Guests taking photos at the ceremony

Yes part of being a professional wedding photographer is to get the images no matter what, if a guest steps in the aisle and doesn't move then I will either ask them to move or work around/over them. Each situation is different but I have never lost an image because of a guest, yes the guests flash do ruin the images but you see it in a split second so you take another image, that's life I'm afraid and as for the group photos I make sure I have the guests full attention but I still take 10 photos of one group in case they either blink or look at another guest pointing the camera at them.

It comes with experience, you are always prepared for it.?

We have put a polite requests page on our wedding website and one of the requests is 'not to photograph the bridal party as they enter/exit the ceremony room' it really annoys me; as the people that do this are not going to put the pics up in their home so why do they insist on doing it!!

Apologies if I sound a bit bridezilla

Walking out into the aisle is popular, or just sticking their arm out holding the camera ?. I feel sorry for videographers more for this!

As Bruce says, a good wedding photographer is paid to get the shots no matter what. So guests shouldn't bother us and if their flash ruins a shot, well we take another. That's why many of us take short bursts rather than a single shot.

So as a photographer it doesn't bother me when guests take photos and in the past I've argued strongly that guests should be free to take photos as & when they see fit so they can enjoy the day.

However.....having watched guests at so many weddings I'm starting to change my mind. Not because of any worries about a guest ruining my shot but because frankly sometimes it's rude and getting out of hand.

When you are planning your wedding and imagine the ceremony, how do you picture it? I bet it's with you saying your vows to each other while your closest friends & family happily watch. Unfortunately though nowadays a lot of those close family & friends are watching through a tiny LCD screen on their camera. They're so concerned about getting a nice shot that they pop into the aisle to take the shot. Even moving around to get better angles.

Often despite being reminded by the registrar/vicar, phones will go off during the ceremony. Sometimes people aren't even polite enough to at least pretend they're watching! I have a lovely photograph of a guest playing StreetFighter 2 on his smartphone during the ceremony! I'm actually tempted to include it in the final set ha ha! ?

So yes, whenever a vicar/registrar now asks for no photos to be taken during the ceremony I'm secretly pleased for the couple.

This really isn't something I've even thought about but after reading this I'm seriously going to consider at least a no pictures during ceremony rule. I'm defo going to ask people to refrain from posting on Facebook etc until the next day.

I find the aisle shots quite sad sometimes. Nobody looks at the bride as she walks in, they look at her on the backs of their phones. Same goes for when the couple walk out... just a sea of people looking at phones. Couples don't know where to look as nobody is smiling at them, the guests are concentrating on their phones. Of course, it's not that bad at all weddings, but quite a few of the ones I photograph are affected by it.

Then a couple of weeks ago, this happened...https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152482451364448&set=pb.178327269447.-2207520000.1402527572.&type=3&theater

...look at her face. They have this amazing series of aisle shots, loads of shots all like this. I couldn't understand why because on most aisle shots there isn't all that expression.

Then I went and compared them to the previous wedding where the aisle shots were "flat". Note that there are no cameras or mobile phones on that image. On the aisle shots from the week before all the guests have mobile phones held up, so the B&G have nobody to smile at.

I'm having an unplugged ceremony and I will state that I do not want people getting in my photographers way, I've paid a lot of money for him and I don't want my guests interfering with his work.

We'd like an unplugged day and will be letting guests know in advance that we'd love it if they left it to the professionals. We spent a lot of time looking for someone perfect for us and have paid a lot of money to have them in attendance so we want them to be able to work throughout the day without hinderance. I can't think of anything worse than going back through our wedding photos and seeing everyone looking down gormlessly at a screen or noticing that there are actually 20 cameras in the background of every shot. I think it's one of the only things that's likely to turn me bridezilla on the day!

Professionally, it's become somewhat the norm for there to be guests clicking away all day, setting up their own shots, standing in the aisle until the bride is almost treading on their toes and of course, professionally you just deal with it as best you can. That said it's definitely not something I want for our own day and would always encourage an unplugged ceremony. As in the example Paula posted, the results are always far nicer.

I have seen over the years that its always been the same and over time you just develop ways of dealing with it (as im sure most pro photographers have too) , the thing I am having a problem with though is i pads held up in the air, those things are massive from the front and bright and distracting from the back.

What I also see from uncle bob who starts off all enthusiastic and snapping away like mad, he either gets bored or cant keep up and the next time I see him he has a pint in his hand and not his camera.

One wedding I shot a chap was taking loads and loads right next to me, and I said to him "the bride and groom are getting a disk with everything on" he said "oh" and went to the bar, --- I didn't see him again.

The guests should be there to enjoy the wedding which most do, it doesn't bother me if they want to stand over my shoulder snapping away in fact I have been known to tell the guests to take the photos just to the left or right of me as it gives me more chance of getting the group looking my way instead of to one side.

