receiving line

I'm still hungover. The wedding was Saturday. It's Monday morning. And it wasn't even so much the wine, despite me being a human champagne composter (waste not, want not). It was the truffles and the cream cheese tarts and the bruscetta and the cake and the cheeks sore from smiling. Everyone's cheeks were sore, I bet. An abundance of happiness to the point of facial cramp.

With a pro photographer to take care of a short burst of family portraits, my lovely cousin asked me to be the candid sneak throughout the day, and so I was. I'm so carried away with editing that I'd entirely forgotten my Shutter Sisters turn, and so I rifled through the ones I've done so far to share one with you.

I love it because it is so very her. Quick to laugh, generous of spirit. Which is infectious. Which is why I've still got a headache, but happily so.

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Today, share with us your captures of weddings and other special events, and tell us a little of how it felt to be behind the camera on that day.

Comments

[Jen at Cabin Fever]

Being behind the camera on a wedding day SCARES the crap out of me... I think it is because my photographer ended up being pretty lousy after numerous meetings with her and even a 'practice' shoot where she shot couples photos of my husband and I. Now I'm left with no photos of my grandmother and I and our big kiss photo is angled weird and out of focus. I just don't want the pressure of a bride's fury hanging over me! I know how bad it can be :)

But do check out my other photos and my photo contest "Life in Contrast". It's a little less scary (in my book) hehe.
http://www.cabinfeververmont.com

[cdscott]

I'm with Jen...I can't handle the kind of responsibility that wedding photos require. But I did assist a photographer friend at a small wedding. She handled all the "required" images and asked me to get candids and odd angles of her posed shots. She prefaced that day with the fact that none of my images were needed to fulfill the bride's order...they would all be "fluff: And consequently, I had so much fun! And some of my images were used by the bride after all. No pressure on me and a few extras for the bride!

[Hannah]

I took this at the beach wedding of a close childhood friend. They were walking back up the beach after the ceremony, and I just love the happiness it portrays. Yes, it's out of focus, but I love it anyway- I feel that it perfectly captures the bliss of that day. When we were little girls we dreamed about our weddings- it was such an honor to capture her's.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hannahmayo/4574417773/

[Vanessa]

Weddings are a bit terrifying but I love shooting them. Well..as of now I do. I've done two & have my third booked for this weekend. I love being part of someone's day. And I find that having my client give me a list of must have shots ahead of time has been helpful. That way I'm sure not to miss anything. It is a lot of pressure though. It's not like they can recreate the day.
My flickr set from my first wedding. It was a great one to ease me into wedding photography because it was so laid back. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lochnessmommy/sets/72157622512592034/

[mama-pan]

my sister had a lovely wedding last month, and her pro. photographer was excellent: he's a former AP photographer and friend of the family, and the least obtrusive wedding photographer I have ever seen. And yet he got fantastic posed and candid shots--I guess that's the journalistic experience coming through. My part came at the rehearsal, and this is one of my favorite shots:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98076237@N00/4474451629/in/set-72157623731398070/
I guess you wouldn't know it was from a wedding unless I told you. But somehow I think it captures the tension/anticipation everyone feels the day before their wedding--even my very laid-back sister.

[Bridge]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/3852830292/in/set-72157622107450854/
I think weddings lend themselves to joyful photos-especially candids. this is the bride and her sisters during the wedding reception. look how happy!

[traceyclark]

well, well, what sweet synchronicity. look what i spent my weekend doing:
http://www.traceyclark.com/sessions/2010/5/3/amy-shawn-true-love.html
: )
I spent many many years shooting weddings every single weekend. After taking time away from these big events i have found myself getting back into it on occassion. its been so fun for me! the best part about weddings is that there are opportunities for beautiful photos everywhere you look!! color, texture, beauty and love. a photographer's dream.

[Puna]

I had the honor of filling at the very last minute (very very last minute) for a wedding. The wedding was last minute too so that's the way it was. I had never shot a wedding before nor have I since. I just turned down an invitation to do one because I'm not a professional...

Anyway, in spite of it all, it's a true celeration.
http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2010/01/january-5-i-will-always-love-you/

[Trude]

LOL love that line about composting champagne. :) And that is SUCH a wonderful candid shot! I helped a fellow Shutter Sister out on a small backyard wedding back in March, loved this shot of the bride's daughter who had been incredibly shy the whole rest of the day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/4433792052/in/set-72157622994428533/

[Samantha Dutcher]

I love love love weddings!

Moments like the following are what make it so fun. Never a dull moment!

http://robandsamphoto.com/artwork/1006920_Cat_Dusty.html

[Liz]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/4120655161/in/set-72157594587517465/

not sure what i love so much about this pic--the soft light, maybe? there's nothing special about me taking pics at a wedding; i don't have the gear or the know-how to be anything even sort of official. but it's fun. there are opportunities to play in all the rites that go with weddings.

[Michele]

When I think of weddings, I am always thinking about all the details, the small things that make the day special and worth remembering(of course, the bride ALWAYS is in thought, lol). So, when I attending one of my best friends weddings, I just had to snap this shot. The lighting was perfect!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michele_denotter_photography/4274484660/in/set-72157623209173348/

[Nalen Aguilar]

I had the chance to be one of the guests at one family member's surprised birthday party, I wasn't invited to document the happenings but I couldn't stop myself from taking photos right where I was sitting.

How I loved to be behind my camera, the kitchen was like a stage and I was a patron, watching the guests catching up with each other’s lives, right through my lens.

http://manilenya.com/2010/05/03/candid-snapshots/

[Kristin Zecchinelli]

i was only a second shooter at one wedding. it was so exciting.
the main photographer was getting all the posed and wide shots, i was more in close, finding little details and glances.... this was one of my personal faves from that day.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/3836383701/in/set-72157621959881145/

and then i asked them to sit on the swings at the playground... i think they thought i was nutty. maybe they are right. but i liked the sweetness of this shot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/3821607691/in/set-72157621959881145/

[jakki]

When my baby cousin (he's all of 3 years younger than me) got married...he asked me to come up and 'just do what you do'...he had a photographer there but c'mon...lets be honest...family and friends KNOW what nuiances to try and capture...what composition of a photo YELL 'life is good!'. I LOVED doing it....mainly because it wasnt a job but I also loved it because after a divorce you kinda wanna see that marriage is a wonderful thing...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/valeenwashington/4341932586/sizes/o/

[underthebigbluesky]

being the matron of honor doesn't leave too much time for snapping but i was happy to grab two very quick candid shots at my best friend's wedding. i grabbed the first shot of her reviewing her vows just one more time before we walked out the door which just summed up the day for me, then this second shot just showed the sense of relief and the welcoming of the celebration...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metreesandgirls/3559649442/in/set-72157618717392608/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metreesandgirls/3558844843/in/set-72157618717392608/