Tripod Placement @ Ceremony
 

Where is the best place for the tripod when:

-bride & crew entering church
-kissing couple
-exchanging rings
-candle lighting
-reading vows
-couple leaving

Also, anyone have experiences shooting in two-aisle churches?

If you're talking about the processional I always try to be up front just in front of the altar and slightly to the brides side-that way I get everyone coming down the aisle and can move out of the way when the father (or whoever) hands the bride to the groom-I then move to the back of the center aisle and shoot the rest from there so all of the other shots you asked about are covered from that position since the B&G in 99.9% of the cases face each other for the vows and rings. Sometimes the unity candle gets a little blocked out but thats the way it is. Thats if I'm shooting solo which in most cases I do. If I've got a 2nd cam operator with me then things will be a bit different.

Don

i'm assuming the best placement for 3 cameras and one operator would be to have two cameras on tripods facing the bride and groom and the third camera down the center aisle or on a balcony. I would then operator one camera from each tripod depending on how I can move about during the cermony. is this a fair assumption?

Forgot to answer the 2 aisle church question. I guess you mean 2 aisles but neither in the exact center IOW offset aisles. That being the case I generally choose the one closest to the birdes side as again I can then make a move to the back of the church and then I can center myself and shoot over the people (gotta have a tripod that'll get up about 8 feet) It's not really amajor problem-look at the set up in the church and decide where you can make the best shot from but remember nothing and I mean nothing in this wonderful wacky world of weddings is ever absolute-Never say never...Never say always!

Don

Thanks, Don. My first wedding was a two-aisle church. The wedding party walked down both aisles at the same time - groomsmen on one side, bridal party on the other. I had to shoot with a wide angle lens, from the balcony to capture the entire entrance. Everyone looked like ants. I used only one camera. I need to have a plan in case this happens again. Hopefully, I'll have a second camera. (just starting out)