IDEAS! Bright ideas for dark spaces - Part 1: At the Church

I just recently met with a couple who was concerned about getting good photos in their dark church.  This is a common concern of clients and photographers alike.  Most churches do not allow flash during the ceremony and most photographers agree that direct flash can be a harsh way to light a portrait.  So what do you do when the ceiling is dark, the spotlights dim and that maroon carpet makes it seem like more of a cave than a place of celebration?  Here are a few examples of how to find the light in those dark spaces.

Outside light from the open doors at the back
of the church light the bride and her father
while a slow shutter speed brightens the
dim lighting in the church.

One little ray of light was coming in from a
solitary high window so I placed the bride
and groom directly in it's path.

Who says you have to have your portraits
taken on the alter?  I took the bride and groom
up to the balcony where the only windows
were located.  Natural light fills the foreground
while tungsten light fills the dome.

Don't be afraid of the grain.  Sometimes a
high contrast backlit image can give a
beautiful sense of place.

Most churches have spotlights over the alter.  As long as you slow
down the shutter to bring in the ambient light, you shouldn't lose
the details in the background.