So much about a wedding is in the details. Brides know it and so do the photographers. This past weekend I had the opportunity to see what this was like first hand when my friend and co-worker Rebecca graciously allowed me to tag along as she got ready for her special day. She had hired a professional photographer, so I was very careful not to get in the way–perhaps a bit too careful as at the end of the day, I thought I should have gotten so many more shots and wanted to do it all over again.

The first image was taken at the salon where the girls met early in the day to get ready. Rebecca was touching up her nails with Opi’s Pompeii Purple (yes those details are important!) while members of the bridal party were getting their hair done. Jill, the bride’s sister, had the groom’s ring with her so I stole it for a few minutes to get this shot of the rings. After the wedding ceremony I made a quick trip to the reception venue where I took the next two images. Since there was only one wedding photographer, he was not able to get shots of the reception tent before everyone arrived so Rebecca asked me to pop in and take a few photos. The tin of mints have a special place in our hearts as Rebecca had many dreams about them (and at least one nightmare) while she waited from them to arrive in the mail. I’d make jokes when I saw her at work in the morning but after a few bumps on the road after they arrived, they made for perfect wedding favours.

For the weekend, I rented the AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8. At C$35 for the entire weekend, it was a steal. This lens is often recommended for weddings by pros like Scott Kelby and Kevin Focht and from the way it performed, I can see why. It’s fabulous in low light but more importantly for knocking out the background to isolate the details that are such an important part of a wedding. I also used my AF Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 to do some close-ups and it too was great for these same reasons. I’d really like to buy the 70-200mm f/2.8 but am of two minds. In my research the lens comes up highly recommended but more recent reviews are saying it’s time for Nikon to replace it. The replacement will be more expensive and at C$2,000 it is already quite pricey. On the other hand if a new lens does come out, it will probably be better technically.

As an aside, I sat beside the official photographer at the reception and naturally we chatted about cameras. He shoots with a D200 and the AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5. I can see why he would choose a lens with this range if shooting with one camera as I sometimes found it challenging to switch between the zoom and the wide angle. For me, the jury is still out. I’d like to see the difference in the images between the f/2.8 and the f/3.5 lenses before declaring a winning strategy. Tune in tomorrow for Part Two!