by Temple wedding photography captures the essence and sacredness of weddings held in temples. It is a unique type of photography and blends the grandeur of the temple’s architecture with the intimate moments of a couple’s special day.
The cultural and religious significance that temple weddings have can not be overstated. These weddings are steeped in traditions and rituals of a traditional Indian wedding that are deeply meaningful.
For more on traditional wedding photography, check out this Traditional Wedding Photography Guide.
Temple weddings photography, whether they are Indian temple wedding photography, Tamil temple wedding photography, or wedding photography in Kerala Hindu temples, each bring a unique cultural richness to the event.
These photographs not only document the couple’s union but also the spiritual and sacred ambiance of the temple. In this article, I’ll guide you through everything you need to know about temple wedding photography.
This article will be of great help for aspiring photographers and couples who are planning a temple wedding.
From understanding the different types of temple weddings to preparing for the shoot, selecting the right equipment, capturing key moments, and handling post-processing, I’ll cover it all.
Understanding Temple Weddings
Temple weddings are rich in tradition and vary significantly across different cultures and religions. These ceremonies, whether Hindu, Buddhist, or LDS temple weddings, each have their unique elements and rituals that make them special.
Hindu Temple Weddings: These weddings are filled with rituals such as the Phere and Kanyadaan, symbolising the spiritual journey of the couple.
Buddhist Temple Weddings: These ceremonies often emphasise simplicity and meditation, focusing on the spiritual union.
LDS (Latter-day Saints) Temple Weddings: Known for their sealing ceremonies, which signify eternal marriage, these weddings are deeply sacred and personal.
I have put together a table for you to simply things:
| Aspect | Hindu Temple Weddings | Buddhist Temple Weddings | LDS Temple Weddings |
| Symbolic Rituals | Phere: Circling the sacred fire, symbolising the vows. | Meditation and Chanting: Emphasises spiritual connection. | Sealing Ceremony: Eternal marriage vows. |
| Parental Involvement | Kanyadaan: The giving away of the bride by her parents. | Offering Ceremony: Making offerings to Buddha. | Sacred Temples: Held in temples like the Bountiful Temple or Oquirrh Mountain Temple. |
If you are interested in learning about the richness of Bengali and Tamil wedding photography you can check out my articles on Creative Bengali Wedding Photography, Tamil Wedding Photography.
The most important aspect of doing Temple wedding photography is learning about the tradition of the couple and understanding all their rituals. If you have got that right, then you’ll easily capture all the key moments and make the most out of it.
Tips for Doing Temple Wedding Photography
Capturing temple weddings requires you to maintain a delicate balance of respect, skill and creativity. Whenever I am in such situations I always try to blend into the background and be ready to capture the spontaneity of the rituals and emotions.
Be Respectful and Prepared
A wedding in itself is a very sacred event and when it’s taking place in a place which holds even more sacred value, you just can’t afford to mess things up. Being respectful to the customs and environment becomes paramount.
Whether it’s the vibrant energy of a Hindu wedding or the serene atmosphere of a Buddhist ceremony, understanding the flow and significance of each event is to anticipate and capture those candid moments that tell a genuine story.
Familiarise Yourself With The Specific Tradition
One of the first things that you need to do is familiarise yourself with the specific traditions of the couple you are photographing. This will help you respect the sanctity of the rituals and position yourself such that you can capture key moments effectively.
Explore different cultural traditions:
Reiki The Temple
The next most important thing is to know your venue, in this case, the temple at which the wedding will take place. As a photographer you must always reach the venue 1-2 hours before the couple do and reiki the venue. This will help you plan your shots and save you a lot of headache.
Lighting is another critical element in temple wedding photography as temples often have unique lighting conditions, doing a reiki of the temple will also help you plan your lighting strategy and you’ll know in advance at which place you are going to use natural lighting and at which place you’ll need artificial lighting.
You must be able to maintain the authenticity and ambiance of the setting without being intrusive and doing the reiki in advance will help you do just that.
Be Quick and Active
Timing is very crucial in temple wedding photography. You’ll notice that rituals often follow a strict schedule so being prepared to move quickly and efficiently is important.
