Ceremony: Wedding Party + VIPs

In addition to the couple and the venue, images of the wedding party and VIPs rank high on the must-have shot list. Although the couple has center stage, the wedding party and VIPs are an important part of the wedding and capturing great images of these subjects will not only make the couple and their families and friends happy, but also make for better wall art clusters and album spreads when the time comes.

Here are the lenses, settings, and positions/shots you’ll need to consider for capturing this part of the ceremony:

LENSES

  • LEAD: 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 24mm TS-E
  • SECOND: 70-200mm (most often)
  • THIRD: 70-200mm (opposite angle to #2)

SETTINGS

  • SHUTTER SPEEDS: Ideally (1/500+) low-light (1/160+)
  • EXPOSURE: Max histogram without clipping shadows (highlight alert always on!)

POSITIONS/SHOTS

  • LEAD: Front Aisle (wide, medium, tight)
  • SECOND: Her side (wide, medium, tight)
  • THIRD: His side (wide, medium, tight)

It is worth noting when moving from one position to the next to capture these images, try to avoid walking in front of guests.