articles/Weddings/asianweddingphoto-page3
by Clwyd Probert Published 01/11/2008
Complexity
Hindu ceremonies are different to Sikh ceremonies which are different to Muslim ceremonies which are different to Chinese ceremonies. Indian weddings of any religion have many things in common even if the religion is different. Hindu ceremonies vary in structure greatly even though the religion is the same.
Planning
Indian timing is something very different from GMT. Indian weddings run in their own time zone. Things get done, but don't expect everything to happen when it should. Careful planning is important but be prepared to be flexible.
Location
There are few places able or willing to cater for a wedding of 500 to 800 people. This limits the choice of venue for the reception and often large un-photogenic halls are used, often away from any parks or green areas making bridal portraits challenging.
Culture
You are being invited into the homes and lives of people who have a very different way of celebrating a marriage and it is important to research carefully so that you do not offend anyone and also that you don't miss anything important on the day. What might seem like a trivial event might be an important part of the wedding ceremony.
Multiple camera teams
The majority of English wedding ceremonies are covered by a single photographer hired by the bride and groom. Sometimes a videographer will be present. Many Indian weddings involve the bride's family hiring two photographers plus a videography team (often two people). The groom's family will often do the same. So it is possible to have four photographers and four videographers present at a wedding. Often it is difficult for the guests to see the bride and groom through the sea of cameras and lights.
It is common practice for friends and relatives to be allowed to stand up and take pictures during the ceremony. Often these guests have large expensive cameras and no worry about blocking your view.
All of the above issues show how difficult and challenging it can be to photograph an Indian wedding. However, the benefits are also great. If you price your packages realistically, you can expect to be selling your top-end packages with multiple parents' albums and lots of after-sales prints. In addition you can obtain work to cover the prewedding parties which often occur during the week and Asian weddings are often on a Sunday, so can be done in addition to your traditional English work - if you are up for it!
How to deal with your first Asian wedding
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