A church wedding in Bielany: light and catching a falling feather
This album features my coverage of a church wedding in Bielany, Warsaw: the ceremony, family moments and portraits of the couple in the garden.
One moment I particularly remember from this wedding is a boy catching a feather that was falling from above. The girl wanted one too. A little later, a member of the church staff brought out a second feather for her, much to the little girl's delight. Afterwards, the father was telling the boy a story. These small family scenes are an important part of wedding photography for me.
A church wedding in Bielany: the setting and light
For their ceremony, the couple chose the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bielany, Warsaw. For me, it is the most beautiful church in the city. But it was more than the architecture that stayed with me that day: the priest and church staff were very welcoming and attentive. I especially liked the way the priest talked with the children and involved them in what was happening.
During the ceremony, decorations featuring flying birds were switched on. The whole occasion felt like a performance, with room for both solemnity and the children's curiosity. Smoke added to the atmosphere: it made the beams from the directional lights visible. For a photographer, this is a striking combination — architecture, people and light that is visible within the space.
My favourite photograph from this series is a wide view of the ceremony in front of the altar. The couple, children and their loved ones are seated at the bottom of the frame, with the tall interior and large window rising above them. I like showing the scale in photographs like these: how people sit within the space, how the light spreads through it and how it becomes visible in the smoke. In a frame like this, I want to preserve a sense of the place alongside the event taking place within it.
Working as a wedding photographer during the ceremony
Before the ceremony began, I asked the priest whether I could photograph with flash. He agreed, asking only that sudden flashes should not startle the couple during the ceremony. In the end, I did not need to use it inside: there was enough light, and it was comfortable to photograph.
Portraits of the couple after the ceremony
I had brought additional equipment for the shoot — a light stand, a powerful flash and an octabox. But it was starting to rain outside, and the couple had little time left. I was unable to set up that kit. Outdoors, I photographed with flash, adapting to the conditions and the time we had.
I had not chosen the locations for the portraits after the ceremony in advance — we photographed wherever we found a suitable backdrop along the way. The old-style arches, garden and old gate worked well. These portraits rounded out the coverage: after the ceremony, conversations with the children and congratulations, there was a little time left for photographs of the couple on their own.