Re: What do you think is the best tripod location in a church?

Yes, particularly for a single-camera shoot, you HAVE to come to scout out the rehearsal, so you can check the angles you want to shoot and see what the staging of the participants in the altar area is going to be like, where you can plant mics or get additional audio off the PA system, etc. Zero hour on the Big Day is too late to find out the third groomsman is going to be blocking your only shot of the vows, that the church wireless is on your same frequency, or that the minister has a rule about where you can and cannot be. Everyone is going to see and get used to the fact of where you intend to plant the camera, so bring at least your sticks with you and plant them where you want to be shooting, and see if everyone is okay with that. The atmosphere at the rehersal is relaxed and open; if you have issues or questions, people can work it out... but on the Big Day, emotions run rampant, nobody will know anything, nobody will be available when needed, nobody will have the time to find something out or do some last-minute errand, all brain cells of everybody involved will be tied up with the event itself, and if you wind up needing some special help then, well you are SOL. When you shoot single-camera, you can't rely on a lot of cutaway to save you if things go wrong. So to keep Murphy off the guest list, better go to the practice, is what I advise. You don't have to stay all night, an hour or less will do it.

You have a chance at the rehearsal to clear up any hidden "gotchas" about position, lighting, house rules, etc. and at that point you have the best chance of getting something changed if it is going to be a problem. You'll also get to see and I.D. most of the key members of the wedding party, including the grandparents, etc. and the lady that is paying you, usually the MOTB. And while you're right that you can work things out with a minister or etc over the phone, there is no substitute for in-person relating and discussion. People can picture things wrong in their minds while talking on the phone. Descriptions can be imprecise regarding light levels, access to AC power and PA system, distances, access doors, etc. Better to really scout it at the rehearsal, I say.

One of the reasons I no longer do weddings is the emotional toll on me, the worry and triple-checking and backup planning to make sure I didn't mess up was very draining, as if it was my own wedding, every time. Like they say in news, "the barn only burns down one time", so you have to get it right the first time, every time. What some think is being over-prepared is me just giving the job the attention to detail it deserves, to give the results the client and I expect. It is that kind of effort that distinguishes a single-camera job by a pro from Uncle Charley and his home movies.

That's in no way meant to be a knock on how you pre-paln or how you choose to do your multicam work. But I would opine that a multicam job by it's nature gives you a little more insurance of getting the thing done, just because you've got more angles to play with. Me, if I stop rolling, I have to "edit-in-camera" and always plan my start-stop choices, composition, and timing so the original tape will view just fine without any editing needed.