No Center Asile

I am doing a wedding in the next few weeks in a church I am pretty

familiar with. It's a nice, simple church with one complication (from

a photographer's view point.) There is no center asile. The bride

and her party plan to all come down one asile and leave down

another...thank goodness. I was just wondering if many of you have

photographed weddings without a center asile. I'm planning to put my

assistant at the back on a side on a sort of raised platform they

have. But, I'm not sure where I want to camp out yet - do many of you

shoot from one of the front rows? (all w/o flash of course!)

Thanks for your help,

Samantha Bender

Hi Samantha. This picture is from a wedding I did where I wasn't allowed in the center aisle. I

was only allowed 3 pews back and to the far side of the guests. With some creative "go-go-

Gadget arms" moves, I managed alright. Flash was only allowed before and after the vows. It's

also nice to shoot from up above if you can. Remember, the couple will be aware of the

limitations and shouldn't expect anything more than what you have to work with. I also shot

a wedding where not only was there no center aisle to work with, but also it was under a tent,

AND no flash was allowed. The shots were pretty neat silhouettes and the minister also

suggested that I take photos with the 3 of them following the ceremony at the "alter", re-

staging the ceremony. Not a bad idea.<div></div>

I photographed a wedding at an old meeting house with no center aisle. The flower girl, bridesmaid's and the bride all walked down one aisle. There were no restrictions on where I could be. Most of the time I was either behind the groomsmen (there was a nice platform there) or the bridesmaids. It was great that there was a balcony there!<div></div>

Samantha,

 

"The bride and her party plan to all come down one asile and leave down another...thank goodness."

 

Lucky you!

 

I shot a wedding last year with no center asile. The church was very large and the distance between the two asile was about 60 feet. The bride had everyone in the processional alternating their entrance down each asile, i.e., MOB down left, then MOG down right, then 1st bride's main down left, then 2nd bride's maid down right, etc. Lucky for me the bride had ordered both color and B&W photos. In this package we use two photographers. I was shooting color film and my second was shooting digital for B&W, so she just shot the processional in color. I worked just in front of the front pew, shooting from the center of the asile and them moving aside so subject could pass. The other shooter worked the same way on the other asile. There would have been no way one photog could have gotten all of the processional without restaging half of it after the ceremony.

 

As far as where to camp out; It depends on what the church restrictions are and what the bride wants. I always discuss this with church and then when I know what I can and can't do I ask the bride if she wants me to not be seen or does she want me to position myself for the best photos. My preferred position (camping out spot) is in front of the front pew. I then step into the center of the asile so shots are more symmetrical and then step aside. From the front, after I shoot the bride coming down the asile, I can easily get into position to get the FOB giving her away - a shot that all brides want.

 

"(all w/o flash of course!)"

 

No! Always with a flash! Even if church has a no flash rule, most will allow flash during process/recess.

 

Cliff

The answer is, "Wherever you can, given the restrictions." Usually, I am mobile and shoot from both behind the altar and in the front rows. But if there are restrictions, you do what you can. Find out and devise a plan. The most fun is when you have to stand on the pews to do the formals because the altar photos need to be done under an already set up arch right in the middle of the altar. And if you are using primes, that means you have to get up and down on the pews for different distances. Alternating processionals aren't as bad as simultaneous processionals down two different aisles. If you don't have a second shooter, you have to make a decision about who to get, and maybe re-stage the others.

Interesting to read this thread and how photographers work so hard to get these shots, I admire the work put into them.

 

My observation is that these shots are the least valued over a period of time by viewers of the wedding photos. They are the shots that viewers like to skim by very fast. The primaries are seen time after time in shot after shot and I frankly don't see the importance of capturing each bridesmaid and all primaries proceding into the ceremony. A few well composed shots of them coming in seems as if it would suffice.

 

So much effort is placed on these shots as evidenced by the excellent detail in these posts and the photos (processionals) are really not all that prized in the minds of the viewers as the years go by.

 

Ok, I've got that off my chest ... I better get back to planning how I'm going to capture 16 bridesmaids entering the church in a few weeks.

Thanks everyone, for the great response! I think photos of the ceremony, itself, from and off-center position can be interesting - and I'm glad to hear that some of you shoot from the pews! I need to talk to the pastor and get a better feel for his regulations before the ceremony.

Samantha Bender

Also, Cliff, thanks for your post about the bridesmaids alternating sides that they come down. I actually have a wedding scheduled for the end of June where the same thing will happen. Except this wedding will be held in a huge auditorium! Which, I think will be kinda exciting - think of the exciting new places and angles to explore in a new venue!

Samantha Bender

Samantha:

Your assistent from the back with a tele on a tripod. I wish I had my tripod with me, 1/15 sec was NOT fun to shoot. Just make sure there is room around the tripod that no one will trip, although by then everyone "should be" seated.

 

As others have said, talk to the priest in advance to see if the processional can be shot with flash, vs the cerimoney w/o flash. Sometimes people are not specific enough, and you could be working under limitations that don't exist.

 

One thing that I did find out the hard way was, shooting flash of a processional has a problem of potentially burning out/overexposing the people between you and the subject. I have a few shots at my nieces wedding where I had to color in/darken the blown out hand of someone sticking his camera into the aisle.

 

 

William:

While maybe yes the bridesmaids will be quickly passed over in the album, there is potential sales of photos to the bridesmaids, so you still need to shoot them. And if you don't, everyone will wonder why you didn't. At least with digital, the cost to shoot them is insignificant, compared to shooting 120 film with flash BULBs of years ago.

 

 

Gary