A Day in the Life of a Wedding Photographer (Part 3)

The Wedding

It's time - this is why everyone is together and waiting for the ceremony to commence. This is the single most important part of the day where all rehearsals are in the bag, all the details that you have been planning for months have come together and everyone is waiting for the show! This is where I need to be alert, engaged and fully aware of what's going on around me, eyes trained like an eagle to ensure I capture each important detail of your special day, however small as these are sometimes the things the bride and groom don't see as they are swept away in their moment. This is their day after all!

Right before the ceremony takes place, I will have met with and chatted to the celebrant and registrar and if there is anything they need to be aware of, such as me being asked to take a shot from an angle that might be impeded by them standing where they would normally, I will discuss this with them and they are normally extremely friendly and cooperative and understand each couple has different requests.

As I have mentioned before, every wedding and every venue is unique in its own right. Some ceremonies are very inclusive and relaxed, others are formal and intimate so I have to work out prior to the wedding places I can stand and get the best shots, without taking the focus away from the bride and groom by walking around too much and getting in the way.

Wow, Look at You!

As the bride walks in, I like to get the reaction from the groom of seeing his beautiful bride for the first time. You don't have a chance at the ceremony to say, "oops sorry, missed that, can we do it again please!" so I have to be on my A-game and make sure this is one of the key captures. As you will be aware, all ceremonies are different and vary in terms of content, length of vows, whether there are any readings but there are always first looks, exchanging rings, wedding vows, first kiss, register signing and walking back down the aisle as a newly married couple. I will always document as much of the day as I can so you truly get to relive your day, every time you look at your photographs.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I am a documentary style wedding photographer, I like to capture the day as it happens without any strict schedules or timelines to adhere to. I go with the flow and am extremely flexible, without being intrusive, letting things happen naturally and being there to showcase those moments through my photography.

After The Ceremony

The wedding is done, you're married and everyone is in high spirits and excited for the rest of the day. The next thing to capture, (if the venue will allow it), is the confetti shot. This is one of my favourite shots, everyone gets involved and is always a lot of fun. I then give the couple some time with their guests before focusing on the group shots.

I always ask the bride or groom before the wedding day to assign someone who can help me round up the troops for the group shots. I'm not always aware of who's who, so this is always a massive help to me. This would normally be the best man or one of the bridesmaids.

Once the group shots are out of the way, it is time to focus on the newlyweds and getting their couple shots. If there is bad weather, sometimes I will hold off doing these until later in the day, and if there is going to be a lovely sunset, the golden hour is always a great time to get those intimate, relaxed and candid pictures, providing the weather looks set to clear, otherwise I will have found some alternative places to take these indoors.

Occasionally, the wedding venue and the reception are in two different places, so this will always be factored in to any timings that have been allocated for this part of the day.