The Most Amazing Bridal Bouquet Toss!
Freeze-action photo of bride tossing her bouquet. © Dan Wagner 2023
This is one of my favorite stop-action photos of a bride tossing her bouquet. Notice her concentration and perfect form—magnificent! As a Long Island wedding photographer, getting a shot like this is the reward for years of experience and preparation for these once-in-a-lifetime moments.
Technically, this shot is possible in part due to the short flash duration of electronic speedflash equipment. So, even though I’m shooting at say 1/200th of a second, the duration of my flash might only be 1/20,000th of a second—which is enough to stop motion. That said, it does help to shoot at the peak of action. In the case of the bride tossing her wedding bouquet above, the peak of action happens shortly after tossing.
To make sure I’m happy with the light balance on the bride and the background, I try to shoot a few test shots—time permitting. And if possible, I ask the bride to begin the bouquet toss from an optimal location. In the example above, we had to take the location of the crystal chandelier into consideration.
People often ask me if the bouquet that gets thrown is the actual wedding bouquet. In some cases it is, but usually the florist prepares a special lighter weight bouquet for tossing. When you think about this, it make a lot of sense. Some bouquets are quite heavy, and difficult to catch. The added bulk can also make them more prone to damage. One clue that the wedding bouquet above is a “tossing bouquet” is the narrowness in the stem area.
Photography Tips for the Bride’s Wedding Bouquet Toss
Find a good location to initiate the toss
Consider the distance from the bride to the single people vying to catch the bouquet
Make sure there aren’t any obstructions such as chandeliers or low ceilings
In the case of low ceilings or immovable obstructions ask the bride to modify the toss
For occasions where the bride hopes a specific person will catch the bouquet, it’s a good idea to make sure the catcher is in the optimum location
To ensure the bride and bouquet are as sharp as possible—make sure your shutter speed for ambient light isn’t too slow
Select an f/stop that gives you the necessary depth-of-field so that the bride is sharp and the background is less sharp
Ask the bride to rehearse her tossing movement
As soon as you shoot the bouquet toss, quickly step forward and to one side to get a photo of the person catching the bouquet
Stay alert so you can photograph wedding guest and participant reaction shots, and also try to take some candid and posed shots of the bride with the person who caught the bouquet
As you can see, even shots that look simple require a good deal of thought, preparation, and luck. Fortunately, by following the tips outlined above, and enlisting the help of the bride, your chances of getting great wedding photos will be in your favor.
“I could not have been more pleased with our photography choice. Dan was so easy to communicate with and really captured the feeling we wanted in our photographs. His price was fair in comparison with other photographers and was very flexible in creating our package. On the day of the wedding everything went smoothly with no kinks and honestly during the day we barely even knew he was there taking the pictures.”
—Zarrea and Elvis
Every Bride and Groom Deserve Beautiful Wedding Photos!
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