Where do you want me to stand? Informative Post on where you want me to stand during the ceremony…. {Experienced West Sussex Wedding Photographer}

I always ask couples where they’d like me to stand during the ceremony to capture their vows and exchanging of rings and the first kiss. Sometimes I don’t have a choice – in a church wedding, some vicars ask me to stand at the back or to the side or behind a pillar as it is first and foremost a religious ceremony and they do not want to be disturbed by me clicking away, and that is fine, I repect that and will do my best with my long zoom to still capture those precious moments. But when the registrars and vicars don’t mind where I stand then I can go where the couples want me to! Here are some different examples of behind-the-registrars shots, some down-the-aisle ones where I often crouch down rather than stand tall obscuring your guests’ view. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to be able to move freely around the venue and get some shots from both sides, in front and from the aisle! Things for the bride to think about are – do you want to see photos of your groom’s expression and the beautiful train of your dress as you walk towards him, do you want me to capture you walking up the aisle towards your groom, when will the first kiss take place? In a religious ceremony if I am only allowed to hide in a certain place I might ask the vicar kindly if the first kiss can take place at the end of the ceremony after the signing of the register so I can switch to the aisle and capture the kiss with the big stained glass window behind… It’s handy to note there are some things I can’t always help as a photographer…. the registrar smiling and clapping as you take your first kiss, their book of instructions getting in the way of the photo as you exchange rings – I do my best but it can’t always be avoided 😉