Ceremony Tips + Ideas

Hold hands during your ceremony

This is probably a super weird tip right? Sometimes people forget to tell you these things, but it looks super awkward during your ceremony photos if you are standing 5 feet apart and not touching somehow. To encourage the little giggles, small glances, and romance during the ceremony make sure you hold hands together.

Ask the officiant to move

Firstly, make sure you’re centered with the officiant. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve photographed a ceremony and the either the officiant or the bride and groom weren’t centered at the altar. And during your rehearsal dinner, or anytime before the ceremony, ask your officiant to step to the side during the actual ceremony when they announce your first kiss. Nothing looks worse in photos than the officiant’s face in between your lips.

Count to three

Speaking of your first kiss, some couples get so nervous that their first kiss as husband and wife ends up being a quick peck on the lips and when I go back through the photos I missed the kiss because it was too fast. Take your time to kiss each other, when in doubt, count to 3 full seconds and that will give you plenty of photos of your first kiss together.

Also! Don’t be afraid to do another kiss as you’re walking back down the aisle together after the ceremony! These are typically some of my favorite shots considering all your friends and family are usually in the back ground cheering you on, throwing confetti, or blowing bubbles!

Ceremony Exits

Some of the funnest ceremonies I’ve documented are ones where guests toss flower petals, biodegradable confetti, seeds, blow bubbles, or hold out smoke bombs as the newlyweds exit the ceremony. It makes for an awesome celebratory moments in your photos! Here are some Eco-Friendly Ceremony Exit Toss Ideas.

  THE IMPORTANCE OF AN UNPLUGGED CEREMONY

I want to talk about an issue that I see in a lot of weddings that seriously breaks my heart. We need to talk about unplugged ceremonies and I want to show you a few examples of “plugged” moments. An unplugged ceremony basically means you ask your guests to be truly present in the moment with you two during your ceremony by turning off their phones & cameras and wait to take photos once the entire ceremony and following hugs are over.

A lot of people don’t think about the aspect of their ceremony until they get their photos back and regret not having an unplugged ceremony because there are phones, cameras, iPads, and drones (yep, guests have brought their drones to weddings lol) distracting the viewer from the real moments happening - YOUR WEDDING!

It straight up ruins the photo but more importantly it ruins the experience for a lot of your guests as well. Do you really want your grandpa trying to figure out how to zoom in on your ring exchange? Or your guests viewing your ceremony from someone else’s iPhone or iPad screen?

THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ASKING YOUR GUESTS TO PUT THEIR PHONES, CAMERAS, IPADS, AND DRONES AWAY TO BE PRESENT WITH YOU FOR 15-30 MINUTES.

Ask your officiant or whoever is marrying you to make an announcement before your ceremony even begins (even if you have a sign outside the ceremony area that says “unplugged wedding” still announce it in case they didn’t read your sign) and also let your guests know they can take as many selfies with you/Instagram shots after the ceremony.

There’s a reason you’re paying thousands of dollars on hiring a photographer and videographer to capture these precious moments for you. Even better, I will email you an online gallery sneak peeks within a week of your wedding and a full online gallery of your entire day a few weeks later. And you know what that means? You can share these online galleries with your guests and they will be able to access your photos and everyone will be happy!

AFTER THE CEREMONY: BRIDE + GROOM PHOTOS

Most couples and wedding coordinators plan newlywed photos right after the ceremony during cocktail hour…

I like to grab my couples about 30-45 minutes before the sunsets to sneak away for some newlywed photos. I like to plan for 45 minutes for these photos, depending on your day we might need the full 45 minutes or we might not and can cut it shorter, but the more time you give me for your newlywed photos the more memories I can capture of just the two of you.

You’re gonna want to make time for this!

Your newlywed photos are the most important photos

Because there’s a lot of nerves building up to the ceremony and now that it’s over, not only are you MARRIED but you’re so crazy about each other and have all the holy-crap-I-can’t-believe-I-just-married-you feels and it makes for some amazing memories! Plus these photos are the ones you’ll most likely hang up on your walls or frame them in your home. Make sure you give plenty of time for these photos!

Just the two of you please

While mom, your favorite aunt, maid-of-honor, and every other guest that is so excited to spend time with you, I ask that the time during your photos is just between us. Not only can guests watching be a distraction, but it often takes away from those sweet moments when everyone is around

 Non-traditional Ceremony Ideas

I’m all about breaking traditions and encouraging my couples to do what feels right and what’s true to who you are! After documenting traditional and non-traditional weddings here are some ideas I’ve seen couples do in the past to make their day more unique and more them.

  1. Bridesmaids don’t have to wear the same dresses. They can wear a dress that’s unique to them that’s within the color palette of your wedding. Same for groomsmen and their attire.

  2. Spend quality time together before the wedding like go on a walk or get coffee together. Consider getting ready together instead of separately.

  3. Have a small intimate ceremony with only immediate family then have the rest of your guests wait for your ceremony exit to congratulate you. Then spend the rest of the evening and night partying with everyone.

  4. Have a pop-up ceremony on public land with amazing views then head over to a reception space nearby.

  5. Have a morning ceremony then celebrate with your guests over brunch. You can plan to peace-out at 2pm to have the rest of the day to yourselves!

  6. Ditch the white dress and wear something unique and YOU.

  7. Skip having bridesmaids and groomsmen so you two can stand by yourselves at the altar.

  8. Have your best friend or a close family member officiate you.

  9. Create a unique unity moment during your ceremony that’s meaningful to you both: Pot a plant, hand-fasting, prayer circling, communion, sage smudging, etc OR take a tequila shot during the middle of your ceremony. Talk about a great way to start a party and cheers to a lifetime of adventure together!

  10. Have a Wedding Parade! After the ceremony your wedding party, family, and friends parade by cheering or playing music down the street nearby or to your reception space to celebrate you just getting married.