Sometimes I can see the couple getting annoyed at the guests, yes it makes our work harder trying to get the group to look at us and us only when taking the group photos but there is not much you can do about it.

The walking down the aisle shots if I know I am going to get people standing in the aisle I will walk down it to with in the last few seats and as the couple start to walk down I will be taking there photo while walking backwards, people will see you coming and move out of the way? works every time, you do what you have to to get the shots for your clients.?

Same. I would hate for people to be sat there uploading pictures of me onto Facebook. I really don't like that at all.

I'm not very photogenic so I'm quite worried about our pictures. Also my other half is 6'3" and I'm 4'11" so with the height difference I'm even more worried we will look silly and all of Facebook will see the pics before I get chance to de tag. I do realise that sounds very shallow of me, I'm not vein just worried.

something else that bothers me is the evening guests seeing pics of us before they arrive.

My ceremony is unplugged for sure. The thought of people watching the ceremony through a screen I find very very rude. They are invited to be a part if it not to flipping film it!

I am also dreading the massive amount of photos ending up on Facebook as well. My OH side is terrible for that. Oh well, will have to tackle that issue nearer the time

I was just going to say that i bet this is more a problem in the US as i can't imagine British people having the gall. But then, i haven't been to a wedding for a few years since social media etc really took off.

Id

You will be surprised how wide spread this is. A wedding I shot last year there was a guest standing behind me while I was setting up and taking the formal group photos and with in 15 minutes the group photos were on his facebook page and everyone was commenting on how well he had set them up and he thanked them as well??.

Suddenly i am so glad the lake district has really bad phone reception. I wonder if the venue will turn the guest wifi off for the day?

I LOVE guests taking photo's at the ceremony purely because of the below:

at our friends wedding last november, our wonderful friend C held up the recessional to take a pic (i'm sure some people would be horrified but the kind of group we are, it was more than acceptable):

here is c taking the shot (nb how happy the bride is)

well the shot was AWFUL! took forever to take it and it was SO bad it's untrue. THEN his camera BROKE! the appalling-ness of this photo was blamed.

this whole incident caused much hilarity, as seen above- the church erupted in fits! it is still a moment from the wedding talked about to this day with much fondness.

it became such a huge and funny moment within our group that this happened:

walking back down the aisle, we actually stopped to ask C if he wanted a picture. all those in the know laughed and we left the ceremony, somehow even bigger.

it has become something of a running joke within the group. the next pair to marry, will stop and pose for C. and when C and his partner finally tie the knot, we've all agreed to stagger our seating in order to stop him at various points. again sounds like hell to some people, but C and S are aware and LOVE this continuation of the joke!

so swings and roundabouts really. the other thing i found with guests, is they know you better and often capture the intimate moments which the tog would know meant anything. another wedding i went to, i caught a hand gesture between the bride and her brother which i knew was something from their childhood. i was the only person- guest or pro- to get the shot and it made her cry. we too have incredible guest pics which our togs- whilst incredible- didn't get.

as for the old fbook debate- being the nosiest person alive, the sooner pics go up the happier i am as i LOVE nosing as peoples weddings! i stalked fbook almost hourly when an old school chum got wed and it killed me that no-one uploaded anything til gone 5pm! haha

i see both sides of the debate and i'm sure for some people, and many photographers an unplugged ceremony is a dream come true, but it certainly wasn't for me.

and if i was ever asked to not take pics at ALL (ie the unplugged wedding as a whole), i'd feel REALLY sad that i wouldn't have my own record of the day. yes a wedding is about the bride and groom but guests experience the day too and in a very different way and i'm sure many, like me, want their own memories of a great day they've shared. the couple's photographer won't capture things that means something to ME personally and it would be sad to miss out on that. the wedding above, my other friend went round getting pics of everything- her with their typewriter, her with a fancy teacup, her next to the cake- because she has memory problems and needed reminders- the couple's tog wouldn't have any other those shots...

swings and roundabouts

??That is a good idea? Seriously while we were in the getting ready stage a bridesmaid at a wedding had uploaded some photos of the bride getting ready, the bride was not happy because she knew the groom was a facebook addict and she made the bridesmaid log in to her account on the hotels computer to delete them before the groom saw them. Technology?

Love the venue miss winter!

I don't mind it in general as I think people are entitled to take their own photos if that's what the couple wants. One thing I have to say is that I used to be one of those people photographing everything lots of times on my compact/phone. soon after I became a professional wedding photographer, I actually now never take photos when I'm at particular events/experiences as I've started to really value living NOT through a screen or viewfinder. Music gigs are a huge one, I never take a photo at a gig- it'd be a terrible quality shot anyway and it cuts into dancing/enjoyment time. At something like a wedding I personally feel it's better to just enjoy the ceremony!

