Church Wedding Ceremonies: Questions to Ask Before Reserving

Over the years, I’ve been lucky to shoot in so many different churches from beautiful, grand cathedrals to small, quaint chapels. A couple of them stick out in my mind because the rules regarding photography were so strict, it had a big impact on the photography. In both cases, I wasn’t able to photograph the bride coming down the aisle from the front. As a photographer, it breaks my heart that I couldn’t get that shot for my bride. I know it was something she really wanted.

For some couples the choice to get married in a church is a given. Perhaps it’s the church they grew up attending and their siblings have gotten married there as well. For some couples, they are searching for a church of their faith that is close to their wedding venue. In either situation, I strongly recommend to brides and grooms that when they choose their church, they ask upfront a few questions regarding rules for photographers during the ceremony.

Many of these rules have come into play because a previous photographer was probably very pushy and disrespectful while shoot the ceremony. The old ‘one bad apple ruins it for the whole bunch.’ I believe that when you’re in someone else’s house, you live by their rules so it’s best to go into it knowing the rules.

Here are some questions to ask your church when you reserve the date with them:

Where can my photographer be during the ceremony?

In some churches, the rules make it difficult to capture the more intimate moments of your ceremony. Other churches allow the photographer to shoot from any angle the bride and groom feel comfortable with.

For example, it’s common for churches to prohibit the photographer from shooting on the altar, not a big deal. The is probably the most common rule I see and is not a hard one to follow. Since I’m always shooting from a distance at ceremonies, this is easy. In more difficult cases, the photographer is not allowed to move throughout the ceremony at all. Rather, they must pick one spot in the church and shoot only from that angle. Sometimes, the church will pre-select a spot for the photographer, like a balcony or at the end of an aisle.

In the most extreme case I’ve experienced, the church did not allow the photographer to enter the church and only allowed photography from open doorways.

Can my photographer use flash?

Often, churches prohibit flash photography during wedding ceremonies. Be sure to ask the contact person at your church before your wedding day so we can set up accordingly. I almost never use flash during a ceremony anyways because I want to be as stealth as possible but it’s at least nice to know if it’s a restriction.

Why do these restrictions exist?

Unfortunately, some photographers in the past have behaved in an unprofessional or inconsiderate manner while photographing weddings at their location. As a result, many church officials have found the best way to manage all the photographers who work with their couples is to have policies in place for ALL photographers to prevent disrupting the ceremony.

What can I do to work around restrictions?

When deciding where to have your wedding ceremony, you may want to take their photography restrictions into consideration. Some couples choose to hold their ceremony in a church where they regularly attend and have completed sacraments, while others choose a church based on proximity to the reception venue.

If your decision is based on proximity, it may be a good idea to explore other churches nearby with less photography restrictions. If the church was selected by significance, be sure to know all rules and restrictions well before your wedding date so you can coordinate with the photographer beforehand. It’s best to know about any restrictions early in the planning process so we can determine an appropriate course of action.