The Church Wedding Ceremony

The church wedding ceremony is considered to be the most important part of the wedding day. In fact this is, after all, the whole purpose of the wedding – the union before God.

Good priest, bad priest

Also for a wedding photographer from Frankfurt of the church wedding ceremony is the most important part of their job. So he must be prepared for everything. Sometimes, the priest simply doesn’t allow photography at all during the church ceremony. Therefor is so important for the couple to clearly speak with the priest about this BEFORE the wedding. You really don’t want to end without wedding photos of you church ceremony! Luckily, me and my brides didn’t met such a bad and selfish priest.

Sometimes the priest allows the wedding photographer to photograph from the sides and from the back of the church. The altar is forbidden. That’s a bit better than no wedding ceremony photos at all but still a big no for the priest. I want to underline again the importance of the talk with the priest about allowance of wedding photography all over the church!

Unfortunately I have met such a priest, even though the couple have talked with him before the wedding about photography during the ceremony. On the wedding day he simply said to me that the altar is forbidden for me so I couldn’t photograph my couple from the front but only for the sides and back. I couldn’t say anything because the bride just went in so there I was facing this shit. During  the church ceremony I photographed  from  the sides and back but, when the ring exchange, I couldn’t help myself anymore and I jumped near him to get the ring shots. He looked at me with some threatening eyes, I smiled, took the photos and quickly went back. Job done!

How to tame the bad priest on the church wedding ceremony

Later I have learned some tricks I would like to present to my wedding photographers followers.  I always look for the priest before the church wedding ceremony and have a little discussion regarding wedding photography during the ceremony and allowance overall the church. Almost all the priests don’t have any problems with me going overall the church and the altar as long as I don’t stay between him and the couple.

But some say that I am not allowed on the altar. As a response I say that I understand that there is a need for quiet during the ceremony but I also have to do my job and to do it very well. So I propose him a trade. I will be on the altar at entrance of the bride, one or two times during the organ sing and on the ring exchange. That’s it. For me is enough to get my photos of the church wedding ceremony done! They always accept this and find it fair.

I will try to present some advice for the brides to get the most wonderful photos of their church wedding ceremony!

1. Don’t hurry! Take your time when you walk on the alley, with small steps, warm looks left or right.

2. You are allowed to cry! Don’t worry about your make up it is surely waterproof. You will love the photos of you with tears in your eyes or falling on your cheeks!

3. When you put the ring on the partner finger do it slowly.

4. On the kiss please don’t be so quick, give it at least 3 seconds, giving us – the photographers- the opportunity to get more different shots of the first kiss.