Wedding Shots Inside Church

CaptainPenguin

CaptainPenguin

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Nigel Cliff
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I have noticed recently in a number of threads Togs saying that Vicar's are refusing to allow shots inside church,When I was a regular weekend togger a few years ago I never came across this problem,many vicars insisted on no flash understandably so it was a tripod from the back of church or balcony job but many (especially Catholic Priests) were happy for me to wonder araound as long as I did not get in the way.

So I wonder is this a regular problem for you Wedding Togs now and if so any idea why
 
I was at a wedding a few weeks back and the official tog was snapping away during the ceremony with no flash. Mainly during the singing and the vows, not during the prayers though obviously.
 
I went to my freinds wedding 2 weeks ago and the priest was happy for anyone to take photos, with flash! The priest was my mates dad though :lol: He's Orthodox if that's relevant.
 
Varies a great deal. A wedding in early July was at a great church and the Vicar told the couple no problem with photos, go bananas. On the day he was called away and the replacement said only photos walking up the aisle, signing, and exit which was a real shame.

But it's not just churches, registrars each have their rules too.
 
So far this year I'd estimate at 60% of weddings I've not been able to get any shots during the ceremony at all. In those cases, only the signing of the (fake) register.

In one such case the vicar started clapping whilst singing during a hymn, so I followed his claps and took a few shots as he clapped so he wouldn't hear the shutter :naughty:

It's such a shame. I emailed the TP team about the issue a while ago, suggesting TP and it's members could approach the likes of Church Times magazine to open a debate on the issue, with the aim of encouraging more vicars to relax their rules. The church would no doubt agree that the ceremony is the most important part of the day, the buildings are beautiful etc, and yet the B&G aren't allowed any reminder of that part of their day. It would have to be handled carefully so as not to sound like we're whinging or anything, and the biggest priority would be to not pee the vicars off, but it's an issue that would help us togs and many B&G's potentially, whilst also raising the profile of TP.

I never received a reply from the TP team :shrug:
 
The church needs to understand it's target market better :P
 
pxl8 said:
But it's not just churches, registrars each have their rules too.
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Indeed. At a recent wedding the wedding planner chap mention the registrar doesn't allow photography during the ceremony, but then said "Mind you, in 30 minutes she'll be out of here, and what's she gonna do?" i.e. take some! Was a bit annoying as the groom overheard our conversation so I then HAD to take a couple.
 
It's supposed to be a sacred time isn't it, a unique moment between the couple and God, witnessed by family and close friends only. Special and personal, and uniquely memorable without worldly intrusions.

Or is it just an all day party. An excuse to dress up and get mashed with a guaranteed jump at the end. Just with a slightly serious bit with some boring bloke in the middle.
 
HoppyUK said:
It's supposed to be a sacred time isn't it, a unique moment between the couple and God, witnessed by family and close friends only. Special and personal, and uniquely memorable without worldly intrusions.

Or is it just an all day party. An excuse to dress up and get mashed with a guaranteed jump at the end. Just with a slightly serious bit with some boring bloke in the middle.
Click to expand...

Really it's neither, a wedding isn't sacred, it's a public showing of love and commitment by a couple, and by law should be open to anyone. The church service part is 45 minutes or so of a whole day. If the couple (who are paying the for the use of church remember) want photos of their service then really the church should allow it. Some do some don't, about 3 weeks ago I had a nothing at all during the service, last week at a different church it was take what you like as long as you don't disrupt the wedding.
Personally I think it's the lack of continuity thats a bigger problem, each vicar/priest makes it up as they go along.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Really it's neither, a wedding isn't sacred, it's a public showing of love and commitment by a couple, and by law should be open to anyone. The church service part is 45 minutes or so of a whole day. If the couple (who are paying the for the use of church remember) want photos of their service then really the church should allow it. Some do some don't, about 3 weeks ago I had a nothing at all during the service, last week at a different church it was take what you like as long as you don't disrupt the wedding.
Personally I think it's the lack of continuity thats a bigger problem, each vicar/priest makes it up as they go along.
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I was playing devil's advocate really ;) That is a really good post :thumbs:
 
swanseamale47 said:
Really it's neither, a wedding isn't sacred, it's a public showing of love and commitment by a couple, and by law should be open to anyone. The church service part is 45 minutes or so of a whole day. If the couple (who are paying the for the use of church remember) want photos of their service then really the church should allow it. Some do some don't, about 3 weeks ago I had a nothing at all during the service, last week at a different church it was take what you like as long as you don't disrupt the wedding.
Personally I think it's the lack of continuity thats a bigger problem, each vicar/priest makes it up as they go along.
Click to expand...

