How to Photograph a Church Wedding Ceremony: Essential Tips for Photographers
I love a photography challenge and there’s nothing more challenging than shooting a church wedding ceremony. Forget everything else that happens during the course of a wedding day, the ceremony IS the grand occasion. The awesome moments that your couple have been waiting for happen here, so you need to BE READY. You do not want to be the photographer that missed moments because in the run-up you failed to plan well and communicate clearly with your couple or got flustered with your camera settings while all the action happened around you.
1. Be Aware of Photography Restrictions
Some officials just don’t like photographers. Maybe they had a bad experience with an intrusive photographer in the past (possibly a friend of the wedding party with an expensive camera that offered to shoot for free, but they just did not know what they were doing…). They can sometimes request that the photographer only takes shots from certain places and during certain times in the ceremony and after. One official told me that she was concerned that the noise of the camera would detract from the solemnity of the occasion. My top tip for photographers- be respectful but make sure your bride and groom are happy with the arrangements. If you’re getting married in a church, make sure you’ve communicated with the staff or pastor about any possible restrictions ahead of time so you can prepare adequately.
2. Attend the Wedding Rehearsal
Obviously, you will have checked out the venue before the big day to do some basic planning, but how about attending the wedding rehearsal? Here you’ll to find out things like exactly where and when key people will be making an entrance/ exit and where the band/ choir will be. This will allow you to plan how you will frame key shots in the least intrusive way and it will also make you aware of where your view will likely be restricted by guests or equipment. Chief of all is to make an introduction to the ushers and best man- they are vital in helping the day to run smoothly where group shots are concerned. If you can’t do this, at the very least ask for the order of service in advance. Just keep in mind that not everything will be in the order of service.
3. Arrive Early and Prepare
If you are not early you are late. Make sure that you arrive at the church in plenty of time. Arrive early so that you give yourself time to re-assess the lighting and mentally prepare to capture the most important part of the whole day. Also arriving early will allow you to capture candids of guests arriving and the groom as he anxiously awaits his bride.
4. Master Your Camera Settings and Lighting
Being unobtrusive is the name of the game, so flash is a no-no (usually). To remedy this- push the ISO of your full-frame DSLR to an acceptable limit. You’ll inevitably loose some dynamic range (colours/ skin tones might not be produced as accurately as under ideal conditions), but at least you can work at exposures that are short enough to eliminate camera shake and reduce subject motion (I won’t go lower than 1/250 s). Should you choose to have an indoor ceremony, think about how much natural light the space has. The more windows the better! Try and position yourselves so that the light pours in from the windows toward the ceremony space. The key is to have the light coming in toward you, not behind you.
5. Coordinate with the Team and Officiant
If you photograph weddings as part of a team of 2-3 photographers, you’ll also need to know how to coordinate with your team members to effectively capture the best angles for stronger storytelling. As officiants tend to run the show once the processional is underway, we recommend talking with them before the wedding ceremony photography begins in order to get a solid understanding of what to expect. Ask the officiant for a specific phrase he or she will say before announcing the first kiss. Knowing this cue ahead of time should allow your team to move into position in time to capture the moment. Furthermore, when working alongside a cinema team you will need to communicate your plans with them in order to avoid crossing angles and getting into each other’s shots.
Common Wedding Ceremony Timeline Cues
Based on the provided material, here are the typical activities to prepare for:
| Activity | Photography Strategy |
|---|---|
| Processional | Follow each subject from the moment they enter the aisle to the moment they take their final position. |
| Bride’s entrance | Divide and conquer; second shooter captures the groom’s reaction while the lead remains by the groom. |
| Vows / Ring exchange | Capture up close reactions and the exchange of symbols. |
| First Kiss | Move into position early and ask the officiant to step out from behind the couple. |
| Recessional | Take it slow to capture every sweet image of that moment when faces are full of joy. |
Top Tips for a Perfect Ceremony
- Think About Spacing: Make sure there is adequate room between your first row of guests and your bridal party so photographers can work discreetly.
- Slow It Down! No matter what the reason for speeding up, please think about slowing everything down to get the best shot.
- Make Your Exit Fun! Images of a really fun exit with petals or bubbles are sure to take your wedding from amazing to over the top stunning.