Long Island Wedding Ceremony Photos
Bride and groom ceremony at the Long Island Metropolitan Club. © Dan Wagner 2023
For your Long Island ceremony photos, I arrive one hour before you arrive at the church, or other ceremony location. This gives me time to photograph the ceremony location, speak with the clergy person or wedding officiant, photograph the groom and groomsmen, and your arrival. In many cases, the bride and groom will schedule a photo session before the ceremony. This is very useful when we don’t have time for bridal party and family photos after the ceremony.
Before going further, I should mention that some brides prefer to begin their wedding photography coverage at the ceremony. Their reasons include not needing coverage earlier because they’re getting ready at a salon, scheduling issues, and wanting to save money on photography costs. So, unless you’re ordering a wedding album, and want to devote two pages to getting ready photos, you might feel getting ready photos aren’t necessary.
Prior to your wedding ceremony, I always confer with your clergy person or wedding officiant to make sure I know their ceremony and location rules and when key events will occur. Taking time to make friends with them, and showing respect is very important. Some rules might apply to where I shouldn’t stand, and when I not to use a flash.
Bride and groom ceremony at the Long Island Metropolitan Caterers. © Dan Wagner 2023
During your wedding ceremony, I will also take detail photos of your wedding program (if you have one), bridal party, family, and wedding guest reaction photos, interior and exterior photos of the ceremony location, and as many candid photojournalistic photos as possible. My goal is to tell as complete an emotional story of your wedding ceremony as possible.
Having photographed hundreds of wedding ceremony photos, I don’t require a shot list. That said, you’re always welcome to let me know if you have any requests. Throughout your wedding day, I’m always on the lookout for photo opportunities that will have you saying, “I’m so glad Dan got that shot.”
Whether it’s candid ceremony, cocktail hour, or reception photos—people often compliment me by saying they didn’t remember my taking certain photos. I believe that being as unobtrusive as possible, and asserting oneself only as needed, is the mark of a good wedding photographer. After all, it’s your wedding, not a photo shoot!
Bride and groom after their Long Island wedding ceremony. © Dan Wagner 2023
10 Long Island Wedding Ceremony Photo Tips
Consult with your photographer regarding arriving a hour before your wedding ceremony.
Make sure the flowers are delivered to your wedding ceremony location in time for photos.
Ask your limo driver to arrive early enough for your photographer to take arrival and limo exiting photos.
Make sure everyone has your wedding ceremony addresses and location contact information.
After reaching the ceremony location, the limo driver should have everyone wait inside the limo until the photographer is in position. If you’ve hired a videographer to shoot from the ceremony through the reception, then they will be at the ceremony location to film your limo’s arrival.
Make sure all the wedding guests know not to step into the aisle, or hold their cellphones in the aisle during the wedding processional and recessional. If they do, they run the risk of ruining the photos taken by your photographer.
Let everyone know if there will be bubbles, rice, birdseed, or flower petals being thrown after the ceremony. For rice and birdseed, be sure to remind people to throw up in the air and not at you. Sometimes people, especially children get too enthusiastic.
Make sure your bridal party knows to stick around and be ready for photos in front of the church or elsewhere.
If taking bridal party and family photos, make sure people know what to do, and where to go. For photos during your cocktail hour, it’s a great idea to ask your bridal attendant or someone else to “herd” people to the photo location. That way they can join your cocktail hour ASAP.
During your processional and recessional, please remind the people walking down the aisle not to walk too fast. In my roll as your wedding photographer, I aim to take three photos of each person walking down the aisle.
Long Island Wedding Venues
As a Long Island wedding photographer, many of my favorite venues for wedding ceremonies are located near my Huntington office. I frequently photograph weddings at the Harborclub at Prime, Crest Hollow Country Club, Centerport Yacht Club, Chateau at Coindre Hall, Crescent Beach Club, de Seversky Mansion, Fox Hollow, Larkfield Manor, Mansion at Oyster Bay, Milleridge Inn, Mutton Town Club, Pavilion at Sunken Meadow, Seawanhaka Yacht Club, The Metropolitan, Three Village Inn, Water’s Edge, Watermill Caterers, Westbury Manor, Willow Creek, and other venues located further away such as the Hamptons.
I believe every bride and groom deserve beautiful wedding photos, friendly service, and reasonable prices. To make sure your wedding photos will be beautiful, I’ve spent years honing my craft. Photographing every wedding myself means you know what to expect. Every Long Island wedding photo you see on this website was shot by me.—Dan Wagner
Please view my Long Island Wedding Getting Ready Photos article, wedding photography testimonials, packages, and wedding photography shot list article.
Stay tuned for more Long Island wedding photography blog articles!
“Dan Wagner came highly recommended by a very good friend who is also in the photography business. To be recommended by a competitor, I think, is one of the greatest compliments…and Dan most certainly lived up to his reputation. Dan’s work and professionalism are exquisite! Our wedding pictures are beautiful, romantic, creative, tasteful, spontaneous, some traditional & some modern. The wedding party had so much fun during the photo shoot in the gardens, that they didn’t even mind the cold, windy weather! We are extremely happy with our wedding pictures and video—they are wonderful lifetime memories.”
—Elaina and Scott
Every Bride and Groom Deserve Beautiful Wedding Photos!
Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences about Long Island wedding ceremony photos in the comment box below. Have a wonderful wedding, and many thanks for visiting my Long Island wedding photographer blog!