CEREMONY ONLY: SHORT WEDDING SHOOTS

“It’s just a very simple wedding – can you come and photograph just the ceremony, and a few groups?” “Can you just come for the registry office part?” “It’s not a big wedding – do you do short ones?”

One way or another, the question, “Do you do ceremony-only wedding photography?” comes up quite a lot.  Living so close to Bromley registry office is part of that, but I know that other wedding photographers hear it too. Perhaps it is also down to the current economic pressure we all face.

Maurice and Lucy‘s vows – a recent ceremony only wedding shoot at Southwark Registry Office. I was on site and photographing for less than an hour – around 150 images delivered to the bride and groom.

Short wedding shoots – ceremony only – are a challenge. Time is limited, space is often limited, and it all feels like a very small canvas compared to photographing for the full day of a full wedding.

But as a professional wedding photographer, I can’t be satisfied with delivering poor or shallow results. I arrive in good time, and find myself working fast on short shoots, making sure that I get all the coverage I can out of the time available. The fact that time is limited doesn’t mean that the pictures I take should be any lower in quality. And even, proportionately, the number of edited images delivered to me wedding clients is higher, on a per hour basis. A ceremony-only wedding shoot doesn’t have to be a bad one, not by any stretch. 

For Adam and Clare’s wedding I was at Bromley Register office for just on two hours – doing details first until the final portraits of the bride and groom after the groups had gone. Around 200 images delivered.

All of that said, covering the full day is vastly more satisfying. As a wedding photographer with eight hours or more of coverage, there is less pressure and far more room for creativity. Changing light through the day can be grabbed and exploited to the full; informal photos of bride and groom and guests happen more naturally and look far more relaxed, and the same goes for the more formal portraits and groups too. Some of the most memorable parts of a wedding occur long after the ceremony – cake-cutting, the hilarious speech, the first dance, sparklers and the rest. To really feel that your event has been photographed as a whole, book me for the day!

This shot from Ollie and Sam’s wonderful Surrey wedding was one of several shot at golden hour, where I got hold of the bride and groom, and then did some extra groups too. I was shooting for just under 8 hours, and I delivered over 700 images

Obviously I charge less for a ceremony-only shoot than I do to photograph a whole wedding. But I can’t afford to make it that much less.

• The numbers of images to edit can still be quite high – I work fast!
• Travel and other overheads may be the same (though I never travel far just for short shoots – Bromley and Southwark register offices and local churches are about it)
• In peak wedding season, booking a ceremony-only wedding blocks a full day shooting as a wedding photographer, which is really my bread and butter. So in summer I need to charge higher, even for short days.

In terms of value for money, I would say that, unless your wedding really is super small-scale and simple, it makes more sense and is better value for money to book me for the day. Especially for a summer wedding!

Celebrations for Jean Noel and Alan at Brunswick House. This could very well have been a “ceremony only” wedding at Southwark Registry office but as the event grew into a full-blown event, so did my coverage. I worked for around eight hours and delivered around 550 edited images.

The most important question when booking a wedding photographer is, “Do you like my work?” Get the professional you really want – and if you want me to photograph your wedding, let’s talk about coverage and your budget. I love to be helpful – yes, I have my living to make with my camera, but I also hate to turn away engaged couples who really like my style and approach as a wedding photographer.

Compromises are possible too. It isn’t a matter simply of “short shoot” versus “long day”. I have photographed many weddings and civil partnerships where my coverage has been somewhere between those extremes – to name but two Ann and George and Alan and Joanne.

Talk to me: I am here to help. 07983 787889

Mark and Anna arriving for their wedding at Southwark Registry Office by bike. Their big bash was actually to be in France, but I covered their ceremony – around one hour and a quarter in Camberwell; just over 100 images delivered. 

If you are planning your wedding, and like my work, please contact me. Talking is free, and I hope that together we can find the coverage to suit your day and your budget!