It's your wedding day, the day that you've been dreaming about and planning for so long. Your hair is perfect, your makeup is flawless and you are about to walk down the aisle. Your guests are waiting and ready to witness the start of your marriage. You've invited them there to be present as you say "I do" and to support you along this journey. While it is your day, you want to make sure that your guest feel included and can take part in your ceremony.
I'm not saying that you have to give each of your guests a job to do, but there are a few simple tips that will make your guests feel involved. This also goes hand-in-hand with ways to make your wedding ceremony photographer-friendly. Let me explain with a little more detail.
I'm not saying that you have to give each of your guests a job to do, but there are a few simple tips that will make your guests feel involved. This also goes hand-in-hand with ways to make your wedding ceremony photographer-friendly. Let me explain with a little more detail.
Tips for Creating a Guest and Photographer Friendly Ceremony
Finding a location that is accessible for your guest (and a venue that you love) is important. If you have elderly guest, you especially want to be aware of any obstacles that may make it hard for them to get to your ceremony location. Also, make sure that you are choosing a time during the day that is comfortable for your guest. You don’t want your guest waiting in the hot sun, in the middle of the day, during July. But if you do, find ways to make them comfortable. For example, water bottles and fans for the summer or blankets to wrap up in when it is chilly.
This is one of my biggest tips on how to include your guest in your ceremony. This is the point in the ceremony that you participate in your first act as man and wife or show that you are blending your lives together. Your guest want to see what you are doing. Let me say that again...Your guest want to SEE YOU. They don’t want to feel as if they are missing something. If you have a table with your candles or sand, walk around the back side of the table so that essentially your “audience” can see what you are doing.
This also helps the photographers. Instead of facing the wall or the alter, this gives your photographer room in order to capture this special action during your ceremony. They can capture what is happening, the expressions, and the movements...instead of your back.
In addition to seeing what you are doing, they also want to hear what you are saying. If they can’t hear you, they get bored. Your guest will still be excited and want to celebrate with you, but they will be disappointed that they can’t celebrate what you say. It's such a beautiful thing to watch those we love and care about say their vows to each other. Use a microphone (often the officiant has one pinned to their lapel) or you can try to speak up (which is hard to remember to do when you already have all these eyes on you).
This also helps the photographers. Instead of facing the wall or the alter, this gives your photographer room in order to capture this special action during your ceremony. They can capture what is happening, the expressions, and the movements...instead of your back.
In addition to seeing what you are doing, they also want to hear what you are saying. If they can’t hear you, they get bored. Your guest will still be excited and want to celebrate with you, but they will be disappointed that they can’t celebrate what you say. It's such a beautiful thing to watch those we love and care about say their vows to each other. Use a microphone (often the officiant has one pinned to their lapel) or you can try to speak up (which is hard to remember to do when you already have all these eyes on you).
Speaking of room in point number 2, make sure that you have a ceremony location that has a walkway on both sides of the seating area. When the bride walks down the aisle, I generally position myself at the front near the groom and have my second photographer shooting from the back. Having a walkway on either side of the ceremony space allows for an “escape plan” for the photographer. That way that I don’t have to walk back in front of the parents and back down the middle aisle. It also allows your photographer to gather different perspectives, instead of having to stand solely in the middle of the aisle where they are unable to move.