I have photographed at many different churches of many different faiths in many different towns and cities. Some have been quaint chapels and others have been around a hundred years and are the size of a city block. The wedding of Maria and Seth who are pictured above was two hours in length and performed entirely in Latin. While I approach them all uniquely (because they are), I do have certain common things in mind when I photograph a church wedding.
Wide architecture wedding photos come to mind right away for church weddings. This is certainly at the forefront for the large sanctuaries like St. Stanislaus in Michigan City or St. Andrew in Calumet City. One of the largest I've photographed at is St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.
During the ceremonies themselves I'm looking to capture the same emotions I would anywhere. I love to get a reaction shot of the groom if possible and if the flower girl gives a sudden thumbs up in the middle of the proceedings, myself or one of the second photographers are always at the ready. Details of religious symbols or mementos that mark the day are also important.
Church weddings do have their challenges with often dim lighting and reflections that throw color off and more. I pride myself in being able to deliver high quality church wedding photos from 10 years of experience.
The church is also a great time to show off the bride's dress with some bridal portraits that also show off the architecture and stained glass.
An article about church weddings would not be complete without mentioning the church exit. Whether the happy couple is showered by bubbles or paper airplanes or greeted by a live band, this is always a joyous portion of the day.
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