If you have a first dance then it can make for some amazing pictures.
Your photographer might make use of the lights provided by the venue or a DJ, plus they may also have flashes or other lights set up within the room.
These images will show the two of you but can include your guests nearby, especially if they rush the dance floor as well!
If you are having a formal meal or “wedding breakfast” then this is traditionally when your photographer will take photos of the two of you entering the room, to the applause of your guests.
Then they will probably take a break, leaving your guests to eat, relax and chat without worrying about having their picture taken.
Your photographer will normally be ready again for the beginning of any speeches.
During these, your photographer will normally be capturing pictures of the speaker, plus the reactions from your guests.
After the ceremony, the registrar will normally ask the photographers not to take any pictures during the signing of the wedding register.
This is to prevent any distraction during the signing. Also, as the wedding register is a legal document, it can contain sensitive information which wouldn’t be appropriate to make copies of.
The registrar will normally use a pretend book to pose with once the signing is complete. These photographs can involve just the bride and groom, as well as some other members of the bridal party.
The big moment!
In a traditional ceremony, the photographer would normally be poised and ready to capture the bride’s big arrival, along with the groom’s first reaction.
Then the photographer would normally keep out of the way for the rest of the ceremony. This can often mean retreating to somewhere near the back of the ceremony, and using a longer lens to unobtrusively capture the events without distracting from the ceremony itself.
Some venues have some restrictions on where the photographer can be positioned, whereas some will only allow the photographer to pick one location and then to stay still. This is something that your photographer can discuss with the venue when you book them.
During the ceremony itself your photographer will aim to capture all the big moments: readings, performances, the rings, the first kiss and the big exit as a newly married couple!