Is there any single event in most people’s lives with more photographic documentation than their wedding? In the aptly named project “The Most Beautiful Day of My Life,” photographer Jean-Christian Bourcart combed through the remnants of outtakes collected from the studio where he had his first job as a wedding photographer.
Speaking with Bourcart via email, he shared his method for picking through the outtakes: “The ones that are funny, innocent, tragic, veering towards the fantastic. The ones that fluctuate between the depiction of happiness and the accidents of life; they all talk about the vicissitudes of the human condition.”
The studio Bourcart worked for in the 1980s photographed dozens of weddings each weekend in the suburbs of Paris. He described photographers working from start to finish, noting they “… covered the entire day: preparation at the house of the bride, civil ceremony, religious ceremony, pictures in the park, the couple alone, then with their guests. At that point we would drive to the lab, wait a few hours for pictures to be developed and printed in 8x10, then go back to the party to sell them. We would go back home at 3 or 4 a.m., pockets full of cash and checks. We would keep 20 percent of it.”
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Today, almost every moment at weddings is shared through social media since most guests use smartphones to capture and transmit events. However, a recent New York Times article mentioned the growing trend of “unplugged” weddings where the bride and groom insist guests relinquish smartphones for the duration of the wedding. No photos can be taken or posted by guests, putting the responsibility of documenting the wedding back in the hands of a professional photographer, placing greater importance on the role.
Bourcart addressed the pressures of being a wedding photographer:
“Being the photographer of a wedding is quite an interesting vantage point because you spend the entire day very close to the heart of the action, from the moment the couple gets dressed until late at night when everybody is drunk. You are a total stranger, but you are kind of a specialist, an official like the mayor or the priest, and you are constructing the memories of that day for the generations to come. It’s a big deal.”
Jean-Christian Bourcart is leading a workshop in Arles, France, in July for his non-wedding photography.
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Courtesy of Jean-Christian Bourcart
Read more from Slate’s Weddings special issue:
“Stop the Scourge of Wedding Presents: They’re outdated, inefficient, unfair, and unnecessary.” by Matthew Yglesias. Posted Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
“The Long Walk to the Altar: Prudie offers wedding advice on family estrangement, inappropriate toasts, and an extravagant bride, just in time for summer.” by Emily Yoffe. Posted Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
“My Big Fat Disney Wedding: I’m a tomboy, not a princess. Here’s why getting married at a huge theme park was a delightfully practical decision.” by Rachael Larimore. Posted Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
“This Is the Last Time I Will Ever See You: After every wedding, there is a dear friend who will immediately disappear from your life. And that’s OK.” by David Plotz. Posted on Wednesday, June 12, 2013.
“Click Here to RSVP: Online invites are now far better than paper. And yes, you should even use them for your wedding.” by Farhad Manjoo. Posted on Wednesday, June 12, 2013.
“How to Be a Better Best Man: Flirt with the mother of the bride, but don’t grind with her.” by Troy Patterson. Posted on Wednesday, June 12, 2013.