Always ensure that you have the right equipment with you including your backup camera and lenses to handle any unwelcome situation that might arise.
The intimate moments, like the sealing ceremony in LDS weddings or the Kanyadaan in Hindu ceremonies, are where the emotions are most raw and powerful.
To be able to capture these moments you must develop patience, quick reflexes and an eye for detail.
Essential Equipment and Techniques For Temple Weddings
When it comes to temple wedding photography, having the right equipment and techniques is crucial for capturing the essence of the ceremony.
As mentioned before, temples present you with unique lighting and architectural features which can pose challenges but with the right preparation these challenges can be turned into opportunities for stunning shots.
My approach is always to be prepared for various lighting conditions and to have versatile equipment that can handle everything from wide-angle shots of the temple’s grandeur to intimate close-ups of key rituals.
Camera and Lenses
Selecting the right camera and lenses is the first step. For temple photography for weddings, I prefer cameras with excellent low-light performance like the Sony A7 Siii or Sony FX3 since temples often have dim, natural lighting. Fast prime lenses like 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.4 are ideal for capturing detailed shots without needing a flash, preserving the natural ambiance of the ceremony.
- Low-Light Performance: Essential for capturing clear images in dim temple interiors.
- Prime Lenses: Offer great depth of field and sharpness for intricate details.
- Versatility: Zoom lenses like 24-70mm can handle a variety of shots, from wide to close-up.
Understanding the specific needs of Indian temple wedding photography also involves having a lens kit that covers all bases, ensuring no moment goes uncaptured.
Lighting Equipment
Lighting can make or break your temple wedding shots. While natural light is preferable, sometimes additional lighting is necessary to highlight specific moments or details. However, it’s important to use lighting that doesn’t disrupt the sanctity of the setting.
- Natural Light: Best for authentic, warm images.
- Portable LED Lights: Useful for adding subtle illumination without being intrusive.
- Reflectors: Help to bounce natural light and reduce shadows.
- Stick Light: Lights like Godox LC 500 can help you get the most out of a moment.
Mastering lighting techniques is particularly important for outdoor wedding photography, where the changing natural light throughout the day can create both challenges and beautiful opportunities.
If you are planning to shoot at night in a low-light condition then refer to my article on Night Romantic Pre-Wedding Photography to get a better understanding of how to do photography in low-light.
Techniques for Capturing Key Moments
Techniques are just as important as equipment. In wedding photography in temples, capturing key moments with minimal disruption is the goal. Techniques like silent shooting modes and positioning yourself strategically can help capture candid, emotional moments without drawing attention.
- Silent Shooting: Avoids interrupting sacred moments.
- Strategic Positioning: Knowing where to stand to get the best angle without being in the way.
- Candid Shots: Focus on natural expressions and interactions.
Equipment Comparison Table
| Equipment Type | Ideal Use | Key Feature |
| Camera (Low-Light) | Indoor temple ceremonies | Excellent performance in dim light |
| Prime Lenses | Detailed shots, low-light settings | High sharpness and depth of field |
| Zoom Lenses | Versatile for various shot types | Flexibility from wide to close-up |
| Portable LED Lights | Supplement natural lighting | Subtle and portable |
| Reflectors | Enhancing natural light | Reduces shadows and adds warmth |
By combining the right equipment with practised techniques, I ensure that every shot in temple wedding photography is both respectful of the setting and beautifully composed, capturing the unique atmosphere of these special ceremonies.
Capturing the Essence of A Temple Wedding
In temple wedding photography, capturing the essence of the ceremony is paramount. Your goal should be to reflect the spiritual and cultural significance of the temple in every photo that you take which means you’ll have to focus on more than just the main rituals.
Capture those subtle moments and intricate details that often go unnoticed but contribute a lot to the overall atmosphere.
Rituals and Traditions
Every temple wedding has its own unique set of rituals and traditions. For example a Christian wedding which is held in a church (temple for christian people) is going to have a very different set of rituals than lets say a Hindu wedding or a Muslim wedding.
Understanding these rituals is very important as it will allow you to anticipate what’s coming next and you’ll be well prepared with your camera to capture that moment.
