No matter where your wedding should be located but having marriage ceremony is the most important moment from all over the session. I working so hard with my team, using the right lenses even move from one spot to another or simply stay for couple of minutes and start hunting for your moment to create the best pictures of your marriage ceremony.
My name is Bima and today I wanna share to you about tips that you should know before having and set up your own marriage ceremony.
How It’s Gonna Happen?
So what happen on that moment is your wedding planner will start to telling you that your ceremony will begin within 30 minutes so every person who gonna join the ceremony have to move from their sweet room into the chapel, here I’m talking if you stay in the same resort or hotels just like what I shared on my previous getting ready essentials article.
When I run up to the front of the aisle and let my other shooter stay close around you, I want to make sure that I will get the best angle to shoot while you walking with your dad to the aisle. Once I got everything on my hand than I’m gonna move to the side so every guest able to see and enjoy the ceremony as well.
At this moment I better to shoot with a 70-200 mm f2.8 lens so I can sniff like a ninja and shoot whatever it comes to my eyes, generally I avoid of being too close with the altar so the celebrant or priest will lead this ceremony in a good way. I’m shooting so fast even don’t need to see on my LCD the picture good or not because the main point is I must capture the best moment on this session.
From the Wedding of Jasmine and Arthur
When you guys starting to say the vow which is so fast for this I will walk around you and shoot your expression over and over again, see my photo above when I shoot a wedding for beautiful bride named Jasmine who getting married with Arthur in Conrad Hotel Bali, Nusadua. Look at her expression and this is what you gonna see on your wedding album, I shoot hundred of beautiful moment like this and present to you so you can open again and again following the next decades and tell you kids that you love your husband so much.
Some how I also listen to priest about what will gonna happen for the next, and once I know that this is the right time for your husband to open your veil and give the first kiss than I will move around right in front of you,
See my photo below! I shoot this lovely couple Zhou and Wang in Ayana Resort
From the Wedding of Zhou and Wang
How to Ask Your Guest to Enjoy Your Wedding Properly
We live in a digital era where people are having a gret smartphone from the Samsung Galaxy S10 to the iPhone XS and surely these phone got a bigger LCD than my camera. I also know that they might captured your wedding personally than tagging you in your instagram or sending you tons of photos by whatsapp BUT you’re not fully invest them to shoot on your wedding.
Now lets imagine!
How about if your iphonegraher and ipadgrapher friends start to stand up from their seat or walk to the front to the aisle and blocked away all the angle and views till me and my team are not able to shoot again? I wouldn’t give any excuse for that!
So, considering this situation might be happen in such big wedding for 100-200 guests so I will give you 2 (two) solution that you may try:
- Note to your guest – Here you can write some notes on your wedding invitation such as, “Welcome to our romantic wedding, We’d like you to be fully present and enjoy our wedding, so we really appreciate if you could turn your mobile phone into silent mode, not taking a pictures, and stay in your seat during the marriage ceremony”
- Ask your planner – Second option is you could ask your officiant or wedding announcer to say something like, “(YOUR NAME) would like you to set your phone on silent mode, not taking a pictures, and stay in your seat during the holy marriage ceremony”
Seats Arrangement
Seats setting in wedding seems to be easy but you gonna think perfect for this part but as long as you work with the best service provider in wedding industry than you can reduce any risk about it.
From the wedding of Ben and Terri
First thing that you should know that some guests may have a ‘front seat phobia’ and my suggestion is by ask your officiant to arrange the seat depend on their relationship with you and family. Empty seat at front also will made your wedding looks so weird and it effected my final photo result.
Mom, dad, grand mother-father should be on the prime seat so it would be better if your planner can help you with these several suggestion:
- Name tag – Placing a name tag on the seat will help your guests know where are their sear
- Ask them personally – Let your officiant do this job for you and they gonna ask suggestion such as: “(YOUR NAME) asked the guests to fulfil the front seat first, so would you mind to move at the front seat first so this wedding will looks amazing?”
Second one, you should consider about having nice seat cover and decorations cause this kind of details will represent your glamorous and beautiful wedding at the end. Your officiant must be know how to provide good chair cover cause every hotels will provide it as well even they can but wedding seat cover too on Amazon.
Do Your Best to Be On Time
Generally the last time limit to start your marriage ceremony is 15 minutes only so make sure everything set great and you could start your ceremony on time. Some hotels and resort in busy wedding destination like Bali will charge you in hour based due to your delay and it will be in ridiculous price so I highly suggest you to stay on time.
If I shoot for evening wedding which is start the ceremony at 4pm than I get used to come to the resort at 3.15pm cause what I must do is get to know more about your family. I know I can’t remember their name but I try to know every single person that belong to your guest as best as I can
Let me share to you some suggestions
- Start your marriage ceremony 15 minutes at maximum after your invitation starting time
- Ask your special guest who attending your ceremony to come on time, try using SMS, phone call, whatsapp, or even email
- Tell your make up and hair do artist to be on time
- Make sure to discuss with the wedding planner is there any wedding before you or not, and
- Trust someone who you choose to be planner or professional in charge on your wedding
Raining Risk Management
When you choose to get married in tropical country like Maldives and Bali than summer will be the best and high session for marriage but always consider about taking the plan B which means that you can continue your ceremony if the rain come accidentally.
When I shoot for Danilo and Eka in Uluwatu Bali, there is someone who able to provide local magic and avoid raining by their supra-natural skill but what my couple did is still providing a white tent next to the chapel where they get dinner. The great news is the rain is never come even they celebrate the wedding during February which is rainy season here in Indonesia.
From the Wedding of Danilo and Eka
Conclusion
Your ceremony is the only moment that really matters on your wedding even it comes only like 1,5 hours maximum so having great marriage ceremony plan is the best thing that you can consider before your big day.
I hope you get inspire from what I share to day and I would also invite you to see my whole wedding portfolio and I will be more than happy to be someone that document your glorious day.
Kindly drop me a message if you want to discuss more about your marriage plan and both me and my wife will be at the front who gonna help you with this.