I don't mind guests taking photos as they want a ecord of the day too. But I would have been mortified if someone had put them on facebook before the wedding was over. Luckily there wsa no Wifi in the Church, our village is in the middle of nowhere with terrible reception and our barn was in the middle of the Fens and had no phone signal let alone 3G!

We're having something like this at our ceremony ...

Uploading to social media is a biggie nowadays too. If you are not keen on it then it's definitely worth mentioning it on your invite. I've seen some weddings where there are photos being uploaded as the day unfolds, others where there are literally none. I assume the latter is because the bride has asked for people not to. Again it's what you want. Professionally it doesn't bother me but i know some brides would rather vet the photos before the blurry unflattering smartphone photos go up

Totally, I can't stand it when you are walking down the aisle and everyone is just taking pictures. And that's when I've not been the bride. As a wedding guest I want to savour the moment and watch the bride coming down the aisle, I'd never try to take pictures.

I actually don't mind photos going up on Facebook quickly from guests, fine if they take them outside the church. I know most people don't want their pictures up before the choose, I really don't care. What I do care about is my guests enjoying the ceremony without trying to take pictures of me.

I'm going to ask my minister if he's ok with asking folk to leave the photography to the professionals during the service. And perhaps put it in the Order of Service.

I agree with this - I'm happy for people to put pictures up if they want (there is no 3G in the village anyway so I doubt it will be possibe) and as you say, it's a big deal I want people to be excited enough to put it on FB, but I stand by the fact I want to walk down the aisle without 100 cameras on me.

I'm seriously considering doing this. I would hate the thought of my professional photos coming back with tons of people holding their cameras up ruining the shot and like some of you have said, I want them to take in the atmosphere and not look at us through a camera or phone screen. My invites have already gone out so I might make a sign of some sort. Something funny, maybe with a selfie of my photographer on!

I think we're going to ask that guests don't upload any photo's until after the evening reception is well underway.

Mainly because I've been to weddings before where before I've got to the actual reception I already know what the bride / groom look like, all the decorations and EVERYTHING as people have uploaded it ALL to Facebook. I'd much rather have the surprise of 'wow you look amazing!'. Lol.

Once everyone is there then go for it, I don't want to vet photos

On the note of TOG stalking, went to a wedding this recently and one Uncle stalked the photographer all day. Literally stood behind him for every shot. When they did the group photo's he got called over by the bride and told to join in and he got all 'but I'll miss the shot!!' and was genuinly upset about it! I laughed ALOT!

If that happens it is your tog's fault not your guests.

I am SO happy my guests took loads of pics and put them on fb - we are not getting our pro pics back for 8 weeks and the day after the wedding I just wanted to see loads and loads of pictures and relive the whole thing! I didn't notice people taking photos but lots were and they were all over fb - it was lovely to get loads of comments/congratulations from people who weren't at the wedding.

I do think this whole no photos/facebook thing is a bit precious tbh. You're not royalty. ?

Foo

I agree - we got some lovely pics that our Tog didnt capture, one of my husband checking his watch, not coz I was late ones of us talking after the ceremony with confetti blowing everywhere and in my hair - I love these and have got them developed too. Although my cousin did post pics on facebook for us saying our vows only 45 min after the wedding which when i seen the next day annoyed me but what can you do! Dont mind the pics on facebook the next day just didnt want my evening guests having a good look before hand!!

It doesn't bother me people taking pictures during the ceremony. However people uploading pictures to social media sites during the wedding WILL annoy me. We are going to put something on our invites about not doing this until the wedding is over.

I initially said I'd have an unplugged day/weekend.

as it was I forgot to remind ppl and believe it or not my MIL uploaded pics of out prewedding day on Facebook! I loved seeing them there...

however I made a conscious note that I would remind everyone on the big day that we didn't want pictures uploaded to Facebook! Guess what I forgot again... In the mad rush to get to ceremony on time.

im glad guest took pictures of me as I entered with my dad and bridal party.

i remember lots of smiling faces and wet eyes and didn't notice the cameras at all but they were there because I've had the pleasure of watching videos and seeing pictures myself! Which is great while I await my professional pictures!

i love seeing pictures of my day through my guest eyes... And do I care that some have been uploaded to Facebook again!

NOPE! I love seeing my pictures there and all the nice comments and seeing people re live my day over and over and over again!

this is a stark contrast to the bride to be I was... Lol

I am going to ask people not to upload pictures to facebook etc till the night time. i want people to take as many pictures as possible but as my wedding is small and its only close family going, all my good mates etc will not see me till the reception. i dont want people spoiling it by posting pictures before they see me.

is this silly? i didnt think so but a few people said i cant stop guests doing this. i just think if i have asked them they can at least respect my wishes, social media isnt the be all and end all so im sure they can wait a few hours. But who knows what will happen :-(