A Catholic Wedding Photographer's Guide to Getting the Most From Your Church Ceremony Photos

You're getting married in a church. You've booked your photographer. Here's how to make sure you get the very best photographs from your ceremony.

Talk to your priest early

The sooner your photographer can connect with your priest, the better. Most priests are completely reasonable about photography, they just want to know in advance where the photographer will stand, and whether flash will be used. Getting this conversation out of the way early removes any awkwardness on the day.

Some churches have specific rules: no photography during the Consecration, no photographer in the sanctuary, certain angles restricted. Knowing these in advance means your photographer can plan around them rather than improvising on the day.

Don't underestimate the time before the ceremony

The church before everyone arrives is one of the most beautiful things to photograph. Candles lit, flowers arranged, light streaming in, empty pews. If your photographer can arrive early (and they should) make sure they know you want those shots. They set the scene for everything that follows.

Let your photographer move

The instinct for some couples is to keep the photographer as invisible as possible. I understand that. But for a church wedding, your photographer needs to be in different positions at different moments, at the back for the entrance, close to the altar for the vows, side-on for the recessional.

Trust them to move when they need to, and to be still when they need to be. A good church wedding photographer knows the difference (and doesn’t get in the way of everything).

Don't rush the portraits

After the ceremony, most couples head straight into family photos and then into the reception. I'd always encourage you to carve out fifteen or twenty minutes, just the two of you, somewhere near the church for portraits. The light is usually good, you're still in your ceremony clothes, and you're in the most photographically interesting setting of the day.

It's worth it. Every time.

Finally…enjoy the Mass

I know this sounds obvious. But I've photographed couples who were so conscious of being photographed that they were stiff through the whole ceremony. The best photographs come when you forget I'm there.

I'll find you. I'll be in the right place. Your job is to be present to what's actually happening…the vows, the blessing, the sacrament and the person standing next to you.

That's what I'm there to capture.

If you're planning a church wedding and looking for a photographer who understands what that means, get in touch. I'd love to be part of your day.