Let’s Celebrate! Staying Busy at the Reception

When you arrive at the reception, you’re on the home stretch. This segment of the wedding day is often the most relaxed because the couple and their family and friends have the chance to kick back and celebrate. Though the reception can be laid back, as the wedding photographer, you still have quite a few moments and details to capture, which I go over in the following sections.

Getting the detail shots

Of all the settings on a wedding day, the reception is usually the one that is most carefully decorated. Some receptions are like eye candy for a photographer! The venue may be decorated with a lot of DIY (do-it-yourself) details, flowers, food, and other items to document, as you discover in the following sections.

tip.eps If possible, try to get to the reception site before the majority of the guests do so you can snap photos of the location and decorations uninterrupted.

The location

The first thing to photograph when you arrive at the reception is the venue itself. As I discuss in Chapter 7, you should capture the big picture and the details. Consider shooting the following pictures:

check.png A pulled-back shot of the whole reception area

check.png Close-up ...

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