Whether it’s the first kiss (Christian Wedding) , exchange of garlands (Hindu Wedding) or the signing of contract (Muslim Wedding), each ritual tells a part of the couple’s story and you don’t want to miss capturing them.
- Key Rituals: Knowing the sequence helps in anticipating moments.
- Cultural Significance: Capturing the meaning behind each tradition.
- Emotion and Interaction: Focusing on the couple’s and guests’ reactions.
Temple Architecture
Temples all around the world have some of the most interesting architecture, they are engineering marvels and provide for a magnificent backdrop with their grand pillars, intricate cravings and serene courtyards.
You must use them wisely in your wedding photos and try to incorporate these architectural details into your shots. It will enhance the overall composition of your shots without overpowering the subjects adding that depth to your photos.
- Backdrop Integration: Using temple structures to frame shots.
- Architectural Details: Highlighting the beauty of carvings and sculptures.
- Lighting and Angles: Leveraging natural light and unique perspectives.
Posing and Candid Moments In Temple Weddings
Posing and candid moments have a very important role in temple wedding photography. Striking a balance between posed shots and spontaneous shots ensure that you have a diverse and dynamic range of photos for the wedding album.
Formal portraits are practically incomplete without posed shots and on the other hand candid moments bring out the raw and genuine emotions of the day.
Formal Portraits
As I said before, formal portraits are a must-have for any wedding album. These posed shots involve the couple, their family members and close friends.
In this case of temple settings, you can use the grandeur of the temple as the backdrop of your pictures and add a touch of elegance and tradition to these formal portraits.
Candid Moments
Candid moments are where the magic happens. Candid moments are basically unscripted and spontaneous interactions between the couple, family and friends that captures the true happiness and joy of the wedding day.
The key element of capturing candid moments is being unobtrusive, you don’t want to make people camera conscious by letting them know that you are capturing them since it’ll take away their genuine smiles, laughters and tears.
These candid shots are often the most cherished photos as they become a life-long memory that reflects the true emotion of the person in frame.
You can learn more about candid wedding photography by reading this article – What is Candid Photography in Weddings
By blending formal portraits and candid moments together you can create a comprehensive and heartfelt story for the couples.
Temple Wedding Ceremony Highlights
Capturing ceremony highlights is important to tell the story of the wedding day and this is true when doing temple wedding photography as well.
These moments that we often call as highlights are the core of the event and reflect the traditions and cultural significance of the couple.
Temple weddings are unique and by focusing on key moments you can ensure that the core spirit of the ceremony is preserved in the most beautiful and respectful manner.
Key Rituals
Now what are these key rituals that you must not miss in a temple wedding? Well temple weddings are rich with such rituals and may vary by region and tradition.
Some of these rituals are the exchange of garlands, tying of mangalsutra, the phera ceremony, etc. These moments are filled with deep meaning as well as emotions.
Always make sure that you are capturing these rituals from multiple angles to convey their full significance. In this particular case of a temple wedding, use the temple’s natural lighting and sacred surroundings to highlight the spirituality and solemnity of these moments.
Emotional Reactions
A lesson I have learnt from my mentor, Mr. Kagra, is that if you want to level up yourself as a photographer and become one of the photographers who people seek then you have to forget about taking pictures – yes you read it right!
He emphasises the importance of capturing emotions, I remember once he said “Photo to koi bhi le lega yaar, emotions ko capture karna seekho”, he further added “that is where you differentiate yourself from a mediocre photographer who is just doing photography for money.”
Over the years I have also realised that capturing the emotional reactions during the ceremony, whether its the bride and groom’s nervous excitement or the tears of joy from the family members, makes all the difference in telling the complete story of the wedding.
These candid and raw moments are often what makes for the most powerful images of the wedding as they tell the unfiltered emotions of the day.
By being alert and paying close attention to both the key rituals and the emotional reactions you can create a wedding album that not only documents the sequence of the events but also the profound emotions and cultural richness that a temple wedding has.
Temple Wedding Post-Ceremony Moments
Capturing post-ceremony moments is an important part of wedding photography. I have seen many photographers (I must say mediocre photographer) never bother about post-ceremony pictures.
