How to handle your wedding photographer?

It is still more common for a couple to want to get married for the first time in their lives. They can't be expected to know exactly what happens at a wedding that is about them. This is perfectly natural. But the following questions have prompted me to write a few lines on this subject. "Do we invite the photographer to the dinner? How is this usually done?"

Obviously, a wedding photographer cannot expect this in any case. What would it look like if the wedding package included a clause saying "my dinner is included!". The photographer is there to work, not to party. In many cases, the contract is only for the ceremony and the couple's photo shoot anyway. I also don't accept alcohol when offered or only very rarely in moderation - imagine a drunk photographer, what kind of pictures can he take? :)

But there's another side to it: the photographer is also human. He is not a machine that takes hundreds of template photos from a corner of the room. The relationship between the photographer and the subject is essential for the quality of the images and for the creativity of the photographer. My experience is that the better I manage to pick up the "vibe" of the celebrants, i.e. the better I assimilate with the bride and groom and the couple, the better the pictures I get. It's basically a matter of trust. Do I open up to the photographer so that he can capture it or not? Perhaps I have written a few times that I don't like very staged images. I am usually found by those who similarly require it. And the only people who can express themselves spontaneously are those who are not inhibited by the camera, who are not afraid that the photo will be bad, that the result will be "embarrassing"...

I've seen beginner photographers taking pictures of people eating with their mouths full, I don't think that's appropriate, I don't want pictures of myself pushing a big chicken leg in. Dinner is the part where you can recharge your batteries, erase a few bad pictures from the card to make room for more and if the newlyweds are kind enough to invite you to dinner, you can freshen up a bit and have a delicious meal after a day of creative work that demanded your full attention, until the best man comes with a toy or the wedding cake.