Large Wedding Party

[nita_dyck]

Hello all,

I have my first really big wedding party to shoot this weekend. It is eight

attendants each, bride and groom plus a junior bridesmaid; 19 total (the biggest

I have ever done in is 12 and it was outside). The formal wedding photography

is probably going to be inside the church this weekend due to weather.

Fortunately it is a big beautiful church but I want to stay away from the

traditional shots done at the alter and aim for a more contemporaty look. Any

fun ideas on how to shoot that many people?

[picturesque]

Do a search. There are many previous posts on this topic. Here is one. Use the term "large wedding party".

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00HFkS

[nita_dyck]

Thanks Nadine. I have looked thought these but found that the way people are lining up is very traditional. I was looking for some new ideas that are not just standing the people side my side or even putting a few up front on the ground. Does anyone have some pictures of different ways to shoot a group of 19 inside a church?

[picturesque]

Well unless you are also shooting the traditional set-ups, anything else might be considered too different to qualify as a formal. Such as not seeing each person's face clearly, or a set-up that might be considered too casual by the parents. For instance, shooting down on the wedding party sitting in pews from a balcony, or the wedding party arrayed behind the couple, down the aisle. Or shooting the party standing and sitting in the pews at an angle to a large stained glass window, or a compressed view of the party against the backs of pews. Don't know about fun...some church officials might frown upon that aspect. I've had some churches not allow the wedding party to sit on the steps of the altar, and it definitely isn't appropriate to stage much action inside a church, so...

[ken c oshkosh, wi]

I just had one last weekend that had 31!!! Thank god the altar had steps. I haven't processed the pictures yet otherwise I'd show you.

[cliff_henry]

Hard for me to imagine shooting 19 people in a church and not having them in close proximity of each other - that's a lot of people and they would cover a large area. I shoot traditional formals. Sometimes after getting the formal shot I will tell the group not to move their feet but for everyone to lean-in and do a group hug. It usually gets a laugh and gives the B&G a fun shot. Better still, it will often break a serious mood with the bridal party and put everyone in a more relaxed mood. Again, when shooting small group formals, i.e., bride w/groomsmen, groom w/bride's maids, after the formal shot I will have them do something silly for a fun shot - bride's maids all leaning-in and kissing the groom etc. These shots can usually be done without anyone having to move and require very little time. Immediately following the posed formal I just make a suggestion to the group to do something and let them react. Sometimes the reaction is a good fun shot and sometimes it's not; just be ready to shoot as soon as you tell what to do.

 

Given the usual time constrains during formals, I suggest you have a plan of what formals and fun shots you want to do before you start shooting.

 

Cliff

[bdp]

Try doing one with 44 in the party. That was the largest I ever saw, so far. When they get above 15-20 people, it becomes really tough to try to get shots within the confines of a church.

 

If you have steps in the church, this is a possibility (18 in this group).<div></div>