Arabic wedding photography... Plese help!

[MisticRed86]

Dear photographers,

I recently moved to Dubai where I'm trying to build my career as a fashion photographer before this I lived in Serbia where I was focused on exhibiting conceptual art photography.

I received job offer to shoot the Arabic wedding and since I'm not very experienced with this field of photography I would really appreciate any kind of advices from photographers that work with weddings especially the ones that are familiar with Middle east and Arabic culture.

I know that the smart thing would be to search someone with experience to be the lead photographer but unfortunately I was informed about the job bit late and I'm forced to exclude that option, also couple already saw my work, they like it and they want only me to do it.

In general I have solid knowledge of photography and I would just like to know what is exactly required from photographer on the wedding day and what are the Arabic wedding customs?

I would appreciate any kind of advice soooo much

Thank you

 

[amolitor]

You'll probably get a lot of feedback from the wedding people here on the technical details.

However, you should also consult with the clients in some detail over any religious issues. Islamic doctrine varies, but there may well be some very definite ideas about photography in play here. For instance, you may need to put special emphasis on photographs that DO NOT INCLUDE people, to capture the idea of the wedding in the objects of the wedding. You may in fact be asked not to photograph people at all, or you may need to pay special attention to people and avoid "silly" or "fun" shots, and so on. Anyways, consult with the client, and see if you can consult with any religious types who might be involved for specific guidance.

 

[Robin_Usagani]

It is all depend really. I have seen an arabic wedding where nobody can see the bride and they absolutely do not want a male photographer capturing the bride's photo. You just have to talk to your clients and figure out what is going on. Sometimes during the ceremony the bride and groom are not in the same room! Only males are allowed in the main area of the mosque and the women are in another room and they do the ceremony through a microphone and they dont see each other.

 

[o hey tyler]

It is all depend really. I have seen an arabic wedding where nobody can see the bride and they absolutely do not want a male photographer capturing the bride's photo. You just have to talk to your clients and figure out what is going on. Sometimes during the ceremony the bride and groom are not in the same room! Only males are allowed in the main area of the mosque and the women are in another room and they do the ceremony through a microphone and they dont see each other.

Worst.

Wedding.

Ever.

 

[amolitor]

On the up side, with modern cell phone technology you can get married WHILE RUNNING AWAY.

 

[KmH]

The vast majority of TPF's members are in the USA.

Consequently, don't get your hopes up as far as regarding getting many responses here regarding weddings as as they are done where you are.

 

[Mully]

You mean there is no Arabic Wedding Book...Hmm someone needs to write on

 

[Pukka312]

Just did my first Muslim wedding in Tanzania this weekend...actually did 2 and each were 2 day events. (yes, that = 4 consecutive days of weddings) One couple was Arabic. The ceremony was indeed separate for the bride and groom. Being female, I was not permitted to photograph at the mosque but I sent my husband to shoot that. The father of the bride stood in place of the bride and then the men came over to the bride's house to formally have the wedding license signed. Ironically, they beat the bride to the house because she was still finishing up hair and make-up during the actual ceremony. There wasn't much to photograph at the house other than some group shots.

The women then had a reception that same evening (not sure if this is the norm as my other Muslim wedding did not do this). That reception was around 500 guests, but weddings here are simply enormous, so again, may not be the norm there. The actual reception (with both the bride and groom's side) was held 2 days later and functioned relatively similar to other receptions.

I have heard from fellow photographers that some muslim weddings they were only allowed to take photos of guests that were near the bride, and that it was a no-no to take candids of random guests, especially women. I did not run into this issue with either of the 2 weddings I just covered. I did however have 1 or 2 guests duck out of the frame when they saw me...but I talked to the bride beforehand and she assured me everything was fair game. I had a younger, less traditional couple so I could snap a lot of the same shots that I would take at other weddings. Overall, I actually enjoyed the experience. Oh, and neither of my 2 couples had any formal shots between the ceremony and reception (I.e. no bridesmaids/groomsmen shots, no formal bridal shots or groom shots- but perhaps you should check with your couple)