I have to agree - I've had a nothing at all this summer, and last Saturday the vicar couldn't of been more helpful. No flash but that was about it
 
I am doing a renewal of vows on Sunday and still no photographs during the service, at all - I did compliment him alot on the gorgeous church at the rehearsal, he just winked and said ' You won't get round me that easily ' haha, had to laugh he saw right through me !
 
HoppyUK said:
It's supposed to be a sacred time isn't it, a unique moment between the couple and God, witnessed by family and close friends only. Special and personal, and uniquely memorable without worldly intrusions.

Or is it just an all day party. An excuse to dress up and get mashed with a guaranteed jump at the end. Just with a slightly serious bit with some boring bloke in the middle.
Click to expand...

As a Christian and a tog I never had any problems with ensuring the sacrament of marriage was not disturbed,any shots I did take were during hymns so even the shutter of an old Bronica could not be heard, I do agree though that the inconsistency is the problem in fact I did weddings where the viacrs were well known to me because of my work in the local churches and they still said "No Photographs"
 
My last one was a Catholic vicar - shoot what you like from where you like says he :thumbs:

But you can't go on that red bit - which meant I couldn't get a shot of the couple's faces at all :(

A CoE earlier this year said - entering was ok, shooting during the first song and then wait for the register signing - and this was in quite a big church too where I could hardly hear him from the back, so I'm damn sure he couldn't hear the camera either, especially when it accidentally went off as I coughed ;)

DD
 
My daughter gets married a week on Sat, vicar says no photography during the service AT ALL.

Went to a friends wedding a few weeks ago & take as many pics as you like, but no flash, fair enough.


Think these sky pilots who ban photography act like "Tin Gods" !!!!!!!
 
Last church one I did, the vicar took me to one side and said no flash during the ceremony. About 15 of the guests spent the whole time taking flash pictures with compact cameras!
 
The Vicar on Saturday wasn't worried, he told me he was "sales" not "management"!
 
Well, I was early for tonights rehearsal and the very nice lady informed me where I could sit and shhot from - best view in the house, "would you be able to send me some nice ones aswell, with the B&G's blessing of course ? " Job done, first time I have ever had a reserved area in a church/chapel !
 
At one I did, the Vicar said no pics at all at the signing, not even fake ones!

So my colleague stood ever so reverendly camera clasped in her hands at waist height right in front of the vicar while I grabbed a couple with a long lens from the other side of the church. It was shot quite flat so you can't read anything in the register, even blown up to 100%.

Those are the only two shots of that part of their day. At least they have something and I'm not in breach of data protection because you can't see the register. :)
 
gus607 said:
My daughter gets married a week on Sat, vicar says no photography during the service AT ALL.

Went to a friends wedding a few weeks ago & take as many pics as you like, but no flash, fair enough.


Think these sky pilots who ban photography act like "Tin Gods" !!!!!!!
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I would have thought it was up-to the bride and groom, as it's your daughters wedding it should be her choice.

I'm I correct in thinking you have to pay the vicar, then he should be accommodating to what YOU want and not the other way round.
 
whiteflyer said:
I would have thought it was up-to the bride and groom, as it's your daughters wedding it should be her choice.

I'm I correct in thinking you have to pay the vicar, then he should be accommodating to what YOU want and not the other way round.
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I really don't understand this - paying the Vicar means suddenly he's your slave? If you're not happy with the service being provided, go elsewhere.
 
whiteflyer said:
I would have thought it was up-to the bride and groom, as it's your daughters wedding it should be her choice.

I'm I correct in thinking you have to pay the vicar, then he should be accommodating to what YOU want and not the other way round.
Click to expand...

pxl8 said:
I really don't understand this - paying the Vicar means suddenly he's your slave? If you're not happy with the service being provided, go elsewhere.
Click to expand...


We yes that's sort of what I was eluding too, I just don't really understand how/why the vicar can dictate that no photos are taken. Yes I know it's his/her church, but you are hiring him and it for your wedding service, you would not let the vicar pick the hymns so why let him stop the togs.

OK so he can say he would like no flash and photos when the actual vows are being spoken but NO PHOTOGRAPHY at all :thinking:
 
Is that really any different from any other service? You can accept the terms, haggle or walk away. If you hire a band would you expect to be able to tell them what songs to sing, in which order and who should sing which lines? After all, you're paying them....
 
AliB said:
At one I did, the Vicar said no pics at all at the signing, not even fake ones!

So my colleague stood ever so reverendly camera clasped in her hands at waist height right in front of the vicar while I grabbed a couple with a long lens from the other side of the church. It was shot quite flat so you can't read anything in the register, even blown up to 100%.

