When it comes to wedding photo etiquette, I have to say, there needs to be some things reviewed with the bride and groom before the happy day takes place. A recent article from CNN:
Sit down during the ceremony and stay there.
This seems pretty basic. Don’t get up and move around to take pictures. At one wedding a guest decided to stand up directly in front of me in the aisle after I had positioned myself for the ceremony kiss. He was unaware that I was behind him (because he’s not a professional photographer who would be responsible for knowing where the other wedding photographer/s or videographer might be at the time) and as a consequence, I was unable to capture the kiss. His timing was impeccable to the point where I couldn’t maneuver around him– it was too late. Fortunately, my assistant captured the moment from another angle.
So, in short: please choose your seat and keep it. And please don’t lean out into the aisle either. If you want to take pictures, take them from your seat.
Don’t follow the professional around taking pictures over his/her shoulder.
Number one– they waste valuable time. Time is limited on the wedding day. The more time used on snapshots by family members, the less time the couple has to take pictures that will actually turn out well.
Number two– they infringe on the intellectual property of the professional. The professional takes the effort to create and compose the picture– the guest snapping away to the side or directly behind did nothing to create the picture. They are stealing it by capturing what the professional has worked so hard to create.
Number three– they distract the subjects of the picture. It’s hard enough for the couple to feel comfortable in front of one or two cameras, but ten or twenty makes it nearly impossible! Photographers want to capture natural, relaxed and often times romantic interactions with the couple, and that’s simply not possible in front of a crowd. Not to mention the wandering eyes in group pictures as family members struggle to look between several cameras from people taking pictures.
Social Media:
It’s great that you want to show what a great wedding the couple threw and Instagram the cake and the flowers. Some couples may want to wait to share photographic details of the wedding until they have photos from their professional photographer, so you should respect their choice. If you’re worried about whether you’re in the clear with posting photos, then wait until a close friend or family member of the couple does so first. Then you’ll know if it’s okay to post away!
The couple spent a lot of time planning an event that you would enjoy, so don’t spend the entire time on your phone posting about the wedding — go have some fun! It’s okay to share the love a few times, but you shouldn’t opt out of hitting the dance floor in favor of tweeting a play-by-play. Plus, having a phone or tablet out all the time can get in the way of photos, and no one wants to look back on their wedding day to see a guest more engaged with a device than their reception.
Enjoy the day and let Robbin capture the memories.