Trust Your Photographer to See What Others Won’t
I’ll tell you a secret. My favorite photos from the weddings I shoot are almost never of the couple during the ceremony. I say “almost” because of course there are always exceptions - unplanned moments that flip the script and are fun to catch. But mostly, the ceremony is not the most aesthetically exciting part of the day. It is essential, of course, as part of the story, but a few ceremony photos are really all that are necessary. And also, if guests are allowed to shoot on their phones, there will be hundreds of photos of the ceremony, and dozens of the kiss. Someone asked me once if I have ever missed the moment of the kiss. Rarely, but it has happened, usually when the bride and groom aren’t big on pda and the kiss is fleeting. But in the end it didn’t matter because I captured the feelings and emotion of the day that played out over 8 hours, despite that one missed moment. ) What IS exciting for me is to shoot the guests watching the ceremony; so many emotions, postures, and details that the couple will never see unless I manage to capture it.
I say this to emphasize that if you’re hiring a documentary wedding photographer (hopefully you’re looking at this because you might want to hire me), it’s important to trust their judgment. Actually, even if you decide on a more traditional photographer, make sure you find someone you trust, and then trust them! Check out their style, ask to see a couple of complete wedding galleries - because of course we all highlight only the very best of the best of our images on our websites - and make sure that what they do is what you want. For myself, I love knowing that I have the freedom to shoot the wedding the way I see it, which isn’t traditional but which is emotional and, I hope, exciting.
My entire purpose, at every wedding I shoot, is to create a tapestry of images that the couple will love and will return to over and over again when they want to immerse themselves in the feelings they and all of their guests had on that most incredible of days.
