Scott’s five steps for shooting small weddings

1 Focus on the guests

Timing is crucial. As we open up, some couples will still only have a smaller wedding as allowed by the restrictions, so the last thing you want to do is spend time photographing the wrong thing. After lockdown, focus on the human element of the day – family, people together, laughing and joking. Don’t forget this might be the first time family members have seen each other for over a year, so capture it all.

2 Stay versatile

Adapt your style to suit the wedding you are covering. I’m used to big, 150+ weddings, but I can’t take that attitude into a wedding with 30 people. There are fewer people to photograph so make sure you give each person an equal amount of coverage; look for the story within each family member, and make it part of the overall day.

3 Slow everything down

We are still on restricted numbers until June, so there is no need to rush about (yet) and photograph everything. Treat each wedding like a styled shoot. You’ve got time to capture and create something magical you wouldn’t have the time to do at a ‘normal’ wedding with ‘normal’ numbers. Craft something wonderful, like a family portrait or an iconic image of the bridal party.

4 Communicate with the couple

It is daunting at the best of times when a couple is getting married. Chances are they planned a big day in 2020, then had to reschedule twice and are now having 30 in their aunt’s garden in May. So they need to know it’s all going to be OK. Keep them in the conversation regarding your thoughts, plans and ideas for the photography.

5 Have some fun

This is probably the most important factor going into the 2021 wedding season. We’ve all been locked down at home, with minimal contact with anyone – so enjoy being back in the mix! Use a longer lens and interact with people; make them laugh and capture that laughter. Present images showing people out in the open, together and enjoying each other’s company. It’s going to be one heck of a party!