1. Walk in Slow motion!
No matter how long the aisle is, walk slowly! I’d recommend walking at approximately half-speed. It may seem slow, but it will give your photographer time to take a few pictures. It will also give your guests (and future husband!) more time to admire you.

2. Organise the Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids usually walk down the aisle first, although there is no set rule. Whichever order you choose, make sure they also walk slowly.

Leave a good space between bridesmaids
Most importantly, think about the timing between bridesmaids. If they are too close your photographer will struggle to take a picture of the middle bridesmaid. As a general rule of thumb, the 1st bridesmaid should be three-quarters up the aisle before the second starts to walk up the aisle. For impact, it is often best for the bride and her father to wait until all the bridesmaids have reached the front.

Think about where they should stand when they arrive
At the rehearsal, have a practice run and make sure the bridesmaids know where to stand when they arrive at the altar. Make sure they aren’t blocking the videographer!

Help the kids
Flowergirls and page boys are great at weddings. Depending on their age, you may wish to have a bridesmaid accompany them up the aisle.

3. Smile!
Enough said!

Just about to go up the aisle! Photograph by Peter Thomas Photography

4. Don’t forget the orders of service!
A minor detail, but you may wish to ensure that whoever is officiating the service has orders of service for the bridesmaids and bride. There’s nothing worse than singing a hymn with no words!

5. And the same applies when you are coming back down again!
All of these suggestions equally apply when the bride and groom are coming back down the aisle. It is often best for the bridesmaids to wait until the bride and groom have completed their journey down the aisle before they start. This means that your photographs won’t have other members of the bridal party in the background.

And finally…
Coming up the aisle is an important but small part of your day. The hints above are just suggestions – if you don’t get time to think it through don’t worry – just walk slowly and enjoy!

Let me start by saying that when it comes to planning something like the Signing of the Register, there are no rights and no wrongs. Some churches are quite prescriptive and so you may not have a choice. You may also want the table to look a particular way.

The following is simply a few things to look out for, which will make your photographers job a little easier. Of course, a full-time, professional photographer will be able to make a good photograph out of most situations.

So here goes:

1. Watch out for large floral arrangements.

While a large floral arrangement on the table may look good and blend in with the rest of the colours, it can often hide the registry document. If you have flowers, they are often best placed off to the side (like above). If they are in the middle, the congregation often can only see the bride and a large bunch of flowers. The pen and register are completely hidden. This forces the photographer to stand on a chair or take the photograph at an unusual angle.

2. Buy a decent pen!
This is probably one of the most important documents you will ever sign! Quite often the minister / clergy / priest will bring a pen – and you would be surprised how often it is a cheap biro! You may wish to purchase a good quality pen, at least for the photographs. I always try to carry a good quality, silver pen with me to use for the photographs.

3. The Table
There is some personal preference in this – but I find that the best signing of the register photographs are taken when the bride is seated at a table. Many churches do the signing of the register while standing at a bench. This is fine but just something for you to think through.

4. Location
This one is entirely up to you! Some people like to sign the register in the main church, allowing the congregation to watch and take photographs. Others prefer to take a breather and sign in a side room. I’m not going to outline the pros and cons of both – its a personal decision.

5. The Background
Wherever you decide to sign the register, just take a moment and look at the background. Is it a pleasing background? Is there something in the way that could be removed? Often these photographs are taken in minister’s offices – and there are often posters, photocopiers, computers etc. in the background. Often a small change in the position of the table can make for a much nicer photograph.

A plain room off to the side of the church - yet a pleasing image. The bride is relaxed - note the quality pen and brides bouquet off to the side! Photograph by Peter Thomas Photography

And finally….
Don’t worry! Ask your photographer for direction and be safe in the knowledge that a professional photographer has probably seen it all before. Remember that the Signing of the Register is only a small part of the day – so no point in stressing too much about it!

• Increased availability – get married more quickly by choosing a winter date, especially mid-week
• Hotel rates are sometimes cheaper – honeymoons may also be less expensive but you typically have to go further for sun.
• Photographs have a distinct winter feel – with crisp sunlight and beautiful reds and greens
• Getting holidays from work is often easier – especially if you are a teacher

I often get asked about the feasibility of winter weddings, so here’s a brief article on preparing for a winter wedding. With a little thought, winter weddings are absolutely great – indeed I got married on a cold January’s day myself!

1. Wrap up warm!
Many wedding dresses are strapless with short arms – not always so practical for a cold winters day. Brides – look for matching coats or wraps, men – ensure you hire a warm suit. You can always take a layer off should you become too warm!

