A question I am asked a lot from potential Christchurch wedding clients is this one:
“Is there really anything for you to photograph at the reception, apart from us arriving with our bridal party?”
To which I answer, absolutely.
While the tempo at the wedding reception tends to be slowing a little bit, as people settle in for a meal and drinks, that tempo can change in an instant, once the speeches begin.
Wedding reception emotion. Photo © Thomas Pickard | www.myweddingphotographer.co.nz
I have heard a lot of wedding reception speeches over the years. They have ranged from the downright hysterical right through to some of the most heartbreaking words you could hear.
Photographing speeches that are funny and make people laugh are easy. No one really minds having a photographer taking photos when everyone is laughing. You can get nice and close to the action and use wider angle lenses to capture the scene.
That all changes though when a bride literally breaks down into tears in front of 80 odd people at her wedding reception. As a wedding photographer, it is a time when I have to step way back from the scene, use a long lens and be as respectful as ever about how I am photographing a person at their most vulnerable.