Alabama Wedding Photography Photo Blog

Question of the day… Is it OK if my wedding guests also take photos? 

My initial response is ABSOLUTELY!!! BUT, there are exceptions.

FIRST:   BRIDES – Check with your wedding photographer, they may have a section in their contact about being the sole photographer, and it is their discretion. GUESTS – Ask the bride if she minds or check with the wedding photographer(s).

As for me, I don’t mind one bit if the guests take photos as long as it doesn’t interfere with me and the photographers working with me, and does not prohibit us from getting our shots.  For example, I will ALWAYS be shooting the bride and groom coming back down the aisle after the ceremony, If you jump out in front of me with your iphone, you will have ruined our shot, and the bride will not have that image for her album.  But if you stay in your seat and snap away, there is no damage done!  (Just keep your flash off)

Let’s talk group shots, or as we refer to them a “Formals”  This is when the photographer poses all of the family members or the wedding party.   DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES stand behind the photographer and take photos.  The people that the photographer has posed will undoubtedly look in your direction and not be looking at the photographer thus ruining the image.  Brides – If you have an overzealous Uncle Bob that you know may try to snap some shots, alert your wedding planner in advance so he can be advised to stay in his seat if a distraction does occur.   Guests – DO NOT BE AN UNCLE BOB!   If you would like a family photo, wait until after the photographer is finished and then set up the family or friends you want to photograph, be be advised, if they are on a tight schedule, you may have to wait until the reception.

Next up is your flash!  If you are shooting the same exact shot as the photographer, for example, let’s say the couple being introduced at the reception,  and your flash is on, your flash and even the red auto focusing beam on some cameras will show up in the professional photo.  Your flash may also overexpose the the photographers image.  So as a courtesy, make sure your flash is off to ensure you are not jeopardizing the bride and grooms images.

This is a new one for me, but sadly, one that needs to be said.  If you are not the hired photographer for the wedding.  DO NOT create a Facebook photography fan page for yourself and load all of the images you took at the wedding and tag the bride and groom.

Why?  The bride and groom chose the photographer because they liked the quality of their work and they entrust them with the final images and what they will be posting on their behalf.  The bride and groom have went to great lengths to specify the style and type of shots they want from their wedding and what they want to be posted and not posted.   You may be a great photographer, so instead, just make them a disk and give that to them.  They can then decide on their own what they want published on their facebook page.  By posting images to facebook as what may appear to be the wedding photographer also damages the image of the photographer, as those images are likely not the same quality and not the images that the photographer has chosen to showcase from that event.

To the right is a snapshot of a sign posted at a wedding.  I have blacked out the couples names, because I don’t know their specific reasoning behind the signs, and I don’t want to imply that this post was about them.  As the general question was asked way after this particular wedding was shot, but I found it incredibly interesting that in the days of social media, these things must be stated!

  So now that we’ve got all the DONT’S out of the way.  What does that leave?   Anything from your perspective!   It is physically impossible for the hired photographers to shoot from the viewpoint of every guest at the wedding, well unless they hired 300 photographers, and that would just get messy.   The bride and groom also don’t see the wedding day from your point of view.  Take candid reception shots of them, your mutual friends or crazy dancing toddlers with chocolate faces.  It’s also quite possible that the bride and groom could be off shooting some romantic shots with their photographers when their friend Chris did the robot with Grandma Sue.  Make the couple a disk and give it to them, they will be thankful to have those shots from your point of view and have the peace of mind that no one was going to jump in front of their photographer to get a shot.

At the end of the day, The bride and groom hired the photographer they thought would best capture themselves and their wedding.  They don’t want to have to hurt feelings by asking their family and friends to stop taking photos at inappropriate times.  But they also might love to see the day from your perspective.