Wedding Photography At The Stanford Memorial Church

Wedding Photography at the Stanford Memorial Church – 3 Things To Consider

I recently had the opportunity to shoot wedding photography at the Stanford Memorial Church. It is one of the most beautiful ceremony locations I have photographed. And definitely the nicest Catholic church I have shot a wedding in! Although it was an amazing experience, there are a few things to consider. Here are three things to keep in mind when planning a wedding at the Stanford Memorial Church.

You Will Need A Connection to The University

First and foremost, you will need to have a connection to the Stanford University. If you or your partner are a Stanford University graduate, you are good to go. Other than this, you will need to have a pretty strong connection to the University to be eligible. Before planning your dream wedding, make sure that you can in fact hold your ceremony at the church 😉

There Are A Lot of Restrictions

Another thing to consider when planning on wedding photography at the Stanford Memorial Church is that there are a lot of restrictions. In terms of photography, you are only allowed to take pictures in certain areas of the church. With nearly all of the weddings I shoot, I attend the day-before walkthrough. Attending the day-before walkthrough gives the Photographer and the couple to envision how the ceremony will be captured and come up with a “game plan.”

One of the first things to consider is that Photographers are not allowed to take pictures except in certain areas. These areas are relatively far away from the alter and only straight on. Photographers can only use flash during the processional and recessional. By meeting with the Wedding Coordinator, they can go over all of this – so that you and your Photographer are on the same page and do not break any of the rules 🙂

You Will Need Multiple Angles To FULLY Capture The Beauty

Lastly, you will need to have multiple angles in order to FULLY capture the beauty of the Memorial Church. When photographing a wedding, I always have an Associate Photographer. This enables us to capture your wedding from different vantage points – all at the same time. The Memorial Church has a large balcony where you can capture a high point of view. I especially like this perspective when the Bride/Groom are coming down the aisle. And it is also great to capture a good perspective of the architecture of the church.

Another thing to consider is that photography is not allowed in the balcony area to the left and right of the alter. However, you can set up cameras that can be triggered remotely. I was able to do this and captured some great images from many different angles throughout the ceremony.

If you have the opportunity to have your wedding ceremony at the Stanford Memorial Church, you will not be disappointed! It is a beautiful setting – but there are some tricky restrictions to consider. Coming up with a game plan, with your Photographer, is key to being able to capture the beauty of your wedding and the Memorial Church. Thanks!