5 Tips for Perfectly Photographing the Bride and Groom’s First Dance
The first dance at a wedding is a moment that is cherished by every person in attendance. All eyes are on the bride and groom’s first dance as they walk into their wedding reception and share this moment as the first time as husband and wife.
1. Anticipate the Emotional Moments
During the bride and groom’s first dance there can be a variety of emotions on display. It’s important to focus on capturing this emotion between the bride and groom but you can also take a quick scan around the room and find family members and friends wrapped up in the moment.Most importantly, never take your eye off of your viewfinder during this brief 2-3 minute dance performance because there is a photograph waiting to be taken at any moment. You can anticipate the emotion by being diligent and staying focused during this first dance.
2. Choose the Right Lens for the Scene
This choice is likely what will make or break your success in truly capturing the bride and groom’s first dance. For shorter first dances we recommend choosing a wide zoom lens, this way you have all of your bases covered and you won’t be scrambling trying to switch lenses and accidentally miss the moment. Consequently, If you are shooting a wedding with a second shooter, make sure that you’re both on different focal lengths to get varied shots in the scene from different angles in the room. If you know that the first dance might last a little longer, try using a telephoto lens to compress the background or find foreground elements like candles or fairy lights to create bokeh effects.
3. Tell a Powerful Story of the Bride and Groom’s First Dance
At the end of the day, a photographer’s job is to tell a cohesive and beautiful story of a wedding day. One of our favorite techniques to use to ensure we’re telling a strong story is the use of wide, medium, and tight angles. This is a common Hollywood camera technique for movies and television that starts by setting the scene, moving in closer to provide the context of characters, and then punching in tight to show emotion. This translates perfectly when photographing the bride and groom’s first dance: start wide by showcasing the whole dance floor and scene, move in closer to block out the audience and showcase their full bodies, and then come in tight to zone in on their emotions.
4. Move Around the Scene
Above all, the biggest mistake photographers make while photographing the bride and groom’s first dance is standing still. The first dance isn’t like a wedding ceremony where the subjects stay stationary throughout, there are movements, actions, and reactions to capture. Find objects to shoot through for the bride and groom’s first dance. Pull all the way back to the corner of the room to capture the entire scene with the guests in attendance, or even try and get behind the couple to showcase the dance from their perspective.
5. Prepare for Any Scenario
Hop on a call with the bride and groom to discuss their first dance, this way you’ll know what exactly will be happening during their first dance. This gives you the necessary intel to capture the perfect moments as they unfold. Ask if the dance will be choreographed so you know exactly what to expect. For instance, cold sparks, fog machines, sparklers, spotlights can be incorporated into the bride and groom first dance.
About the author: Shivani wants to live in a world where laughter is the cure to pretty much everything. Since she can’t claim “Serial Bingewatcher” as an occupation, she’ll settle for wedding/portrait photographer at Lin and Jirsa & marketing coordinator over at SLR Lounge. For those rare moments when you won’t find a camera in her hand, she will be dancing, eating a donut, or most likely watching Seinfeld. Follow her on Instagram: @shivalry_inc. This article was also published here.
