Comments on: A Fly on the Wall – 10 Tips for Wedding Beginners

By: M.Alif Anhar

M.Alif Anhar — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:17:43 +0000

lovely…..

By: sarah

sarah — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 21:30:12 +0000

this is a great article…i’ve never shot a wedding before but love to take pictures. we’ve got a family wedding this month so hopefully i can put some of these tips to good use!
i wanted to comment on the issue of comfort level of the the bride’s dressing room. i think to say that women have an advantage because a man would change the “dynamics” of a dressing room is unfair and there are certainly many options to capturing this important moment. if the concern is that a bride or her bridesmaids will feel uncomfortable in any state of undress with a male photographer in the room, simply ask him to wait outside–OR–have the bridesmaids get dressed first, and then assist the bride in getting most of her gown on and then call the photographer into the room to capture the dress being buttoned or laced or whatever. that is what we did at my wedding because my bridesmaids were more on the modest side. as much as i might have liked a shot of me getting dressed, i wanted to respect their privacy. our photographer busied himself with taking pictures of the calendar with our wedding date starred and circled and highlighted.
the other thing that bothers me is tip number 4. it’s extremely important to remember that while you are a vendor, you still need to respect the sanctity of the ceremony (especially if it is religious in nature). our priest told us outright that the only place the photographer was not allowed was the altar. it may force you to have to think creatively of other ways to shoot but in the end, the most important thing is to remain discreet. i don’t think any couple or priest would mind recreating different parts of the ceremony. the emotion will still be there…and i would think that the couple will be more relaxed now that the actually ceremony is done.

anyways, those are just a few of my thoughts…from someone who has been a bride. communication is definitely key here…making sure you, the bride, and the groom are all on the same page will help the day to go smoothly!

By: Rhonda

Rhonda — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:53:11 +0000

My husband and I were attending a wedding about 12 yrs ago when the photographer went to the side and slightly behind the couple, the officiant and some flowers. The officiant actually stopped the wedding and insisted that he didn’t like anyone behind him shooting pictures and asked the photographer to leave the area. Seriously, which was more rude? For that very reason I would NEVER EVER step behind the couple and officiant even if I wanted the shot without first asking all concerned before hand. It was embarrassing for everyone and more than disruptive to the wedding. The poor photographer. Who would have expected such a reaction?

By: Christina Martinez

Christina Martinez — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:29:00 +0000

This article was very reassuring that I am doing well and what I could do better at. I have been shooting weddings for about 5 years now and it’s tough work, but I love it. I feel so fulfilled when I have made a bride relax and when the couple and family are pleased with my work. There are some great tips here that I will be putting to good use from now on.

By: Carlos Graça

Carlos Graça — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:58:12 +0000

Nice post on your point of view on a wedding photo shoot, love that you put your foot down and do what you´re their for, and this is how it should be, the book has to come out great or even amazing, and thats what has to be done to get more clients, The cheeeeesy photos of people all in one shot, or always smiling at the camera are not a must, and in the church of course you cant go around geting in the way of the ceremony, a tip I saw a while ago is to know the people you are going to shoot, have lunch or dinner with them before, find out what they like and want, knowing them only make you more comfotable, when you have to put your foot down…

By: radj

radj — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:38:49 +0000

Appreciate the table shots tip much. Thanks.

By: Alex - Suffolk Photographer

Alex - Suffolk Photographer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:59:40 +0000

@Jim and Elizabeth.

Interesting to see both points of view in regards to shooting in a church.

As for Jims quote ‘ you’re a guest’, yes, we wedding togs ARE guests in the church, just as the priest would be the guest in our studio. While most of us behave accordingly, there are some who spoil it for others by doing exactly what Elizabeth said not to (fisheye from under the altar? )

Elizabeth, you’re also correct that we are paid vendors who have a job to do, so we do need to do it – the trick is to be as unobtrusive as possible. That’s probably the hardest skill for any aspiring wedding tog to learn, being part of the scenery.

I’m sure it goes without saying, but we must also respect the occasion at all times.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:09:52 +0000

I’ve been asked to photograph the wedding of a friends kid. I told him that I was amateur at best but he didn’t care. Thank you for posting these tips. It is a Halloween Wedding and it scares me a little.

By: Elizabeth Halford

Elizabeth Halford — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:12:32 +0000

@jim: thanks so much for taking the time to read! However, I must reply to your comments as I quite strongly disagree :*) The photographer is not a guest, they are a hired vendor the same as you the officiant or the caterer and if a couple hires me, it is because they like my style which is not to stage photographs. That may have been ok circa 1980, but these days, many photographers strive for a photojournalistic ‘reportage’ style and as we all know, photojournalists cannot re-stage moments (exe: “oh shoot could you please drop that bomb one more time I didn’t quite get the light right”) or events by their very nature as it is our job to catch the real moment the moment it is really happening and this involves movement around the scene, however not IN the scene which I did mention in my article (dont rest your camera on the priests’ shoulder for goodness sake!)

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:39:22 +0000

You write: “You were hired and everyone knows that so don’t worry about moving around and shooting from behind the priest if it’s appropriate.”

As a Lutheran pastor (and sometime reluctant wedding photographer) I have to tell you that you are a guest in the church. Act like it. I have never met a professional photographer I did not like and all the professionals I’ve met have conducted themselves accordingly.

We’ve “restaged” the exchange of the rings, lighting the wedding candle, receiving the Sacrament, etc. and in the restaging the photographer had carte blanche in getting the best shot possible.

As a sometimes reluctant wedding photographer, I respect the worshipful nature of the wedding service and will not violate it. The people for whom I’ve shot (always gratis) are pleased with the outcome (they couldn’t complain anyway–after all, the got what they paid for!)