Wedding Day Photo Restrictions
Don’t Forget to Ask
As a first time wedding planner, it’s more than understandable if certain things don’t cross your mind. There is one big topic that almost every couple overlooks, unfortunately. That topic is if there are any restrictions for your photographer. This is usually only a concern for couples having a church ceremony. Photo restrictions can make your wedding photographer’s task very difficult. For example, if your photographer is only allowed to shoot from one specific spot, the variety of images will be limited. Photo restrictions usually only affect church weddings because there are many priests that believe the ceremony is a ritual to be taken very seriously. Therefore, there should be no distracting factors.
Common Restrictions:
- No flash allowed
- Photographers have to stay at the back of the church
- Photographers have to pick a spot and stay there
- No photos during the readings
- No going up on the carpeted area (this is a given because it is a sacred space)
- Photographers can only photograph from the balcony
In the rarest of cases, churches will not allow even the presence of a photographer. Unfortunately, churches do not tend to communicate these rules with inquiring couples. If you have not yet confirmed the booking for your church ceremony I urge you to speak about any possible photo restrictions before going forward. If they do indeed have restrictions, consider how they may impact the quality of your images. I also recommend communicating your concerns with the officiant. They may experience a change of heart if you explain how important your wedding photos are to you and the negative impact their restrictions may have. If you have concerns talk to your potential wedding photographer about how they will work around these rules.
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