Towards the end of the wedding day, once the meal and the speeches have been completed, the lights are likely to go down. The music starts and the first dance takes place. Once this has finished, family and guests tend to join the couple on the dance floor. With the formalities of the day completed, everyone relaxes and the event takes on its own character.

This is normally the final opportunity for the photographer to capture images of the day, but the low light levels, combined with the constant activity and perhaps flashing disco lights, can be difficult to handle.Some photographers use flash to freeze movement, or work with slow-sync, rear-curtain flash to create dragged blur in their images. Others turn off their flashguns and work at very high ISO ratings with available light. Wonderful atmospheric images can be created using a very wide-angle lens, perhaps a fish-eye, and getting in among the dancers. A photographer can even get away with lying on the floor amid the dancers - the young among them are likely to act up to the camera for at least a few moments.

Star-burst or cross-screen filters can be worth a try for a couple of shots in this environment, but never overuse the effect. Also, try to incorporate the bride, or bride and groom in as many of the shots as possible. It is still their day!