Clean Reception Shots – Pro-Tip Series
Today’s Pro-Tip explains why shooting “clean” reception shots is so important from a photography standpoint.
When I say “I need to shoot the reception clean”, I mean I want to shoot a wide shot of the entire room before Aunt Karen comes along and claims her seat extra early and throws her jacket over the back of her chair and her purse gets set down on her place setting.
I usually need 10-15 minutes to capture the clean reception. I try to do this after portraits before the ceremony starts, if the ceremony and reception are in the same location. If they aren’t, the coordinator will usually keep guests out until I can get there and get those shots. The key is talking about it and planning ahead of time. When you plan ahead, it is easier to fit 10-15 minutes of “clean” shooting time!!
There are a few reasons why this shot is really important!!:
1. This may be the ONLY way for you and your family to see the “finished product”. You have worked and planned for MONTHS to make this evening perfect but you never get to see the room without people everywhere. So while you are talking with old friends and family at the cocktail hour, I grab shots of the entire room, centerpieces and tablescapes so that you can see how amazing everything looked before Aunt Karen threw her purse on the table!
2. It’s a part of the story. Someone once told me that they shoot a wedding as if they were trying to show a relative who couldn’t make it what it was like! So obviously if you want someone who wasn’t there to really get the FEEL of the day, you need to show the venue and the setting for the event. So not only should you shoot a wide shot of the reception INSIDE, you should also capture the outside of the building as well. These context shots are more valuable than you may think!!
3. Shoot it for VENDORS! Clean shots are the shots vendors love to receive! Your florist designed an incredible room. To never have a shot without junk on the tables, that would be so disappointing! Venues, florists, event designers and rental companies will automatically LOVE the beautiful, FREE promotional images! Yes, FREE. I don’t charge vendors for images.
So this is why making time for the “Clean” reception shots is so important!! In the end, it helps everyone out!