One brides uses a small coat to good effect (Photo: Peter Thomas Photography, Oct 2008)

2.  Location Location Location
While a professional wedding photographer can make the most out of any location and still produce great results, here are a few ideas for your winter wedding. Often hotels with open fireplaces keep the guests happy and make ideal photograph locations. Between November and February there is a good chance the weather won’t be good, so think about the practicalities of indoor photographs. Is there somewhere for group photographs? Are there any unique features? If you’ve already booked your location don’t worry – a professional photographer can make alot out of very little!

3. Check out the Christmas Decorations
Hotels often put Christmas decorations up early – so be sure to ask what the hotel does for the festive season. I often use christmas decorations as seasonal backdrops for my pictures, but you may regard early november as too early for Christmas! If you are having a civil ceremony in the hotel, be sure to ask about decorations in the room.

4. Timing
After the clocks change in October, there is limited time to get your photographs taken outdoors. As a general rule of thumb, light starts to fade around 3.30pm. Having said that, you might be fortunate and have a nice, bright day. If  you want the majority of your photographs outdoors, its often best to schedule your wedding early. 12 noon is a popular time. In late February/March, you will have until about 4.30pm before the light fades. If an early wedding isn’t possible, don’t worry – your photographer can take a few photographs outdoors and leave the rest for inside. If your wedding is later, you might consider allowing your photographer to attend the ‘brides house’ before hand to get some outdoor photographs of the bride, bridesmaids and parents.

New Years Eve 2008 in Belfast City Centre (photo: Peter Thomas Photography)

5. A Cuppa Tea goes a long way
Your guests will feel the cold too – so why not provide a tea or coffee mid-afternoon. Hot punch can work well during the festive season.

6. Think about the bridal party
You will hopefully be pumped with joy and adrenaline – chances are you won’t feel the cold too much! But spare a thought for your bridal party. Ask your photographer if he/she can take the bridal party photographs first, allowing them to go inside quickly. Don’t have them standing around outside for long periods of time. Be especially aware of page-boys and flower girls. It is often a good idea to bring along normal coats which can be removed for the photographs.

Keeping the Bridal Party comfortable results in great photographs (photo: Peter Thomas Photography, Feb 2009)

7. And finally…
Have a great time!! If I’m your photographer, please feel free to call with any questions or comments. If anyone reading this has other ideas or suggestions, just let me know!

1. Don’t worry!
One great thing about our ‘mild’ climate is that it rarely rains all day. Our weather tends to showery, and so its usually possible to get at least some of the photographs taken outdoors. And even if it does, some of the most moody shots I have taken are of people walking under umbrellas or standing in doorways looking out at the rain. Dramatic skys can often be great!

2. Get a professional!
Over the years, I’ve got good at taking photographs on wet days. I’m not writing this to plug my own services – but indoor photography is about 100 times more difficult than outdoor photography – so make sure you hire a full-time, professional photographer. They’ll be able to handle whatever the day throws at them! Whoever you choose, ask for a few examples of wet weddings. Many photographers will have online examples of wet weddings.

3. Get an umbrella!
I usually try to carry a few umbrellas with me, but why not buy a few wedding umbrellas. No need to spend a fortune -I wouldn’t spend any more than £20.

For ladies: I normally try to get a ‘bird cage’ umbrella – something like http://www.simplyumbrellas.co.uk/umbrellas.php/products_id/150 .
For men, a plain black umbrella will do.

I always carry a white towel, so that if it rains I can always dry off seats and protect the all important wedding dress!

4. Think Location
If you haven’t already hired your reception, you might want to take a good look inside. Fireplaces, a nice bridal suite, stairs, old windows and brick walls are all great props. Some couples spend their wedding night at a separate hotel – if that’s the case you may think about visiting that hotel too (but make sure you get permission first!). An example was a recent couple who had their reception in Shu, but booked their wedding night in the Merchant Hotel. It rained all day – but we were able to go to the Merchant for a few photographs. There are also some houses available for rent – Redhall (Carrick) & Kilymoon Castle (Cookstown) are examples.

5. Plan for time
You don’t want to spend your whole wedding day taking photographs – but I’d suggest leaving a little buffer time in the schedule. This allows you to stop if a shower comes, then go back outside again later. If you’d like 1hr of photographs at your reception – why not leave 1hr 30mins in the schedule. If you don’t need it, you can always use the spare time chatting to your guests!

And Finally…
No matter what, just enjoy your day! We’ve done lots of wet weddings (including one the day this happened – and guess what, the photos were great!).