Question for all you photography hibs.....

No at all! When the light comes down low it lends itself to very atmospheric photographs. I love photographing weddings in December. I had a couple of awesome weddings December just gone and we got amazing pics!

As you say it will be dark before and after the ceremony outside, depending on your wedding locations and the lights they have available and the lighting your photographer carries with him (I carry enough to light a barn) you will be able to do some nice couple shots - In fact I always try to do some low light shots at the end of every wedding.

The other thing it is also likely to be cold and whilst I have shot groups outside in near darkness these are usually much better shot indoors. If you have a reasonably large venue your photographer should have no problem setting things up and lighting your wedding.

If you have a smaller wedding venue then if you want relaxed formals I would suggest getting your ushers to bring small groups of guests (Families ) to you one at a time for pictures and a chat - this worked really well for a wedding we did at christmas in the brides parents house which was a converted chapel.

This sounds like a wedding where the experience of a professional will be essential and I would question those who you see carefully about how they would approach the photography on the day.

Those who say they have a flash for the camera are probably not going to be in the running.

Tim

Outside of the marriage room, the photographer has some control of the lighting. My concerns with a 5pm wedding in December would be the lighting for the ceremony room. It is likely to be very "toppy" and there will be no natural lighting from outside to supplement this......This may well affect the shots taken during the ceremony as it is probable that the registrar will not permit flash or additional lighting.....

As Mr Hawkins says, you can achieve some great shots during darkness...although it does slow up the coverage a little....and as Mr Driver suggests, this is probably not for a photographer who's only flash is stuck on the top of the camera.....

In December, any photography after 3-ish outside is going to require supplementary lighting. Inside with only available room lighting for the ceremony will require expensive fast lenses....Do ensure that your photographer is equipped for these requirements....

Peter

Hi Kirsty.....As mentioned in my previous post, the lighting levels will be low and you will need a photographer who has invested in fast lenses to harness the light that is available....Do check this with your photographer...and if they don't own a fast lens, suggest that due to the circumstances, they hire one for the day...

I think Peter touched on the most relevant point, the fact that even in the mildest of Decembers, it will be probably be pretty cold outside by the time you get to go outside.

If you're prepared to brave it, I would recommend that you get some shots of you and your hubby outside, and do the majority of your family shots inside. Keep the Grans in the warm!

In terms of what you can get, well, you should be able to get some nice shots if the building is lit (which I'm sure it will be) and it can be cool if there's a moon too!

Winter weddings really sort the wheat from the chaffe regarding wedding photography!

Pete x

Whats your venue like? does your venue have some nice locations inside, as the others have said a good photographer can work well in all lighting conditions, whether its an expensive lens or just the right flash lighting the photographer should know best.

December is very unpredictable in terms of whether it will be mild or freezing, raining, snow or blue skys. so if you are having a photographer you have to be prepaired that your photographs may be inside and that will more than likely be down to the weather.