One of the hardest parts of the wedding day for photographers is the ceremony… but not for the reasons you might think! It’s not because they are long or because there is very little variation (since everyone is pretty much stationary). It’s actually because this is one of the only, if not THE ONLY, time of the day where we have zero input. We can’t re-position the bride and groom into better light, we can’t ask the officiant to move slightly to the left so they’re centered, and we can’t ask the tall guest at the end of the row to sit down so we can get a better shot of the bride coming down the aisle. Simply put we, as photographers, have to roll with the punches! But we also desperately want you to have the BEST ceremony photos!

There are a few things you can do ahead of time to help make sure your ceremony photos are all that you dreamed of! In this post I am going to cover some tips that are easily implemented and can have a HUGE impact. It all comes down to thinking ahead and asking a couple favors of your guests and officiant.. oh, and one thing you can do yourselves! Now I’m not saying that these are make-or-break it tips that if you don’t follow, your entire ceremony will be ruined. However, I do think that taking these few extra steps before your wedding day and be the difference between okay ceremony photos and ones that you’d want to put into an album or frame on your wall.

1. Have Your Officiant Ask Guests to Put Their Phones Away

The last thing you want in your wedding images are a bunch of phones sticking out in the aisle. When the bride walks out, everyone stands up, your photographer and videographer will begin shooting, and unfortunately there’s nothing we can do if someone jumps out into the aisle with their phone trying to get a shot or a video. To prevent this from happening, ask your officiant to make a quick announcement at the beginning of the ceremony to ask everyone to turn off their cell phones and keep them put away. If you want, you can have them remind your guests that you have paid good money to hire professionals, and that it would be a great kindness, if they’d simply enjoy the moment.

2. Ask the Officiant to Step Aside for the First Kiss

This is one of the best tips I could give you. Before the ceremony, when your officiant arrives, have someone (your planner, coordinator, MOH, etc.) ask them to step aside during the kiss. The last think you want is someone’s head behind you as you kiss for the first time as husband and wife. It’s so easy to have them just step to the side with the groomsmen or bridesmaids once they pronounce you man and wife. And trust me.. it makes a WORLD of difference to have just you as a couple in your images of this special moment!

3. Face Each Other During the Ceremony

There’s nothing more special than looking into the eyes of your spouse as you say your vows and exchange your rings to officially become husband and wife. And you might be thinking “Of course I would look at them!”, but you probably won’t be thinking about that in the moment. Our natural reaction is to look at who is speaking.. and who is that? For most of the ceremony, it’s not your spouse; it’s the officiant! But no one wants to see your backs the whole time. They want to see your faces! And a litte hint.. so do your photographer and videographer 🙂 So try to remember, once the bride is handed off, take each others hands and face each other. I promise you won’t regret it.

4. Set Your Ceremony Spot in Shade or Backlit at an Angle

This is tip is all about lighting! It is extremely uncomfortable if the sun is blaring in you or your spouse’s face. I understand that sometimes you don’t have much choice about where the ceremony is or which way you face, but if you do, then this tip is for you! Try and choose a spot that is either in full shade or where the sun will be behind you at an angle. If it’s directly behind you, your ceremony images will likely be hazy and if it’s directly to the side, then one of you is going to have the sun blasting in your face. If the sun is backlighting you at a 45 degree angle, that is the best option. The goal is to have soft, even light on both of you!

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