.avif)
Photo from evsimon.com · Book your wedding
Yes, it does change, though less than many couples think. What changes is the venue, how long the ceremony lasts and how much freedom the couple have to plan it. What doesn't change is the story that needs to be told. A civil wedding is just as legally valid as a religious one, and it can be every bit as moving and romantic. That's why photography and video are approached with the same care for both.
The ceremony venue
Let's start with the venue. A religious wedding needs a consecrated place, such as a church, a chapel or a hermitage. Photographing a ceremony inside a church is a real challenge. There's often little light, the space is set out in a fixed way and you have to move discreetly. A civil wedding, on the other hand, can be held almost anywhere, on the beach, for example. There's more freedom to decorate and to choose spots. There's also more variety: every civil wedding is its own world, and many couples are after something different and original. That's all very well, but if nobody has gone through the running order beforehand, it's easy for an important moment to slip by.
Photo from evsimon.com · Book your wedding
How long the ceremony lasts
Then there's the timing. A ceremony usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes on average. A civil one is generally quite a bit shorter than a religious one: it tends to be around half an hour, depending on how long the officiant's text is and how many people do readings. In that time, every key moment has to be captured, along with the reactions of family and friends. And at both kinds of wedding there's one moment everyone is waiting for: the exchange of rings.
What really changes: the preparation
So what really changes in the coverage? Above all, the preparation. A well-planned civil wedding doesn't need more time. It needs someone to have thought through the schedule in advance. That's how Evan & Natalia Simon work in Gijón and across the rest of Asturias. First they get to know the venue and the order of the ceremony, and then they decide where to position themselves for the photography and the video.
Photo from evsimon.com · Book your wedding
The next step
Do you already know whether it'll be a civil ceremony or a church wedding? Then the next step is simple. Note down the venue, the time you have in mind and who is going to read or speak during the ceremony. With that, any conversation about photography and video gets off to a good start. If you're getting married in Gijón or anywhere else in Asturias, you can write to Evan & Natalia Simon and tell them how you picture the day. They work with couples and with brands, and they choose the weddings they take on with care. No rush. First you talk, and then it's up to you to decide.
Links
More useful links: boe.es, mpr.gob.es.
