wedding wear?

[OceanRider]

what would a photographer wear to shoot a wedding.? I am having trouble deciding?

Any idea?

Joel

[robertwgross]

I've seen photographers wearing just about everything at a wedding. The photographer is a worker, not a guest and not a member of the wedding party.

I generally wear khaki trousers, a white shirt, and a khaki photographer's vest. A friend of mine wears black trousers, a black shirt, and a black photographer's vest. Black makes some kind of statement, but it gets hot in the summer.

---Bob Gross---

[Benedictine]

Because I am old fashioned I would wear a suit if the wedding was in a church—nothing to do with the wedding, but a lot to do with church!

[TSEE]

There's no options for us chicks out there. ;oP
I'd stick with a nice pair of pants and a nice shirt, the happy medium unless the bride and groom had something specific requested.
At the 2 I covered so far I wore dress pants and a nice top, my bad at the last one was that I didn't use comfy shoes. ;oP My camera bag was laying where I could keep an eye on it while it was still out of view of the guests, nothing in pockets, that looks bad.

[pdrow]

Much to the chagrin of my children, I wear a fanny pack with nice slacks and top. The pack is not bulky as it was designed as cd player case. It has little pockets that are just right for flash cards. It also will hold either lens allowing me to switch where I stand. I saw a sequined one I think I will buy so the next time the kids give me a hard time, I'll wear my dressy one. :)
pam

[Wilt]

If the wedding is more traditional, I don't dress in a black tux similar to the groomsmen, but for daylight weddings I wear the 'morning suit' (gray pinstipe). If the wedding is more contemporary (pastel tux), I'll wear a nice sportcoat and slacks. The point is to look like 'more than just a guest' and more than 'just the hired catering help' , but to appear to be 'part of the official party' and almost in the status of the immediate family...If I am paid lots to shoot the wedding, other guests will know so that they see me, and will make way for me more readily when I need to get in for a quick shot. If fact, on several occasions I have been invited to sit at the table with other members of the family and be fed with them, rather than merely being fed with the kitchen help!

[robertwgross]

Much to the chagrin of my children, I wear a fanny pack with nice slacks and top.

We need to take this moment to translate that out of Texan for our British forum members. Fanny pack = Bum pack (often worn in front as a "Kangaroo Pouch).

---Bob Gross---

[Wilt]

I think that one thing that didn't get stated is that the clothes worn is DEPENDENT UPON THE NORMLS OF THE AREA! I live in a major metropolitan area. I would not expect to wear the same fancy clothes as seen in Boston or San Francisco in Wyoming or Texas!

[Harry Settle]

In my area:

At the best wedding I have shot or attended most of the guests aren't dressed appropriately for the occasion.

The good photogs are wearing slacks, shirt and tie, suit coat (optional). The ones that most of us would consider unprofessional in conduct were dressed in polo shirt, jeans, tennis shoes. To me, the guys that are wearing a tux look more out of place than the guy wearing shorts and a basketball jersey.

[Streetshooter]

I wear a suit to all weddings and events unless it calls for a tux. It's about being a pro and acting the part. I don't care what anyone else wears, I dress as a pro and then of course I'm always treated like one too.....Years ago, I did the Presidential summit here in Philly and even the 5 presidents were dressed casual, but I wore a suit anyway and was complemented how professional I came across. Tipper Gore thought that I was the best dressed man at the event including the presidents, mayor, govenor etc and she asked my why I dressed so formally. I told her that I was paying respect to the 5 presidents and was just being an American pro photographer....Man, I got soooo much work from that event, in fact, I still do....don

[CyberPet]

I wear comfortable but yet stylish clothes, no skirt, but nicer "dress pants" for ladies. My mentor (who's a professional wedding photographer) has two suits he uses, one tanned in the summer and a darker in the winter.

[robertwgross]

One photographer that I know shoots events such as weddings at a moderately fashionable resort in a national park. He is the "on call" photographer, even though he lives most of 100 miles away. Anyway, he is a big fan of western history, like from the period of 1870-1890 when the early photographers rode around shooting the early landscapes, and weddings too, I suppose. He uses an 8x10 view camera, much the same as the early photographers might have used. So, he dresses the part for weddings. He wears western clothing including the old "duster" coat, the western hat, boots, etc. He gets into the whole persona as the oldtime wedding photographer.

---Bob Gross---

[Ronald S. Jr.]

I personally wear comfortable shirt, tie, and suit pants. No jacket...it's just too hot. However, at my brother's wedding, the photog was 3 times as expensive as me, and he wore an old, worn polo shirt, brown pants, and some kind of loafers. Good thing his work was incredible..

[tim]

Tidy casual is what I wear, not jeans, but not a suit either. You'd destroy too many clothes laying down, climbing over things, etc.