Planning / 3 min readThe Union in Frame journal
Speeches: when to hold them and how they photograph
Words by Union in Frame
Speeches can go before the meal, between courses, during drinks or after dinner. Deciding when they happen, where people stand and how long they last gives you better photographs, cleaner film sound and a room that is still listening at the end.
Choose a slot that suits the speakers
The traditional slot is after the meal, but nervous speakers often prefer to go first so they can eat and relax. Speeches before the meal suit them, as long as they run to time: the kitchen is waiting, and so are hungry guests.
Between courses works well with several speakers, because a break between each stops the energy sinking. Speeches during the drinks reception suit smaller, relaxed weddings, but guests drift and the noise climbs. Whatever you choose, agree it with the caterer so plates are not arriving mid-toast.
Put speakers where faces can be seen
Ask the venue where speakers will stand before the table plan is final. The simplest position is at the top table, or anywhere facing the whole room. The photographer can then work from the speaker's end and see guests' faces rather than the backs of their heads, with the couple's reactions a step away.
Avoid the middle of the room, where the speaker turns their back on half the guests, and a bright window behind them, which leaves faces dark. Leave a clear route to the top table and a steady spot for the film camera.
The reactions matter more than the speaker
A speaker at a microphone looks much the same in every frame. What changes is the room: a parent's face during the thank-yous, the couple laughing at a story they hoped nobody would tell, the friend who already knows the ending.
This is why a photographer moves during speeches rather than standing still. Expect them to work quietly along the edges and behind the top table. If you have two photographers, one can stay on the speaker and couple while the other watches the tables. Tell them who is likely to react most.
Give the film clean sound
Photographs forgive a noisy room; film does not. If you are having a wedding film, the speeches are the words you will want to hear again, and good sound is decided before the day.
Ask the venue what microphone and sound system it has, and pass that on to your filmmaker so they can plan to record from it or bring their own recorders. Ask speakers to use the microphone even in a small room. Keep speeches away from the bar and kitchen door, and ask staff to pause clearing until the last speaker sits down.
Keep them short enough to hold the room
As a guide, three speeches of five to seven minutes each will hold a room. Once the total runs much past twenty-five minutes, attention tends to drift, phones come out and the photographs show it. With more speakers, spread them between courses rather than running them back to back.
Give each speaker a time and tell them you mean it. Someone given six minutes usually writes a tighter speech than someone told to keep it short. Agree who introduces each speaker, and ask each one to end with a toast so the photographer and filmmaker know the moment is coming.
Want advice for your own date and venue? Tell us what you're planning
