Finally, Level 2 in South Africa.
Well, we're down to level 2, finally. So what does this mean for weddings and photography?
Please support local "people" industries! We need you!
I will jump right in with this one! We need you. Shut down since March, the arts and entertainment industries have suffered most. Many of us haven't earned for over 5 months now. To make it worse, we've suffered cancellations, lots of them.
What do they allow for weddings under level 2?
The short of it is simple, only 50 people at weddings and this includes the staff. It's tight. Then there is the 22:00 curfew.
Smaller weddings are intimate.
It's not all doom and gloom, so don't knock smaller weddings. They come with a personal intimacy hard to reproduce. I know, I've shot many over the last 15 years. There is another positive, smaller weddings mean less time and therefore less cost for the photography. I charge for my time, not how many people there are. I have a few smaller photography packages that work well for intimate weddings.
A few of my suggestions.
I've photographed hundreds of weddings of all sizes all over South Africa, and I've seen it all. Here are my thoughts on smaller, more intimate weddings.
Wedding coordinator?
Definitely! A wedding coordinator will know all the tricks, but that's not all. Wedding coordinators prepare for your fairytale wedding with their vast experience. They take stress away from you. Also, they are the very people who need your support in this tough time.
Lose the big party.
That doesn't mean you don't have to have one but lets face it, an empty party can be a bit of a downer. So what can you do instead? Look at getting a grand act in, whether it's a vocalist or small band. This makes for superb entertainment and keeps the atmosphere nice and lively.
Choose smaller space.
If you have a big venue in mind consider asking them to 'screen' the area smaller. An echo kills the vibe dead!
What about a DJ?
I always recommend a DJ, bluetooth and a dock is a disaster! Everyone tries to jump on to play 'their' song and the dock is never loud enough. If you assign someone to that task they inevitably forget it. Always use professionals, it makes the world of difference to the memory.
Don't forget the 22:00 curfew.
With a smaller wedding it will naturally end earlier, this makes it easier to stick to the curfew. 22:00 Comes by quickly if you're having a great time. If you've got a bunch of party animals attending your wedding, consider starting earlier. Get those Ubers lined up too.
Scratch some traditions off the list.
Or move them around. First dance, sure, do it right after the speeches, see the cutting of the cake below. Even better do it as you walk in from the couple shoot.
Garter and Bouquet toss?
Consider handing the bouquet to someone. Both of the aforementioned need a wonderful party to work well.
Cutting the cake.
Cut the cake right after a walk in, then do the first dance. Why? This keeps the timeline nice and tight. I often suggest this even with normal larger weddings. I've seen many a wedding cake ignored. Cutting it right in the outset means everyone is paying attention. This means you can shorten my time as a photographer on the day.