When photographing wedding ceremonies, it’s your job to know how the ceremony will unfold, so that you can move to the right spot at the right time. From the processional to exchanging vows and rings to the first kiss, it’s less likely that you’ll miss moments if you’re aware when they will happen.
As a photographer, you’ll encounter many religious and cultural traditions. You’ll need to know what to expect, especially if there are rules that you also need to follow.
Depending on regional or religious traditions, you may need to adjust your coverage so you’re inclusive of various guidelines.
A Hindu wedding, for example, may span multiple days. Meanwhile, Catholic weddings also include the Liturgy of the Eucharist or Communion during the ceremony. As you can imagine, a lot depends on the faith tradition, which is why you must be aware of key details beforehand so you’ll know how to act and shoot.
Whether the wedding is civil or religious, it will likely follow a general outline. What’s vital is that you capture each important aspect:
To speed things up, work with event coordinators to announce that you’ll be doing formal group photos. Aside from the official bride and groom photos, here are a few standard group images to take:
The last part of the day where most of the fun happens. Just like the ceremony, the reception is pretty much beyond your control. In general, here are key shots to remember:
Unlike photographing a wedding ceremony where the majority of the guests just sit and stand, the reception lets people move more. Unless it’s part of the program like cake cutting or the first dance, the reception is filled with opportunities for you to take candid photos.
Wedding photographer Northern IrelandTake a step back and observe where the fun is happening. Is it on the dance floor or photobooth area? If you hear people laughing and chatting over at a table, head over to that area to get authentic smiles.
Being a wedding photographer means you can pick up on little, unexpected moments. Be on the lookout for situations that no one else might notice but will certainly make a good memory for the couple.
Some wedding photographers still struggle with composition. During your first time shooting a wedding, you might experience some common challenges.
Take an extra minute to pause and examine your composition before snapping the photo. Make sure there aren’t any major distractions in the shot. If there are, look for different angles that you can shoot the scene from instead.
To give you a fresh perspective, look at existing frames at the venue. This means elements like a window or an archway that serve as the background. Architectural elements can balance the composition and add symmetry to photos.
Another great way to take creative shots of the couple is by using guests as a foreground framing device to give more context. In this way, you can also show how people react or pay attention to the ceremony.
For instance, look for the parents or siblings and capture the moment they wipe their tears during the couple’s exchange of vows. You can also anticipate the guests’ reactions when the couple is about to cut their cake!
During weddings, one of your goals is to move–fast! Even if you need to take close-up shots of guests, do it in a respectful manner that won’t disturb or annoy people. Also, turn on your camera’s silent shutter mode if you have that function to minimize noise when you take pictures.
