Don't blink or you'll miss it
The year 2025 started strong with a night wedding that pushed me into a boiling pot of frustration & agitation. The subtly of this new "trend" has sunk its teeth into the industry; causing me to rub my temples by the end of the night - the goal of having your ceremony as quick as possible.
The beach at Surfside Hotel and Suites - Provincetown, Massachusetts
It's not a race
If I had to define wedding photography, it would be something along the lines of... a visual storytelling recording, with a direct focus on capturing the essence of the client's love for one another and the spirit of their family, loved ones and friends. When we have this goal in mind to make the ceremony short, we fail to remember that we are sacrificing the opportunities to capture moments we WILL miss.
York Harbor Beach - York, Maine
I want to tell your story
Throughout recent years, I've noticed a change in attitude towards how ceremonies are run. I've come to find out that there are few decisions made in consideration of strong imagery. Decisions that impact my ability to capture a variety of angles, point of views, and overall to stray away from the "point n' click."
The Pavilion at Pinehills Golf Club - Plymouth, Massachusetts
What's the point?
Understandably, most people do not like to be the center of attention. We forget that hosting a celebration this important, all the attention will be directed to the couple. Do not let this make us forget that we NEED to slow down and enjoy the minutes that will never replay again.
Birch Hill Farm - Gilford, New Hampshire
What sent me over?
Going back to the night wedding that kicked off 2025, I was forced to do the bare minimum to make sure I got key points to cover my ground. From the walks down the aisle, to the announcement of their first kiss, everything was set to be around 10 minutes. With this being planned so tightly, I had to ditch photographing things such as the perspective of one partner, in order to capture the ring exchange in time.
Granite Rose by Wedgewood Weddings - Hampstead, New Hampshire
Cobb Hill Estate - Harrisville, New Hampshire
Kitz Farm - Strafford, New Hampshire
Racing Down the Aisle
People time their weddings in order to meet a certain limit. When we do this, we treat the ceremony as a sporting event, rather than a moment to share amongst loved ones. This leaves the consequences of:
- not looking up when walking down the aisle; not seeing your face
- not hugging your loved one long enough
- not leaving enough time to capture both perspectives of the couple
- not leaving enough time to potentially capture audience members (i.e. crying faces, big smiles)
Birch Hill Farm - Gilford, New Hampshire
The Cellphone Itch
Nobody is going to listen to the, "no cellphone rule." There had been too many horror stories in the industry for people to trust any vendors. With access to a variety of technology, it makes it incredibly easy for people to forget that hired professionals are in presence to capture this special day. Without a 90 second or so verbal blurb about the couple, we are not giving guests the time to feed into their excitement of capturing their own memories. With this given time, cellphones begin to drop and it provides us a clear access to a wide shot of the ceremony.
Private Residence
Sloppy Ring Exchange
Referencing back to strong imagery, the ring exchange is rarely thought through and most cases rushed. Leaving me no chance to capture close-ups of those hands, variety of wide angles leading to the close-ups, and the possibility of capturing the subtle glances their partner gives you. Many people tend to cover most of the actual ring exchange with their own hands, preventing a clear view for a photo to enjoy later.
Pamet Harbor Yacht & Tennis Club - Truro, Massachusetts
The Point n' Click
The lack of movement around the ceremony, during this tight timeline, is due to the fear of missing the key points. With every precious second that passes under strict guidelines, this pushes more and more the, "point n' click" rather than capturing and creating art. With this mindset, we are sacrificing things such as:
- audience's expressions (i.e. immediate family members)
- different focal lengths to capture wide & close-ups of variety of moments
- perspective of each side and partner
Fairfield, Vermont
