Elegant Cathedral Wedding Ceremony

Claireace & Paulo’s Elegant Cathedral Wedding Ceremony

As a studio, we shoot around 15 weddings a year. The majority of the weddings we shoot are at golf courses, wineries, or dedicated wedding venues. It was really refreshing to photograph Claireace and Paulo’s wedding in a church! Here are some of the images captured of Claireace and Paulo’s elegant cathedral wedding ceremony at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph – and three things to consider when having your wedding ceremony inside of a cathedral.

Cathedrals Have Strict Policies on Photography

Perhaps the most important item to consider is the Cathedral’s photography policy. Many churches have very strict rules on what Photographers can and cannot do. Some do not allow photography at all. Using the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph as an example, we were not allowed to photograph from the aisle (the Bride coming down the aisle), the closest we could get was three rows back or further, and we could not use flash. These were just some of the rules.

Elegant Cathedral Wedding Ceremony

Cathedrals Do Not Have Much Light

No doubt, the most important factor in photography is light. The amount of light there is, the quality of it, and how to capture images in various different lighting situations. While the aesthetics of cathedrals is very appealing, having an elegant cathedral wedding ceremony has its trade offs. Before booking a Photographer, make sure that they are comfortable and capable photographing your ceremony with not a lot of light. Ask them to provide examples of a past wedding that has similar lighting.

Plan on a Longer Ceremony And Not a Lot of Time Afterwards

Another thing to consider is that your ceremony will last at least 60 minutes – which is much longer than most weddings. Many Photographers charge an hourly rate for their services. Having a longer wedding ceremony may result in more overall hours of coverage for your wedding. Along with this, if you plan on taking family portraits inside of the cathedral – you may have just 30 minutes. This is not a lot of time to photograph all of your posed portraits. Scheduling some of the family portraits before the ceremony may be necessary.

Hopefully these are some useful tips to get you started on your search for a wedding venue. If you are planning a wedding and are looking for a Photographer, I would love to connect with you and go over more details on how I approach wedding photography. Thanks!