Asking people not to take photos in your ceremony - thoughts?

Torry_Quine

I don't do facebook and it didn't even exist when I married.

However I see nothing wrong with taking my camera with me to a wedding and would be very annoyed if told otherwise. It's polite to not take photos during the ceremony itself and this should be common sense.

I wouldn't be buying photos of for instance cutting the cake or the first dance so if I don't take my own then wouldn't have them.

It has always been the norm to let the official photographer set up the shot and then get yourself in place for your own picture. If a professional is geting peoples' cameras in shot then they really should know better.

Lagoon

I loved the fact that so many people took photographs at my wedding. To me, it was a sign that the day meant a lot to them and was one that they wanted to remember.

Additionally, people were quick to upload to Facebook. Of course I hadn't seen what was being uploaded, but I knew I hadn't been doing anything embarrassing so it didn't matter at all. In fact, I liked that friends and family were uploading pictures that would be seen by those that were absent from the wedding, in something close to real time.

Some people got blurry photographs that weren't much good, but I still liked them because they felt 'real'. Some of our guest photographs were nowhere near as excellent technically as our official ones, but some were more flattering! Most importantly, people didn't just get photographs of myself and my husband. Guest pictures captured THEIR friends and family having fun.

We requested that our official photographer paid careful attention to capturing natural moments. He was our biggest investment aside from the venue, and he was perfect and worth every penny, but that doesn't mean that our album will just be made up of his pictures. We had hundreds more, because our guests took time to capture additional angles/moments. In fact, we even had one friend that turned up with a professional camera and a week later contacted me to show me hundreds of photographs that he'd taken time to edit, which really meant a lot. Then, there was a relative that recorded the day on video without us asking, which is something we couldn't afford and might only view once but will be nice to have somewhere.

Finally, I factor in that official photographs took a few weeks to be available to view. From guests, I had pictures by the time I stopped for lunch.

I would always respect someone's wish if they asked me not to take photographs, but it would make me sad to do so. I think they risk missing out on so much, and on my wedding day I didn't even notice the additional cameras!

Lagoon

Torry_Quine wrote: »

If a professional is geting peoples' cameras in shot then they really should know better.

On the other hand, our official photographer got some very interesting shots by getting behind our guests and photographing them taking photographs of us. On their camera screens, we could see the picture being captured. I loved those images.

74jax

We have the same, we have some behind our guest taking the pics so you see them and what they are taking, then some of their camera, so you see there preview. I love them too.

burnoutbabe

I've seen loads of "first pics of the brides" pics being posted on facebook, right after the ceremony, showing the bride not really looking her best. So alot of people don't get the etiquette of waiting for "the official photo" from the couple first.

Own_My_Own

My cousin got married on Saturday and her photoghrapher posted 3 pictures on Facebook on the Sunday so she could change her provile picture.(Also a good plug for her company) Once they were on everyone added the ones they had taken. Which was nice as I wasn't able to go, but could send her a message telling her how lovely she looked.

ellay864

I had no problems with people posting on FB, and in fact one of the first pics of me was posted to this forum as my dressmaker was a former 'resident' on this board. But our photographer did just ask for people to let him take the first few pics of us signing purely to avoid flashes going off in different directions. There was framed picture behind us and a very polished table we sat at, so if we'd had flashes from them it could've been distracting. but he took very little time and then we had a good spell of time for guests to take their own.
And one of our guests brought along a laptop and at the start of the evening do they set up a slideshow of the various photos they'd taken throughout the day, which we thought was lovely

bylromarha

As a non Facebook user, I'd be hacked off if my wedding was shared with the virtual world.

Some people get that, some people don't.

And some people post pics to FB without asking the couple as they are THEIR pics. FB brings out the self centredness in people as it's all about me.

So in this day and age I'd ask people to put their phones away.

When I got married, I was happy to let people take their own pics of the day - I knew they weren't going to be on the interweb within minutes. Netscape hadn't heard of facebook back then!

Pinzy

Interesting request, and the article posted does go to show how guests can get in the way! I think that from this I may add a note in my Order of Service just to ask guests to make sure the paid for togs get in there first.
Wouldn't miss out on guests pics though, as has been said, they do sometimes capture some terrific images.

When it comes down to it (as is said many times!) it's Your wedding so do as you wish!

ska_lover

I think a bride and groom are well within their rights to ask guests to do this

There are so many things that can go wrong, and as pointed out before, it can completely ruin the professional photos, with flashes , and heads of people holding aloft phones etc.

We will politely be asking for no photography from guests during the formal bits and peices