My Favorite Moment During A Wedding Day Or Reception

Wedding clients often ask me what my favorite moment of a wedding is. I have one that isn’t what most people expect. The best Dayton wedding moment is the 30 seconds after the ceremony when the wedding couple walks up the aisle to the roar of cheering guests. The photos are always of pure joy, and it is the only moment of the wedding day when they are truly happy and relieved. For that one minute, they are relieved the ceremony is over and they are not thinking about any planning or details. Pure joy!

I had never thought about it until several years ago. I was editing photos and saw the joy on a couple’s faces. it struck me right then. There is no worry in their eyes. The hard part is done. The planning is over. It is time to party. Once they exit the ceremony, many people choose to greet guests. Many others hide away until the guests exit. This is to empty the ceremony location for family photos. Either way, do what is best for you. I’ll be ready for the formal wedding photography when you are.

What I Did In The Past

In the past, I probably would have said the 15-30 minutes where I get to create artistic images with the wedding couple. I love this time because I get to be fully artsy and creative while being on a timer. I realize that, although the photos are beautiful, it doesn’t capture the couple in 100% sincere emotion. While the poses were sometimes directed, the emotions were real. The emotions were not as real, however, because the couple knew I was photographing them. However, when the couple walks back up the aisle after the ceremony, they aren’t thinking about anything except each other.

The following photo is my favorite moment during a wedding day, with this one taking place at Dayton’s The Grande Hall.