Accreditation Seminar for Church Wedding Contractors Held in Bogo City

Wedding photographers, videographers, planners, florists, parish appointed wedding coordinators, and members of the Family and Life Apostolate gathered at the Parish of the Holy Family of Nazareth in La Paz, Bogo City for an accreditation seminar for church wedding coordinators. The session was held under the district-based program of the Archdiocese of Cebu for Far North Cebu, District VI.

Fr. Glenn Guanzon of the Archdiocesan Commission on Worship delivered the first and second conferences, Edson Marañon gave the pastoral reminders, and Fr. Japheth Geonzon, parish priest of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Lambusan, San Remigio, delivered the third. All three are named in the commission's published guidelines for church weddings.

The seminar gathered nearly everyone who has a hand in a church wedding.

Familiar faces from the Northern Cebu photography scene filled much of the room. Among those present were Christopher Damayo of iClick Photography and his team, Dee Quinopa of Dee Aerials, Harvin Kyle of Larawan, Rhajeev Torres of Wild Image and his team, Jarid Vill Oporto of J & E Creation and Photography, Tyrone Villafuerte of Tyrone Photography, Clark Canales Conde of Sir Clark's Diaries, John Rey Verdida of Digital Capture, and Joseph David Alolor of Jedoy's Photography.

The first part of the seminar dealt with the wedding itself: the sacrament of Marriage, the ceremony, and the meaning and proper timing of its symbols. It was a reminder that everyone working a church wedding is serving a liturgical celebration first, and that knowing the rite is as much a part of the job as knowing one's equipment.

The rest of the sessions turned to the guidelines proper.

For photographers and videographers, the practical points were familiar but firmly restated:

• Accreditation through the commission's catechesis seminar, with an identification card valid for three years
• Coordination with parish personnel well ahead of the date, from the parish priest and liturgist to the sacristan, wedding coordinator, and worship committee
• Arriving early for technical preparations
• Proper and decent attire fitting a prayer setting
• Remembering that the primary role is to worship together with the assembly, and only secondarily to take photos and video
• Coordinating with the parish wedding coordinator and the wedding planner on the prescribed arrangement of the entourage instead of inventing one
• Staying out of the sanctuary and the center aisle once the Mass begins, and remaining stationary at the side of the nave
• Limited movement during the more solemn moments of the liturgy, though photographers may move during the entrance procession, the marriage rite, the placing of the symbols at the Sanctus, and the couple's communion
• No extra lighting rigs, flashes, cables, or floor taping inside the church
• No tying audio recording into the church sound system or the priest
• Knowing the proper timing of the symbols, from the rings and arrhae within the marriage rite to the candles, veil, and yugal at the Sanctus and their removal at the Agnus Dei
• Holding back from directing the couple for photos in the quiet moment after communion, when they are given time to pray
• Never standing in anyone's view or preventing anyone from taking full part in the wedding
• Coordinating the duration and sequence of the pictorials after the Mass, keeping the style reverent, with no gag shots
• Leaving the church furnishings and its seasonal and symbolic elements in place
• Not posting, selling, or distributing photographs on church premises, especially when another Mass is to follow
• Reminding the couple that family and friends with cameras should also be informed of the guidelines

For planners, coordinators, and florists, the emphasis fell on working within the celebration rather than around it:

• Accepting that the order of the celebration is laid down in the liturgical books and cannot be changed by anyone, not the planner, not the couple, not even the priest
• Coordinating the prescribed arrangement of the entourage rather than choreographing a new one
• Leaving the church furnishings and its seasonal and symbolic elements in place
• Exercising prudence in the activities surrounding the wedding, from bridal parties to stag parties, even when these fall outside the Mass and outside the church
• Keeping reception activities and games within Christian moral values, so that nothing said or done offends the dignity of the couple, the entourage, or the guests, even for the sake of fun

The conferences closed on the same pastoral note that ends the printed guidelines: that those serving weddings be firm, honest, and sincere with their clients. Clear about what is permissible, honest about the limits of their expertise, and sincere in giving couples what the celebration actually needs. And, as printed at the end of every page: that in all things God be glorified.

After the speakers concluded, snacks and lunch were served, and the attendees had their photos taken for their accreditation identification cards. The IDs are expected to be available in two to three weeks' time. The accreditation is valid for three years, after which those who wish to continue working church weddings must attend the seminar again to renew it.