Have you ever been to a church wedding and been amazed by how clueless the wedding photographer is - such as being in very close proximity to the bride and groom and taking pictures indiscriminately as if the finger is stuck to the button and he’s wanting to get in as many shots as he can?
Sadly, this state of affairs has been witnessed so frequently that many Priests now have severe policies and constraints for wedding photography. Why has this materialized? Because part-time photographers have increased in the wedding photography industry and their lack of experience and awareness has made things difficult for the professional wedding photography field.
As a wedding photographer, you must be prepared to hear and accept a multitude of limitations, some of which are patently extreme.
It’s an important part of the day and the bride and groom often focus on the ceremony pictures. A good Officiant will always keep the sanctity of the ceremony as his first priority, but not to such an extent that it prevents obtaining useable wedding pictures.
Communicating with the Priest before the ceremony is a given. Whatever you may think of your limitations, you are a visitor in their house - and it’s good to avoid angering the host.
Try to be unseen. So that afterwards, everyone will say they didn’t even notice you in the church until the registry signing. That is the ideal. To be sure, most Officiants just want the wedding photographer to have some common sense - do what you must, without stepping on their toes. As in life, common sense often comes with shooting a bunch of weddings - and it’s not actually that ‘common’.
Advice for the couple: Be aware of the wedding photography when choosing your ceremony space. Ask your Priest or Minister about any limitations. If the pictures of the ceremony are paramount, don’t assume anything because you may be shocked on the wedding day to realize there are significant restrictions that may hamper your photographer’s ability to properly capture your ceremony.
Tags: church wedding, photography restrictions at church weddings, rules for church wedding photography, wedding photography