I believe that they are just as important as the ceremony itself and these moments often reflect the joy, relief, and celebrations that follow the formal rituals.
Temple wedding photography will give you a very limited time frame to capture these emotions and post-ceremony moments are one of them. Make sure to focus on these interactions to complete the narrative of the couple’s wedding day.
Family and Friends
After the ceremony is over, I have observed that there is usually a flurry of activity involving the family and friends. This is a great opportunity for you as a photographer since you get to see genuine interactions and heartfelt congratulations which can make for some great shots.
Always make it a point to capture these candid moments as they show the love and support surrounding the couple.
- Group Photos: These are more informal compared to the ones taken before the ceremony, capturing the post-ritual joy.
- Candid Interactions: Friends and family often share spontaneous hugs, laughs, and sometimes tears, which make for compelling photographs.
Couple’s Portraits
A wedding album is incomplete without couple portraits and the time right after the ceremony is perfect for capturing the intimate portraits of the bride and groom.
This is the time when they are often more relaxed and their happiness shows on their faces and the cherry on top – they are in their best dress.
All of these combined together make these shots incredibly special and beautiful. In this case of a temple wedding, you can even use the temple as a backdrop and highlight the sacredness of their union with its help.
These post-ceremony moments provide more relaxed and joyful photos of the couple in contrast to the solemnity of the ceremony. By taking care of these small things you can make sure that the album reflects the full spectrum of emotions from the wedding day.
If you want to learn about photography in detail and are looking for some top photography books recommendations then check out my Best Photography Books recommendation list.
Reception Highlights of A Temple Wedding
The chances of having a reception in a temple wedding is low but even if the couple do decide to have a reception then for sure the venue will be someplace else, so this section is not so important if you solely want to learn about temple wedding photography only.
I have written a whole blog on how to do reception photography, though it is more specific about reception photography in Bengali wedding but you can learn a great deal about reception photography from it.
Anyways here’s a short explanation about reception photography if you don’t want to read another article on it.
- First Dance: This is an intimate and emotional moment that symbolises the couple’s first steps together as partners. Although this is not that common in Indian weddings, couple’s have started to do it in India as well, so be prepared for it.
- Guest Performances: Sometimes friends and family prepare special performances, which are always a hit and add a personal touch to the celebration.
- Emotional Speeches: This again is more of a foreign concept that is being adapted in Indian weddings as well. During such speeches parents, friends, and the couple themselves often share moving words that bring out tears and laughter.
- Candid Reactions: Capturing the audience’s reactions to the speeches adds depth to the wedding album, showing the impact of the words spoken.
The reception is where the couple and their guests truly let loose and celebrate. This part of the wedding is full of energy, joy, and often surprises and it most probably won’t take place in a temple since it involves dance and performance for which a temple might not be a good place. But being prepared for it will help you in the long run.
Conclusion
I believe that temple wedding photography captures the sacredness and cultural richness of weddings held in temples by blending grand architecture with intimate moments.
Understanding the specific traditions and rituals, whether for Hindu, Buddhist, or LDS ceremonies is crucial for anticipating and capturing the key moments of the wedding. Preparing by reiki-ing the temple and respecting the customs will always ensure that you have a smooth photography experience.
The right equipment such as cameras with excellent low-light performance and versatile lenses is essential for handling unique lighting conditions that you might have to face in temples.
Furthermore, techniques like silent shooting, strategic positioning, and focusing on both formal portraits and candid moments will help you create a comprehensive and heartfelt wedding album that reflects the profound emotions and cultural significance of the day.
I hope this article was helpful and now you know all the nitty-gritty of temple wedding photography.
A Message For Wedding Couples:
If you’re planning a temple wedding and want someone who understands the cultural richness and can capture your special day beautifully, book a call with me. WhatsApp or call on +91 6393168551. I’ll be glad to talk with you and come up with a plan that can give life to your vision.
A Message For Photographers:
If you’re a photographer looking to collaborate on wedding photography projects, let’s connect. WhatApp or call on +91 6393168551. I’ll be more than happy to discuss with you about your projects and how I can help you with it.
I’ll meet you in the next article, until then capture the world one frame at a time.
Your host for the day signing off.
Peace out.