Setting the Stage at Your Wedding
Maybe no one’s having a big fat desi wedding right now, but if you’re still in the planning stages for your South Asian events, I’ve got some ideas for ya! After more than a decade of photographing mehndis, holuds, rukhsathis, walimas, and any other events where couples sit on decorated stages like subjects in a picture frame, I can suggest a few tips to make those photos - both candids and portraits - the best they can be.
When you meet with your decorator and see their options, you’ll be considering aspects such as color, lighting, backdrop, stage elements and more. Here are some things to think about in each of those categories:
Colors: Think about how your wedding dress and your partner’s outfit will best stand out against the colors of the stage - dark colors will set off a lighter outfit and vice versa; light background with elements of your dress’ color, such as floral edging or contrasting draping, will make for gorgeous portraits. A too-busy backdrop might detract from the glory of your dress, but a tastefully decorated stage will complement your outfit just right. If it’s going to be colorful, as for a mehndi or holud stage, then keeping it simple in the right places can make for a gorgeous backdrop.
Lighting: Uplighting or mini-chandeliers add dimension and drama to your stage backdrop, but without the proper lighting in the room, it can also make it very difficult for guests and family to get photos of people on stage - either faces are too dark and shadowed, or the lighting in the backdrop is blown out and loses detail. Too-harsh uplighting can blow out the details in stage florals, too. Direct stage lighting from the ceiling or spotlights can also create harsh or too-yellow light on faces and sharp shadows. Try to keep uplighting soft, neutral and minimal, and any light directed onto the stage diffuse and even - avoid spotlights or flashing lights from the back of the room that can blow out details or add garish colors during the most important moments.
Backdrops: Think about the photos you want when choosing a backdrop design - carefully designed bold lines allow for beautiful symmetrical framing, and soft draping helps keep attention on the glittering details of the couple and other subjects. Floral wall backdrops are always lovely - make sure the colors and shapes chosen complement your other elements without drawing attention away from the subjects. If your event doesn’t require a stage, you might even have only a decorated backdrop with a couch in front!
Stage elements: Mandaps can be stunning, but make sure there is enough space on either side of the couple’s couch to allow for large groups of guests to stand for portraits, if that will be important to you. Also with mandaps, try to keep the top elements open to allow for light and reduce shadowing in stage portraits.
When deciding on flower arrangements, pillars and other standing elements on stage, keep in mind where people will be standing and walking and posing, so that these elements don’t block people or make it hard for them to walk on, off and across the stage - or risk getting knocked over (yes, this has happened!).
Think about spacing side chairs, ideally so that there’s a small gap between the couch and chair so that people can stand in that gap - beware of too-large gaps that make things look too spaced-out or empty.
And while small tables and other elements placed in front of the couple’s couch can look lovely when first set up, once the subjects are seated, these elements can block the view of the couple’s outfits. If the stage is particularly elevated, when they are seated, this can hide even more of the couple as the photographer’s perspective is lower than they are. I personally prefer not to have anything in front of the couple on stage, but if you do have anything there - especially at a mehndi, when you have sweets, henna, and other decor to keep at hand - try to keep it small and low, and move out of the way if possible when it’s time for group portraits.
Around the stage: The stage is intended to be a backdrop for not only the couple and any wedding rituals that take place, but also for group shots. So it’s vital to keep the space directly in front of the stage clear - the further out, the better. Photographers have to stand in front of the stage, in the exact center, and from some distance in order to take the best group portraits, so that all the symmetrical beauty of the decor is included and the perspective on the subjects is not distorted by a slanted direction or extra-wide angle; this is hard to do if there are tables placed anywhere in front of the stage. Keep that space clear so that your stage group shots come out beautifully even!
Whatever your event is, and your choices of color, lighting and stage elements, I always bring my own lighting to make sure subjects on the stage are well-lit. Let’s chat about capturing all the details that will set the backdrop for your wedding day!