Getting Married in a Church? A Few Things I've Learned

Church weddings are a little different.

And I mean that in a good way.

When you're photographing a church wedding, you're not walking into a building that happens to be a pretty backdrop for photographs. You're walking into a place of worship, and for many of my couples, the ceremony itself is one of the most important parts of the entire day.

I've photographed and filmed quite a few church weddings around Saginaw and Mid-Michigan, and there are a few things worth knowing before yours.

Talk to your pastor before the wedding

Every church is different.

I've worked in churches where I'm allowed to quietly move through the side aisles during the ceremony. I've also worked in churches where the photographer needs to stay toward the back.

Sometimes flash is allowed. Sometimes it isn't. Sometimes the platform is completely off limits.

That's okay.

I'd much rather know the rules beforehand than have your pastor worrying about the photographer while he's trying to conduct your wedding.

Church lighting can be tricky

This is probably one of the biggest technical differences between church weddings and outdoor ceremonies.

A sanctuary can look perfectly bright to your eyes while actually being pretty dark for a camera.

Then add stained glass, daylight coming through windows, tungsten lights over the platform and maybe a few LEDs somewhere in the room.

Suddenly you have four different colors of light.

This is one of those situations where experience and good equipment matter.

And personally, I don't want to be blasting flash throughout your ceremony unless there's absolutely no alternative.

Know when to disappear

Some moments need a close photograph.

Others need space.

The bride coming through the doors? Absolutely.

Dad giving her away? Yes.

The groom seeing his bride?

Definitely.

But when your pastor is praying over you, the photographer shouldn't become the center of attention.

A lot of photographing a church wedding is simply learning where to be—and when not to be there.

If you're getting a film, don't forget the sound

Years from now, you may care just as much about hearing your vows again as seeing them.

And if your pastor gives a personal charge to the two of you, that's something you'll probably want to keep.

That's why I don't rely on the camera's microphone from the back of the sanctuary. I use separate audio sources so I can actually hear what was said.

Don't underestimate family pictures

Right after the ceremony is often the perfect time for them.

Everybody is already there, nobody has disappeared to the reception yet, and many churches have beautiful platforms or altars that make a natural backdrop.

The secret is having your family list prepared ahead of time.

Twenty minutes can turn into forty very quickly when nobody knows who is supposed to be in the next photograph.

Church weddings mean something to me

This is probably one reason I enjoy photographing them so much.

I understand that your ceremony isn't simply another part of the timeline I need to photograph.

It means something.

So I'll work within your pastor's guidelines, respect the service, and still make sure the moments you're going to want twenty years from now are preserved.

If you're planning a church wedding around Saginaw, Bridgeport, Frankenmuth, or elsewhere in Mid-Michigan, I'd love to hear what you're planning.