Izlem and Alejandro contacted me to ask if I would be willing to be the photographer for their civil wedding. I was more than happy to accept – I have had a number of friends who, for their own (completely valid) reasons, skipped the big wedding ceremony and reception for the equally romantic civil wedding.
Having shot civil weddings has shown me that the love between these couples is just as big as any other. The excitement is also still there – everyone present was buzzing with happiness and joy.
The main difficulty in photographing a civil ceremony is movement. Since these weddings are usually held in a law office or dedicated courtroom, it can get a little tight – sometimes I am literally not able to move because of how crowded the rooms is! The key is to communicate potential limitations to the couple and to work with the wedding witnesses. If you plan well, then you can photograph the ceremony without interrupting or inconveniencing anyone.
After the ceremony, we went right outside to get some photos of Izlem, Alejandro, and their guests. Since it was still very bright out, I did have to do some quick scouting to find an area with nice, soft lighting.
All ceremony photos were taken with a Canon 5DIII and a Canon 24-70 f/2.8LII lens. The outdoor photos were taken with the same Canon 5DIII and a Canon 70-200 f/2.8LII lens.
Congratulations, Izlem and Alejandro!