Ring Shots
One of the elements of photographing a wedding is making sure you get what we call ‘Ring Shots’. The name is simplistic, but it’s an aspect that incorporates the couple’s lasting pieces of jewelry and combines it with memories from their wedding day.
Sometimes this will be done during the getting ready phase of the day. Depending on who has the rings, you can photograph them with the bride’s shoes, necklace and other jewelry, or anything else that she has with her to incorporate into her day. If the guys have the rings, shooting them with cufflinks, the groom’s tie, an invitation, etc are some of the things that are usually handy.
Other times, I will grab the couple’s rings during the reception after the first dances, cake cutting, etc, while the bride and groom are partying with their guests. This allows me time to photograph the rings with decorative elements that they have chosen for their reception area. I like this time the best, because not only am I getting their rings on the first day of the rest of their lives, I am also capturing decorative elements that they took a lot of time to choose, put together and enjoy. This is where the memories are made.
Using the bride’s bouquet is a must for me, because she has taken a lot of time to pick out the perfect flowers for her, which a lot of times match her color scheme for the wedding. The mixture of colorful and white flowers also adds a nice contrast to set the rings into.
At a recent wedding, the flower girl threw fake maple leaves as she walked up the aisle. These had beautiful fall colors, so after the ceremony, I grabbed a few to use with the ring shots later. This is another aspect that I love about ring shots: How can I be creative in getting something I haven’t gotten before?
Ring shots add an element that is a must get when you’re telling the story of a couple’s wedding.