Dumb wedding Q - will I be allowed to shoot during the ceremony?

[electrolyte]

I've managed to land my 1st wedding gig. It is on July 25 and I am making plans for it now. I'm meeting the b&g on Sunday and want to get my head around what I can and can't do. And I have what is probably a really dumb question. Will I be allowed to take photos during the ceremony or not? Ie during the "I-do"s and the "you can kiss the bride" bits.

I haven't actually been to a wedding since I got into photography 3 years ago and the last time I went to a wedding - about 5 years ago - I didn't pay much attention to the wedding photographer. So I can't remember if the photographer was allowed to or not. I remember when I got married back in 98 our photographer didn't take any shots during the ceremony. But that was because we went for a cheap 36 shot package (wasn't film great) and my ex wanted to save the shots for the formals afterwards.

The wedding I am shooting is a civil ceremony in a hotel (or at least I assume it is a civil ceremony as it is definitely in a hotel). Not sure if this makes any difference though.

So can anyone tell me if I would normally be allowed to take shots during a ceremony?

[electrolyte]

I've been an idiot - I've posted this in the wrong forum. Senu or Zone, please could you move this to the main forum? Thanks!

[nonumb]

In both of the weddings I have been to in the past few years there have been photos being taken in the main ceremony not all the time but at certain moments. I think its probably best just to ask the bride and groom what they want.

[kBm]

You need to check with the registrar who will dictate yay or nay. I have seen lots of wedding pictures during the ceremony. You can't take picture of signing the register, only the fake one.

[sep8001]

[FONT=Times New Roman]The ones I have been to allowed us to take a movie but not photos until the ceremony was over, but as suggested check with the registrar.[/FONT]

[electrolyte]

Thanks guys, I will check with the registrar. And well done for finding my thread despite my best efforts to hide it!!

[Zone]

Originally Posted by electrolyte

I've been an idiot - I've posted this in the wrong forum. Senu or Zone, please could you move this to the main forum? Thanks!

Sorry for the late move Si

[Spod]

Think I've been to three as a guest in the last 18 months, all allowed you as a guest to take photographs but NO flash photography during the ceremony, one even stipulated that it was againt some local council law but in every occasion the tog was using either flash or studio lighting throughout. Only one of those was in a church though and it's probably all down to the venue Good luck and have fun

[electrolyte]

Originally Posted by Zone

Sorry for the late move Si

Thanks for moving it Si. And no need to apologise, I got lots of great replies even when my post was hidden in the wrong forum!

Originally Posted by Spod

Think I've been to three as a guest in the last 18 months, all allowed you as a guest to take photographs but NO flash photography during the ceremony, one even stipulated that it was againt some local council law but in every occasion the tog was using either flash or studio lighting throughout. Only one of those was in a church though and it's probably all down to the venue Good luck and have fun

Thanks mate, very helpful.

[Faldrax]

Remembering back to my wedding, which was also a civil ceremony at a hotel, one thing that impressed us was the way the photographer knew the building and staff, and co-ordinated his timing of post-ceremony shots with the kitchen.
If you have the chance (and haven't done so already) it's probably well worth heading over to the venue and talking to whoever is in charge of the wedding. They will be wanting everything to go as smoothly as possible, so should be quite amenable to your having a good look round so you have an idea of lighting, backdrops, etc, and also know who to speak to from the hotel on the day.

[rizingstar]

I've just done a wedding for a friend and I couldn't take any when the ceremony was on, yet all the friends and family at the front were clicking away I still managed to grab a few like, can't hear you when they are clapping theres a few on my flickr from the day, I have more but those are the ones with permission

[sleaver]

I've been asked to do a wedding in September next year (we'll more like assumed) and been reading up a bit and it seems, as has been said, the best advice is to ask the person doing the wedding/service. They should allow you to photograph key bits but with the signing it will only be a fake one due to data protection!

I think it also depends on who you are! For example I went to a wedding at a registry office and they didn't have an official photographer, just friends and family with P&S. I got married in the same registry office and had a professional photographer and they allowed it. I assume as the photographer knew what he was doing and could stay out of the way rather than several people all trying to get in the way at the same time to get a shot!

[tomson]

I've never shot a civil ceremony where I wasn't allowed to shoot the whole service. But do make the effort to introduce yourself to the registrar - they're usually pretty relaxed about things and they might have a few suggestions to make your shoot go smoothly.

[electrolyte]

Thanks for the replies guys; some really useful tips there.

[T0MAT01]

I've also got a bit of a noob wedding 'tog question... I've been asked whether I will take a deposit to photograph a wedding next year, so I was wondering what people normally do with regards to payment. Would you take a deposit and then leave the remainder to be paid once you hand over the final prints?