The exchange of the wedding rings is an extremely significant moment of the wedding day, but it can also be quite a challenging part of the day to photograph. Let’s set aside the fact that sometimes wedding photographers are not even allowed to stand up the front during the ceremony, there are other obstacles to contend with here; how the couple are standing, how they pick up the rings, how they place them, etc. The way in which a bride or groom actually holds the ring can determine whether it’s even visible to the photographer to capture. For me, another factor is my desire as a documentary wedding photographer to always remain discreet and never interrupt these wonderfully intimate moments. I’m not the sort of photographer who’ll jump right in the middle and put my camera 30cm from the couples hands. During this recent wedding at Clandon Park I positioned myself at the front for much of the ceremony, stood to one side facing the bride as I often do. There was a little room to manoeuvre so during the exchange of the wedding rings I managed to inch round a bit behind the couple and find a clear angle for the ring exchange. I took a sequence here but this was the one shot that summed it up for me. The bride finishing the ritual by placing the ring on her new husband’s finger, her own ring already placed and in full view here. Two rings, one union. I’d love to hear your own thoughts on this part of the day in the comments section below. For photographers: Taken with a Canon 5D Mark III and 85mm f/1.8 at f/4, 1/125s, 3200 ISO.