Looking for the right photographer...
Back in late 2021, we were searching for our own wedding photographers and found it difficult to find exactly what we were looking for. We desired a photographer with a timeless and editorial feel to their work, who was also deeply Catholic and understood the sacredness of the Mass and what was happening in the Sacrament of Marriage. We didn't want our photographers to be a distraction by being right by the altar or in front of all the guests the entire time. We didn't want loud, distracting shutter noises during the Consecration or during our vows. We wanted photographers who knew how to be unseen and out of the way, yet still capture gorgeous images. After our wedding, we decided to be those photographers for other couples.
When branding our business, we wanted to market ourselves specifically as Catholic wedding photographers because we wanted to appeal to the couples like us—the ones who were interesting in keeping Christ at the center of their Sacrament, while not compromising on beauty and art of photography. So if you're getting married in the Catholic Church, and searching for your wedding photographer, here's some reasons why you may want to consider hiring a Catholic photographer...
- We know what to expect. We are deeply Catholic ourselves, which means we know what questions to ask so no important moment goes unnoticed. How is the groom processing in? Is he coming before or after the priest? Are you doing any special devotions during your ceremony like flowers to Mary or Joseph? Where will you be kneeling during the Consecration? We understand the Catholic Mass and its liturgy, so you can expect us to be at the right place in each of the important moments of your wedding Mass so no moment goes un-captured.
- You can expect our shutters to be as quiet as possible. Nobody wants to hear loud shutter noises as the priest is elevating Jesus for the Consecration or when it's dead quiet during the exchange of vows. While churches are often dark and we need our shutters on loud for some of the liturgy, at the quiet moments, we will try to keep them as quiet as possible so as not to be a distraction during the liturgy.
- We're used to talking to the priest + church coordinator. We'll touch base with the priest and/or the church wedding coordinator to say hi and see if there's anything they'd like us to be mindful of before the ceremony. Some churches have different rules about where photographers can go, so we always want to be mindful and respectful of that at all times. Most of the time when the priest or coordinator also finds out we are Catholic, they breath a sigh of relief knowing that we understand the reverence for the Sacrifice of the Mass about to take place.
- We'll have an eye for Christ-centered images. Any wedding photographer will know the "big" moments of a ceremony and wedding day to capture. But those simple, quiet moments of prayer before a crucifix, or the details you specifically designed to honor your favorite saints, or even just elements of the Mass that a non-Catholic may not know are important, are the ones that many Catholic wedding photographers will be looking out for.
- We know timelines for Catholic weddings like the back of our hand. A non-Catholic wedding may last 30 minutes at the most, but Catholic weddings are much longer usually (depending on if the Rite of Marriage is celebrated within or outside of the Mass). Typically, we like to leave an hour and a half in the timeline for a Catholic wedding celebrated within Mass because things usually go over. It's not just your typical Sunday Mass, but a Nuptial Mass, so there may be special elements included. The benefit of hiring Catholic photographers is that they will be able to work WITH you in creating this timeline to ensure that enough time is left before and after the ceremony so nobody is left feeling rushed.
- We'll give you ideas for how to incorporate your faith into your day. Last, but not least, we love sharing cool ideas we have seen from other couples to incorporate their faith into their wedding day. Whether it's a favorite saint you want to honor, certain images you want captured, or a surprise element during your wedding reception, there's so many ways to make your wedding day unique to you and your spouse and weave your Catholic faith into all areas of the day! (We actually send all of our couples a bride + groom's guide where we list some of favorite ideas!)
That's it! Those are a few of our top reasons why you may want to consider hiring a specifically Catholic wedding photographer if the faith is deeply important to you and you want Christ to be the center of your whole day. We aren't saying that a non-Catholic or secular photographer can't do an incredible job...heck, our own wedding photographers were not Catholic and we would recommend them to anyone!!! (We also made sure to prep them a lot going in on what we expected during the Mass and liturgy). So this is not to say that you won't be happy with your choice if you go the non-Catholic route. We just wanted to offer our perspective and hopefully give you the peace of mind that you desire in recommending a Catholic photographer in your search. Ultimately, your day will be beautiful because you, your Spouse, and Jesus will show up and nothing is going to change that! We pray that as you plan your day, you may invite the Holy Spirit into all aspects so it can be a day filled with peace, joy, and love for God and each other.
In Christ,
Josie and Jack
