We just got back from a wedding in Jackson, MS, that we did for some close friends. It was held in a Methodist church, and we have not taken pictures in one before. Im not sure if this is a policy of the entire organization, just this church, or just the wedding director at that particular church, but we were not permitted to be on the floor of the sanctuary (the entire main auditorium where the ceremony took place), nor was flash photography allowed. Thankfully, we were able to use a balcony to take some distance shots, and Summer was able to sit with the guests and take a few shots from the audience. None of us, including the bride and groom, were aware of this policy until time for the rehearsal.

Some churches do not allow flash photography. This is pretty common in Catholic and Lutheren services. Many will not allow the photographers to be on the stage, which is only important if you are looking for some pictures that face towards the audience, not from. This was a new experience, being told we could not even be on the floor of the sanctuary.

It is always best to check early to see what is permissible, and to make sure that what is allowed agrees with what you want to get out of your ceremony and your pictures.

Our entire family flew out to Phoenix to cover this wedding at a beautiful private residence. The owner had recently finished his back yard, including a very large area for guests and a huge outdoor fireplace. The two story house allowed for us to get some great pictures from the balcony. As this was an evening wedding, the timing had to be right to make sure there was enough lights for formals, but this allowed for us to get some great sunset pictures after the ceremony.

As an interesting idea for others, Vera did something very creative with the guestbook at Omair and Christine’s wedding. She took pictures of guests as they arrived, and used a compact photo printer to print the pictures on an adhesive paper. These pictures were attached to poster boards, and while we were taking formals after the wedding, guests could go pen comments on the posters around the pictures.

Below is a gallery showing off a small percentage of the pictures that we took on their special day. Here is the full sample gallery.