Most photographers have a shot list — a must-capture catalog of photographs that each couple insists they have to remember their wedding day. And yet the unexpected moments are really what everyone hopes for.
“You always look for these rare moments. They don’t always happen, but when they do, it’s magic.”
— Andy Marcus, 70, an owner of Fred Marcus Studios, Manhattan
Mr. Marcus has been capturing wedding moments, sometimes 200 to 300 a year, for more than five decades. “An unexpected moment is a wonderful surprise, it’s unique and organic,” he said. “Everything comes together at once: the lighting, the composition and the visual. It contains emotion but tells a bigger story at the same time. Capturing one for me happens every 100 weddings or so.”
Here are 12 photos from 12 photographers who share their most unexpected moments while explaining what made them so special. There is nothing from a shot list. No step and repeat. No portraits. These are moments that happened when real life got in the way, and someone was there to document the unscripted and unplanned.
“The three women with the beautiful hats sat down in the last row of the ceremony, and as soon as they did, I was already on my way to capturing it. It portrayed the elegance of the day and gave the ceremony a whimsical but classy touch. If they had been sitting anywhere else, the photograph would have just been a usual image; sitting together it elevated it to another level. ”
— Andy Marcus
“We were looking to take photos in Bryant Park and the bride’s feet began to hurt. Her new husband chivalrously carried her on his back and I knew this would be an iconic moment. The two of them, moving forward in life together while the passers-by go about their day. To me, this photo is quintessential New York.”
— Dave Robbins, Brooklyn
“At this particular wedding this little kid stole the dance floor for about 30 seconds. I pushed through a couple of people to get a close, low angle. I wasn’t prepared for this moment, but fortunately I had on a wide enough lens to capture the whole scene. Besides his awesome moves, there was the varying expressions of the onlookers — everything from delight to disinterested. To me that’s part of what makes the whole shot come together.”
—Eli Turner, Washington
“This couple was pretty stiff all day so when I pulled them out to take some portraits during the reception dinner before the sun went down, I wasn’t expecting a ton of movement. The groom spun his bride and dipped her down toward me. This shot stands out because the moment is so pure and undirected.”
— Clark Brewer, Nashville
“I was able to capture this quiet moment, maybe an hour before the party was over, when the bride stepped away from mingling to be with her dying mother. The wedding was planned in a week because of the bride’s mother’s poor health. I rarely capture photos like this, and I imagine I won’t ever again.”
— Phillip Van Nostrand, Manhattan
“ I was outside about to take my couple off to shoot some portraits when this other bride, who was getting married in another ballroom, popped out to say, ‘Hi. I just wanted to say happy wedding day and tell you, you look so beautiful!’ They had a really nice sisterhood moment, and I grabbed the shot.”
— Julie Lippert, Boston
“This father of the bride was so overcome with emotion upon seeing his daughter as a bride on her wedding day that he leaned over, grabbed a curtain and wiped his tears. The bride laughed out loud and said, ‘Dad, we’re at the Ritz!’ Many fathers try to hold it in, but he was so in the moment. As a photographer, you’re always looking for this.”
—Perry Vaile, Charleston, N.C.
“This was shot in a parking lot while it was snowing. We were crossing from the ceremony to the reception site, in front of the valet booth with cars all around us. It was a cold, stormy, dark night, so we were trying to hurry. I saw the image in my head and asked the bride and groom to hold hands and hold still, then snapped just as a car pulled into my frame. This photo explains their connection and interaction and what the day and their life can be together.”
— Clane Gessel, Manhattan
“ I’m always looking for truthful moments where people are unguarded and the camera is invisible. I hadn’t caught what I was looking for that day, and I didn’t give up on the story yet, so I followed them to the subway and got on the G train with them, because they were going home. I was so focused on how they were body-wise, we were all in this bubble of post-marital bliss and this private display of affection in the midst of this public subway car. ”
— John Dolan, Manhattan
“I was taking my equipment out to do décor shots, and I leaned over the glass ledge to see the room. I was about 100 feet above the floor, and spotted the couple privately rehearsing their first dance and thought, ‘that’s the shot.’ This image tells the whole story: the location, the position of the couple, the lighting, the chemistry, this bird’s eye, voyeuristic angle during an important moment on a special day. If the whale wasn’t hanging above them, it wouldn’t have been the same shot.”
— Brian Marcus, Tenafly, N.J.
“A wedding is an emotional roller coaster. The party is the culmination of that ride, where everyone lets loose and forgets their inhibitions. The party was coming to a close and I noticed this flower girl face-planted and limbs sprawled out on the dance floor. Her gesture reminded me of how I feel at the end of every wedding, so I clicked the shutter. Only afterward did I notice the rainbow confetti and her matching dress, which is what ties this photo together.”
— Sasithon Pooviriyakul, Manhattan
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