Wedding customs are very interesting in that the vary from one geographic location to another- some are traditional, some are governed by religious tenets and some are based on superstition or local ways of doing things. I some cultures it is strictly forbidden for the couple to see each other before the wedding ceremony, in other cultures it is perfectly all right and considered normal procedure for photography and in other circles it is considered bad luck. Nowadays in so many instances it is strictly up to the bride and groom.
Examples- At ultra-orthodox Jewish weddings it is strictly prohibited for the couple to see each other for about 10 days before the wedding. At most regular orthodox or conservative Jewish weddings it is traditional for both families and the bridal parties to gather before the ceremony and do a comprehensive formal session with their photographer. In many Christian denominations it seems to me that the churches has no particular say in the matter and the couple will do as the see fit- the same applies to civil marriages. At Muslim weddings the ceremony is not preformed in a Mosque. An official of the Mosque will attend at a secular venue such as a hotel or a hall and confirm the marriage- formal photographs can be made before or after this event.
I prefer to do all my formals before the ceremony but I never insist- I want the couple and their families to be comfortable with the arrangements and follow their traditions as they wish. If the couple are undecided, I explain the pros and cons of each plan and encourage them to choose what is more comfortable for themselves.
If all the formals are done in advance, in privacy, there is no issues with other photographers distracting the bridal party. We can achieve more emotional and intimate results because no one is making wise cracks, "entertaining" or giving instructions while I am shooting. Th rest of the day leaves the families free to enjoy the ceremony and reception without further interruption by my ruining around and trying to reassemble family and bridal party members who are in washrooms or having a smoke in the stairwells.
Now about the couple meeting for the first time as bride and groom in their wedding attire. The reaction is wonderful! If it is done in privacy all that wonderful expressions and romantic interaction can be captured in the formal closeups- sometimes this it nearly impossible to capture those nuances of expression in the middle of the church aisle with the entire conjuration looking on.
I live and work in a very multicultural city and I have learned yo roll with the punches and accommodate the wishes of many brides. Oftentimes brides borrow some of the traditions of other cultures and religious groups and add them to their ceremonies and festivities. There are also many mixed or cross cultural marriages and customs and traditions are combined.
If every wedding was exactly the same, I might have become board over the last 51 years. There is no harm in suggesting other "routines" as long as the are not offensive to the clients. I never ridicule what other photographers do in order to look after their clients and their communities. An open mind is the best bet!
There are more similarities between various ethnic and cultural weddings but it is the differences that make life as a wedding photographer more interesting and challenging.
As for equipment failure- we can not depend on amateur images to save the day of there is a major equipment failure. If anyone is overly concerned, a second shooter is a better precautionary procedure. Going back to the olden days of shooting 4x5 sheet film at weddings, we were strictly trained to make sure a sheet of film did not pop out of a film holder and block the bellows. We also used to check synchronization a regular intervals and switch to a spare camera of there were any issues. When the trend went to medium format, the same synch test was preformed from roll to roll and we also observed whether the automatic diaphragm was working smoothly. The same procedures were applied to 35mm film cameras. We also checked and made sure the rewind crank was spinning properly as we advanced the film to insure that the film did not detach from the take up spool. No with digital we still "chimp" to make sure thing are functioning properly. Theses are professional procedures that must become second nature while shooting. Following theses routines will insure that you only loose a frame or two if there is a malfunction- not the entire job.
Ed
