget Moynahan and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Dolan, whose ancestors came from Co Roscommon, is the son of a federal judge in Washington. “I was a collector as a child and collected everything – coins, stamps, mastheads – and at 15 got my first camera. Photography is essentially the same, collecting moments of history.” He continues: “I did not study wedding photography – I am just fascinated by weddings and the complexities of families.”

Dolan graduated with a degree in fine arts and credits this with an understanding of the fundamentals of portraiture. Perhaps it’s the “balanced diet” of mixing fine art, advertising and editorial work with his wedding commissions, which keeps his work so fresh and alluring.

When Dolan first started documenting weddings over 30 years ago, he says it was a monolithic industry and “the lowest form of photography. I brought more craftsmanship to it and gave it the attention it was missing, capturing the intimacy that had not been done before.” Joyful and unscripted moments are his forte and it’s easy to see how he has influenced a younger generation of reportage photographers.

Technically Dolan’s approach is in what he calls the four Es – “enter, empty (myself of expectations), essence and edit. I have to be involved with the couple. You have to read the vibe of that family – are they going to let you in or are you kept on the outside? My preference is to become part of the wedding and see it from the inside. What is important is what the wedding felt like, rather than what it looked like – so it’s not about the tables and flowers, but the inbetween moments – not easy to photograph. What I do is a high-wire act and if you don’t know what you are doing it can go badly wrong, but it is about being open to the imperfections.” Of course the effect of the white wedding dress is important too. “It is such a great starting point because it just jumps out and changes in different lighting and it is a wonderful compositional tool.”

Dolan is selective and only does ten weddings a year; last year he covered eight. “Covid-19 had a surprising impact on how people think about weddings. The handful of tiny ones I attended were packed with complex emotions and so charged. There was no room for Bridezilla when the main discussion was protecting Grandma from Covid-19. Speeches were at a whole other level, heartfelt – entertaining a crowd but addressing twelve people. As a result, there is permission now to have small weddings that are memorable and meaningful as opposed to perfect. People were shocked at how satisfying that was. There is a new appreciation for what we do when we gather.”

Deirdre McQuillan

The Perfect Imperfect: The Wedding Photographs of John Dolan, is published by Damiani.