122 DIY Wedding Photo and Video: Professional Techniques for the Amateur Documentarian Focus on What's Important Ceremonies can range from a five-minute recital of vows to a full day parade and feast. Most often, of course, they fall somewhere in between. It would be impossible to find two ceremonies that are identical in format, content, and tone. Religion, group partici- pation, the venue, the officiant, the music, and the emotions of the couple will all contribute to the feel of the ceremony. All these elements are important to the couple and should be reflected in your images. Ceremonial Elements Having been to one wedding does not actually mean you have been to them all. It is crucial to understand the important ceremonial elements of the wedding you are shoot- ing; otherwise, you could innocently make a big error. For example, in a Jewish wedding, the bride and groom see each other prior to the wed- ding service in order to sign the ketubah (marriage contract). With the contract in place, the couple is technically married; the rest of the service is a customary and detail-rich embellishment of the deed already done. If you as the shooter were to show up simply for the service that the guests attend, the most important element would be lost. Naturally, these critical elements vary culturally. A Jewish wedding differs significantly from a Chinese wedding, which looks nothing like an Indian wedding or a Catholic Mass. Make sure you know the meaningful parts of the ceremony for the culture of the bride and groom whose wedding you are recording. Ask about the order of events and the important customs. You will need to place yourself appropriately to catch them. (See Figure 6.1.) Tip While the most obvious way to learn about the cultural aspects of a wedding ceremony is to ask the bride or groom, it is entirely possible they are participating in the ceremony for the first time and don't know themselves. (This is especially true in mixed mar- riages.) On the other hand, they might be so overly familiar with the traditions, they for- get to mention them as anything notable. A quick Internet search often proves to be a very valuable resource.