How to Work Around Church Wedding Coordinators

Dear Jasmine,
I was recently caught in a situation where I had to make an ethical vs. moral decision. I photographed a wedding at a church, but upon my arrival run-down by the church coordinator and informed I was not allowed to be in the front OR sides of the church, but had to stay behind the last row of people, AND not move!

The bride seemed really disappointed, but she told me to do what I needed to do to get the pictures I wanted to get. So, I broke the rules. I stayed at my station up until the bride and her father entered the sanctuary, and then I discretely moved up to the very front of the isle so I could get plenty of shots of them walking together, and a few shots of the groom, then made my way to my spot in the back. But the coordinator was NOT happy. She hissed the words, “EXCUSE me, PLEASE don't do that” before she disappeared.

Was it wrong for me to break the rules in the church? It's SO hard for me to wrap my brain around not getting all those key shots that you simply can't get from the back! What would you have done? Can a photographer get in any sort of trouble if they break those kinds of rules? I want to be able to handle this as best as possible if it ever arises in the future.

Sincerely,
Rebellious Photog

Dear Rebellious,
The longer you shoot weddings in churches, you'll realize you'll be facing strict church rules more often than not. And, yes, there's always a church coordinator who's determined to watch your every move like her life depended on it.

Have I been caught for breaking the rules? Yes. And it's really embarrassing. I attempt to keep these moments to a minimum so here's a few ways to work around the church wedding rules…
    1. Ask for New Rules
Most of the time the church coordinator lays out where a wedding photographer can stand during the ceremony, but I always ask for ways to work around the rules. Say, like, standing in front for the processional and then moving once the bride is down the aisle. Or asking if I can shoot from behind the ceremony if there's a door behind the stage/altar I can peek through. When faced with new alternatives, church coordinators usually give you a little more space to create.
    2. Have Your Second Shooter Act Like a Wedding Guest
JD (my husband/second shooter) and I have shot weddings where the church rules were so stringent it felt like the church coordinator asked us to shoot from the parking lot. In these dire situations, JD will sit in the third row, closest to the aisle (like in the photo above). He remains seated throughout the ceremony to get an otherwise prohibited angle. During this time, I float around the church looking for ways to new within the rules.
    3. Look for Doors
I arrive early at a ceremony location to scope my shooting options before I speak with the coordinator. I form a list of requests before getting her list of restrictions. Arriving early allows me to look for doors I can ask to be opened (like from a balcony or a side room leading outside of the sanctuary) that can help work within the rules, but still give me the angles I need.

I hope this helps and I wish us all the best as we find happy ways of collaborating with church coordinators!
Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission,
j*