Those are the only two shots of that part of their day. At least they have something and I'm not in breach of data protection because you can't see the register. :)
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how this DP and the register business came about. It seems wrong to me - after all it is a public record so the DP act doesn't apply. I can understand why they don't want it photographing but that reason itself is wrong


On Saturday the vicar let me photograph the actual signing - said she couldn't be bothered with a fake one afterwards as she didn't see the point, so thats not consistent either

Hugh
 
Always, always ask:) Kings College Chapel at Aberdeen University is a very popular venue - but the photographer & videographer are banished up to the gallery beside the organist at the back of the chapel for the ceremony. Registrars generally don't mind, as long as you keep the flash off during the ceremony, but every single one up our way has a different set of rules!

And people wonder why we spend so much money on fast glass? ;)
 
I'm getting married on Saturday and the vicar is happy for pictures to be taken so long as there is no flash. I guess some are a little more flexible than others.
 
boyfalldown said:
I'm not sure how this DP and the register business came about. It seems wrong to me - after all it is a public record so the DP act doesn't apply. I can understand why they don't want it photographing but that reason itself is wrong


On Saturday the vicar let me photograph the actual signing - said she couldn't be bothered with a fake one afterwards as she didn't see the point, so thats not consistent either

Hugh
Click to expand...

At the rehearsal a few weeks ago I mentioned the DP issue to the vicar and he gave me a very puzzled look and said he'd never heard of anything that says you can't photograph the register and that I should feel free to snap away. He is a very experienced vicar and it seems obvious that there is no "memo" that says photographers shouldn't photograph the register so I suspect it is a case of certain vicars interpreting rules in a similar way to "officials" interpreting the rules about photographing children.
 
The frequent interpretation of register signing is, other B&Gs names appear on the same page and this is the DP concern.
Another is , the copyright symbol of the crown. Some clergy couldn't care less, others enforce it.
Photos in Church -Once the Church doors are closed, it's goes from a public ceremony to private, under the command of the clergy, and if they say no photos, no photos.

I know many clergy are sick of hearing the virtually continous clickety click during solemn moments. When film was used, there was 3 or 4 carefully exposed shots during the ceremony. Now digital's here and those who can't get it right 1st time machine gun their way through the ceremony, they are clamping down on even the careful pros.
This is a real shame for those who show discretion in Church.
 
mercedes said:
The frequent interpretation of register signing is, other B&Gs names appear on the same page and this is the DP concern.
Another is , the copyright symbol of the crown. Some clergy couldn't care less, others enforce it.
Photos in Church -Once the Church doors are closed, it's goes from a public ceremony to private, under the command of the clergy, and if they say no photos, no photos.

I know many clergy are sick of hearing the virtually continous clickety click during solemn moments. When film was used, there was 3 or 4 carefully exposed shots during the ceremony. Now digital's here and those who can't get it right 1st time machine gun their way through the ceremony, they are clamping down on even the careful pros.
This is a real shame for those who show discretion in Church.
Click to expand...


I understand what you say about the register signing and know this is the issue, but the register is a public document so I don't really understand why the DP act would come into it.

I also agree with what you're saying about those who show discretion, but I've never had a vicar say to me shutter noise bothers them, but they are annoyed by inconsiderate photographers who don't listen to their wishes and this makes them less accomidating for the rest of us.

Hugh
 
I've attended talks by high ranking C. of E. clergy and discussed concerns over various issues on photos in Church.
There are, though the blanket restricions may not specify it, many complaints about shutter noise, togs running round during the ceremony and even stopping proceedings to get their shot.
Many clergy are patient and tolerant, but some togs take liberties, hence 'no photos'.
The more that take liberties, the wider the ban goes.
Be careful out there - hell beckons :)
 
I think another variable is how often the couple attend church as experience tells me those who are regulars tend to get a better deal and more flexibility. The church are, perhaps, less likely to help couples who are just treating the church as a nice setting for their wedding :thinking:
 
I've never had a problem with photographing wedding ceremonies...
I usually speak to the Vicar beforehand and explain what's required and do a recce of the venue first - most are getting the idea that as long as you're a 'proper' photographer then a certain amount of delicacy can be expected during the 'important' bits...
I usually explain that as long as the church is correctly lit, then flash isn't required.

As others have mentioned, the biggest problem is all the other guests 'flashing' away...
 
mercedes said:
I've attended talks by high ranking C. of E. clergy and discussed concerns over various issues on photos in Church.
There are, though the blanket restricions may not specify it, many complaints about shutter noise, togs running round during the ceremony and even stopping proceedings to get their shot.
Many clergy are patient and tolerant, but some togs take liberties, hence 'no photos'.
The more that take liberties, the wider the ban goes.
Be careful out there - hell beckons :)
Click to expand...

I think you may have it spot on here Mercedes regarding Togs showing no regard for the church and the service,in fact in an article in a photo mag recently a supposedly top UK wedding tog was quoted as saying "Avoid the vicar so he cant tell you what and what not to do".I was always taught speak to the Vicar to ensure you dont break any rules so you are welcome at that church again
 
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