Getting Beautiful Ceremony Photos
Today I’m focusing on the ceremony! There are countless moving parts on a wedding day - and the ceremony is a pretty darn important one. When you want to make sure you get beautiful images during your ceremony, here are three things to keep in mind:
1. Consider the light
Outdoor locations
When selecting an outdoor location, look for one where the light will be the same throughout the entire space. For example, if you have a sunny day, a ceremony space that is either entirely in the sun or entirely in the shade photographs more beautifully than a space that is part shade and part sun.
Indoor locations
Churches, barns, or other locations with limited natural light can work well even with artificial light, as long as the whole space is lit evenly. Most photographers will not use flash during ceremonies for two reasons: first, it is distracting to you and your guests, and second, the flash only lights up so much space in front of us and we don’t want to be right up in your business for this important part of the day! Simply keep in mind that a darker space may lead to slightly darker ceremony photos.
Ceremony spaces in front of large windows can create lovely backlighting on you as you exchange your vows, but can make it difficult for your guests - and your photographer - to see you. These ceremony locations work well when you’re in a space that easily reflects the light coming through those fabulous windows - think light, bright spaces - to make sure it’s bouncing back up on your faces.
2. Choose where you’ll stand
If you have selected an outdoor ceremony space, stand in front of any decor (like an arch or a gazebo) rather than underneath it so that you don’t wind up with funky shadows across your face from those decorations or structures.
Most importantly, when you’re getting married, stand right next to each other. Simple, right? Too many times I’ve seen the bride get to the end of the aisle and then she and her fiance give each other about a four foot bubble for the entire ceremony…get snuggly and stand together! You’re marrying this person for a reason, so it’s okay to hold their hand. ;) Plus, it makes for much more emotional photos!
3. Look at the surrounding space
How easy will it be for your photographer to quietly walk around the sides of your guests to get images from a variety of angles? This is straight up not allowed at some churches and venues; the photographer must remain in one place for the entire ceremony. You’ll still get great pictures in those instances, so it shouldn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker. Just keep it in mind if you have your heart set on images from more than one perspective!
Originally posted September 12, 2022