Been at a church wedding and been amazed by how obvious and unsmooth the wedding photographer is – such as being way too close to the bride and groom and taking pictures willl-nilly as if the end of the world is coming and he’s wanting to get in as many shots as he can?
Sadly, this kind of scenario has been seen so regularly that many places of worship now have severe policies and limitations for wedding photography. Why has this come to pass? Because part-time photographers have increased in the wedding photography industry and their lack of experience and awareness has ruined things for the professional wedding photography field.
As a wedding photographer, you must be prepared to deal with a multitude of limitations, some of which are downright unwarranted.
Regardless, everyone has a job to do. Good Ministers appreciate this and work hand-in-hand with the wedding photographer (and videographer) so that everyone can fulfil their obligations. Lamentably, it’s too late for those who have had an irritating time with unconscious photographers.
Communicating with the Priest before the ceremony is a must. Whatever you may think of your constraints, you are a visitor in their house – and it’s good to avoid angering the host.
A good approach is to be as stealthy as possible. So that afterwards, the couple will say they didn’t even notice you in the church until the registry signing. That means you’ve done your job. At the end of the day, most Officiants just want the wedding photographer to have smarts – do what you must, without stepping on their toes. As in life, common sense usually comes with shooting a bunch of weddings – and it’s not actually that ‘common’.
Advice for the couple: Make sure you take into account the wedding photography when selecting your ceremony location. Ask your Priest or Minister about any limitations. If the pictures of the ceremony are paramount, don’t assume anything because you may be surprised on the wedding day to realize there are significant restrictions that may hamstring your photographer’s ability to properly capture your ceremony.
