In this part of the winter weddings in Southern California, I’m going to focus on some of the types of photographs you may want your wedding photographer to capture during your winter wedding. While this is not an exhaustive list, it’s a good start. The only limit that exists is your imagination (and of course time if you are rushed during your wedding).
Infrared photography:
Infrared Wedding Photography
If your wedding takes place in the snow, for example Big Bear, then you may not want to use infrared photography. However, chances are you won’t encounter much snow in many places in
Southern California, therefore, the use of infrared photography can dramatically change the look of your wedding from one that is ordinary to an extraordinary winter wedding look. This style and technique is something you want to discuss with your photographer and make sure they are equipped and knowledgeable on the use of black and white infrared photography. Quite a few photographers are using digital these days and infrared differs greatly between film and digital. So, again, yo want to discuss this with your wedding photographer and their comfort level with the process.
Winter decorations:
As I mentioned earlier in the last post on winter wedding favors, you want to make sure that you have decorated with wedding favors that convey your winter wedding theme. By decorating with your theme, your photographer will have plenty of opportunities to capture the feel of the season. Again, discuss this with your photographer as some may not place too much emphasis on the little details that you have spent so hard searching and preparing for.
Plants:
Winter Christmas Weddings
Another idea for decorating your winter wedding may include plants. This also gives your photographer more opportunities to capture the feel and mood of your winter wedding theme. Some suggestions include: poinsettias, pine cones,, pine trees (in small planters), or even a Christmas tree if that’s your thing and your winter wedding takes place in December. Notice the Christmas tree in the image to the right. It’s present, yet not the focal point of the picture. But you still get the feel of the season.
Angles or Angel Wings:
The presence of Angels is not just a religious icon, but it represents the Christmas season as well as winter. Your wedding dress may incorporate angel wings or you may want to consider the flower girls(s) wearing angel wings and sprinkling snow flakes down the aisle instead of rose pedals.
Fireplace:
Nothing says romance and winter like a fireplace. If your wedding site has one, then by all means you want to incorporate that into your photos. Fire places can enhance your winter wedding photos and videos. If you’re getting married on the beach, then a bonfire will work as well to communicate visually that it’s winter or cold at least. Take a look at this image of the fire place I used in the post for Valentines Day Wedding’s.
Snow:
This is without saying, but getting snow may be a bit of a challenge. If your budget allows it, you may wan to import snow for your wedding day ( I know, that may be a little too much). If you find that you are neither in the mountains for snow nor you can afford snow, one great way to “fake” a snow image is the use of infrared photography I mentioned above.
While I’m sure I only touched the surface when it comes to winter wedding photography ideas, but hopefully, it’s a start for you and gives you some ideas as well as helps you generate additional creative ideas for great winter themed wedding photography.
Church in San Diego showing sign as an establishing photo.
It’s pretty much like making a movie; you have an establishing shot of a scene and then you move into the scene itself. With wedding photography, it should be an automatic response to capture the “establishing shot” – where the wedding is taking place. The point of this photo is perhaps an obvious one; you want to create an image of where the couple was married. In addition, this image can be added to the wedding album, whether a traditional one or flush mount/magazine style album. Aside from photographing the actual wedding venue, another establishing photo can be of the reception site.
There are several options that a photographer can exercise when
Zosa Gardens, San Diego County
it comes to capturing the establishing photo of a wedding, however, my focus for this post is the use of signs (since this is part of my signs in your wedding photography series).
Perhaps the most common image is one where you have the bride and groom posed in front of the sign as in the image to the right. Here we have the couple standing in front of the gates to their wedding venue – Zosa Gardens in Valley Center (San Diego County). However, you may want to capture a more creative pose as seen in the photo of the couple kissing as the exit the church. Visible, is the name of the church where the couple where married; another good example of an establishing shot.
Handlery Hotel in San Diego
Finally, you may not have access to the couple or prefer an image without them visible (left). I suggest taking a photo of the couple in front of the sign and one without. This gives both the photographer and couple an option when design their wedding album.
You don’t necessarily have to make the establishing photo as blatant as having the couple stand in front of the sign or the sign of the wedding venue by itself, but it is nice to capture such an image as an alternative to show the couple.
Some ideas for capturing establishing photos of the couples wedding and reception venue:
- The wedding/reception venue sign by itself
- The building/structure of the wedding venue
- A photo of the overall site, including the building
- The invitation (if it has the name of the location – as most do)
- An image of the couple walking away with the venue sign in the background
- A photo of the couple in the background (out of focus) with the wedding venue sign in the foreground
- The wedding party in front of the name of the wedding/reception location
- The limo driving in to the wedding site with a shot of the building in the background and name of the site in the foreground
This by no means is a complete list. Actually, there is perhaps an endless amount of ideas; you’re only limited by your imagination. If you have any of your own suggestions, whether you are a photographer, bride, or groom…or anyone for that matter, plesae do leave a comment.
In part 1 of this blog series, I introduced you to using signs in your wedding photography to communicate special messages. In part 2, I take a look at the use of signs in wedding photography as humor and defiance.
Wedding Photography
At practically every wedding venue, you will find your standard directional or street signs. You can use these signs to communicate a variety of meanings in your photographs. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, I’m almost certain you haven’t escaped a wedding where the groomsmen have cajoled the groom by stating, “it’s not to late to back out”. Having fun with this statement, I put an exit sign to use to capture this fun image of the groom fleeing the groomsmen. It basically, visually represents the groom trying to flee from his wedding day and the groomsmen reaching out to keep him from running off. The result was a humorous photo that captured a common thought on the grooms wedding day.
Couple kiss.
In the next photograph, I utilized a “wrong way” sign to capture the defiance of getting married. How often do you hear people ask, “Are you sure you are ready to be married?” Or, “I think you are too young to be married.” The photograph is a great example of contrast and defiance. The young couple show their love and commitment as they kiss, just beyond the sign that reads, “Wrong Way”.
There are a variety of other useful road signs a photographer can use to create a memorable image. Think of the uses with a “Stop” or “Yield” sign. Or better yet, a sign that reads, “Road Closed”. Just use your creativity.
Photo Notes: The photograph of the groom fleeing was taken at Zosa Gardens in Valley Center. And the photograph of the “Wrong Way” couple was taken at Faulkner Winery in Temecula.
