Speaking as a Methodist minister – not a vicar – I have always tried my hardest to accommodate wedding photographers and speak to them before the service starts, to make sure things go well (Wedding photographer at centre of row with vicars calls for truce, 4 March). Nearly all have been responsive and cooperative, although I did have to walk away and count to 10 when a videographer, against my express warnings, pulled out the wiring on the PA system to improve his audio feed, thus rendering the service inaudible to half the congregation.
Like all Christians, I would condemn any bullying or demeaning behaviour, whoever it is directed against, and good communication is always key. The source of any disagreements between clergy and photographers, though, was perhaps neatly summed up by the photographer Rachel Roberts, whose petition led to the current debate, when she said: “They [clergy] basically forget the fact that two people are getting married … They put their own objectives and their own rules first”.
