Hello again and welcome to this week’s post – the next in my series of Advice features for The Romantic Bride. Whether I’m a wedding photographer in London or working as a destination wedding photographer in Italy, Greece or further afield, there’s no doubting the fact that the ceremony is always the focal point of a wedding day so today, I’m concentrating on this incredibly important element of the day.

 

In my previous feature looking at bridal preparation, I explained how essential it is to keep your space clean and uncluttered if you want beautiful fine art wedding photography that’s full of natural light. The same is also true of your wedding ceremony.

 

Please don’t think I’m suggesting that you remove guests from your wedding to make sure that your photographs are fabulous! However, there some things that you absolutely can do to ensure that those precious images from your ceremony are everything you want them to be.

 

1. Firstly, you need to start well before your ceremony by making sure that your celebrant is happy for your wedding photographer to work during your ceremony. Some request that photographers only stand in a certain place and some don’t like photographs being taken at various parts of the ceremony itself. If these details are confirmed in advance, your photographer can plan ahead.

 

2. As I’m a natural light wedding photographer, guests using their cameras during the ceremony can cause me big problems, especially if they’re using flash. You might also like to just mention to your guests that standing in front of the wedding photographer or using selfie-sticks during the ceremony isn’t a great idea either and yes, I’ve experienced both of those! :)

 

3. In fact, at more and more weddings I’ve been a part of recently, couples have requested an ‘unplugged’ celebration and as a romantic wedding photographer, I love this idea! Asking guests to put their phones and tablets aside for the day allows everyone to just live in the moment and give their full attention to the wonderful wedding that you’ve planned without any distractions. What could be better?

 

4. If the thought of a tech-free wedding ceremony appeals, you’ll find some super cute ideas for passing on this request to your guests on Pinterest. Whilst you’re browsing Pinterest, you might like to take a look at some of the brilliant confetti shot ideas that are out there and I’ve put a board together with some of my favourite confetti shots for you on just this subject.

 

5. As a romantic wedding photographer, I just adore the confetti shot! Why not consider using confetti that’s coloured to suit your wedding colour palette or how about using traditional rice or contemporary balloons or bubbles? Do speak to your wedding photographer about this so they can organise the perfect shot but I would always say when it comes to confetti, you can never have enough!  

 

6. Finally, do consider your guests’ comfort. If the day looks warm, pretty hand fans placed on guest chairs will be most welcome. On the other hand, snuggly wraps are perfect on cold days. For destination weddings, an outdoor ceremony might need shade and for UK weddings, don’t worry about the weather – wedding photography can still be romantic underneath an umbrella!

 

I hope this little look at everything that’s needed for wonderful wedding ceremony photography has been helpful. The next of my ‘Advice for the Romantic Bride’ series will be coming soon and if you’d like to know as soon as it’s live, connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.

 

If you’re planning a destination wedding in Italy (or indeed a destination wedding in Greece or even further afield!) and you’d like to find out more about my destination wedding photography then please do get in touch.

 

You can take a look at my wedding photography gallery right here.

 

I also photograph weddings in the UK and I love engagement shoots too! Why not keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Google+?

 

Finally, don’t forget my Facebook group for couples marrying in Italy – come and say hello!

 

See you next week!

 

Love,

Roberta xx