Has this EVER happened to you and what did you do?

[jstuedle]

I've vented my spleen in another thread on the subject. I have almost agreed to shadow a traditional film wedding shooter to give him a PJ style alternative to a January wedding. This will be the first in over 30 years, other than close family. Don't know if I'm up for it or not.

 

[zendianah]

Remind me that if I ever get into wedding photography to include an escape clause stating something to the effect:

"If I (the photographer) is in any way abused (verbally, physically) by the wedding party, I reserve the right to immediately leave the event and not return. No refund will be given. If any of my equipment is damaged by any member of the wedding party, they will either pay for repair or replacement of said equipment at my discretion."

And then of course if someone else damages the equipment and won't pay for it, you can always sue them in small claims court.

I like that clause!!

 

[Rock]

Wow. Reading this thread makes me never want to get into wedding photography. I have a friend who has been doing it for a while and he wants out for alot of the same kind of stuff......

 

[zendianah]

So, how did it end up?

I walked outside .. found a corner where I can center myself by meditating and asked for strength so that I do not kick this bitchs ass.

I have a bad temper so I was very proud that I didn't do anything that bad.. I was firm with her and she got the point.

The rest of the day went fine. I didn't take ring shots which I have staged at every wedding besides this Springer fest. The bride and groom questioned why I want to do this.. So I simply said.. thats ok... we won't and I walked away.....

I hope the pics turned out ok.. I thrive on emotion and this was not a very emotional time for anyone in the bridal party or guests.

 

[zendianah]

Wow. I have been VERY fortunate so far because I haven't dealt with anything remotely close to any of these stories. But, I'm sure the day will come. It kind of makes sense though because it seems like once you throw a bunch of family members together in a high stress situation like a wedding the bad side of people will come out.
Sorry you had to deal with that crap!

True... this is the only time this has happened.. but the average isnt that good.. this is my 12th wedding..

 

[MACollum]

Wow is all I can say! I'll might've freaked out and gone off. Try thinking back to your consultation and see if anything strikes you in hindsight. Then you may be able to weed out some of the crazies before you agree to shoot their wedding. I hope your next client isn't as much of a *****

 

[zendianah]

Wow is all I can say! I'll might've freaked out and gone off. Try thinking back to your consultation and see if anything strikes you in hindsight. Then you may be able to weed out some of the crazies before you agree to shoot their wedding. I hope your next client isn't as much of a *****

I am very good at that.. Only problem is that the bride lives in Minnesota and my partner works with the Brides mother. He never saw this crazy streak. The brides mother calls my partner the day of the wedding and says.. JUST MAKING SURE YOUR GOING TO BE THERE. I told my partner that this is not going to be good. If I would have met the mother I would have refused the wedding VERY quick. My partner works with her but doesnt see her much and didnt know that she was that high maintence...

I have a radar when it comes to people....

 

[zendianah]

Wow. Reading this thread makes me never want to get into wedding photography. I have a friend who has been doing it for a while and he wants out for alot of the same kind of stuff......

I do love it. I love the excitement the emotion.. Sometimes the emotion can be on the other side of the spectrum...

My speciality is circuit design in telecomunications so this is a nice change!

 

[Battou]

I have no input either, the only wedding I have done was boring as hell

 

[Mike_E]

LOLOLOL

Haven't any of you just started to snap away at the bad behavior until you were asked what you were doing? (if you haven't tried this, switch to jpg basic first )

You just tell them you are contracted to do X number of shots and give a realistic accounting of the day. How they want to be shown is up to them because you have already been paid. You'd be glad to back up and do them over if they would like and if not then next on the list is...

 

[shorty6049]

not all minnesotans are crazy like that... just so everyone knows! haha.. but yea, makes me glad i dont plan on doing weddings

 

[elsaspet]

Zen, that is awful!!!!! I've never had someone touch me or my equipment, but had they, I would have handled it EXACTLY as you did. I'm all about being happy go lucky, but no one is Fing with the equipment.

The worst that ever happened to me, was a bride I shot as a desperate plea to from her Mother.
Mom calls and she's a friend of one of my favorite clients. She begs me to help her out. Bridezilla daughter has fired TWO wedding photogs and the wedding is coming up and they can't find anyone. They are desperate.
I ask to look at the other photogs work. I tell Mom that the work (Both Engagement Shoots) is technically good, and don't understand the reasoning for the firings. (RED FLAG NUMBER ONE)
Mom tells me that the photog posed only and caught no emotion. So I say, ok, I'll give it a whirl.
Then Mom says that the photogs both kept the retainers and she has little money left....(RED FLAG NUMBER TWO). I cut her a small break, but tell her that it's shoot and burn only. No album. She tells me daughter REALLY wants an album (RED FLAG NUMBER THREE), but I stick to my guns and tell her I just won't do it with an album for the price.

So I go to the wedding. Bridezilla is just arriving and barking out orders. Screaming at Mom, Bride's Maids, and even the flower girls. Then, the worst tradgedy of all happened......something soooo horrific....one of the corners of her false eyelashes started coming loose! God Forbid! So she starts throwing stuff, and breaking stuff.
By now I've had it. I told her that I would be leaving the room until she got ahold of herself. And I left, for about 45 minutes.
When I came back, she was on her best behavior. I finished the wedding, and sent her the disc.

Then comes the call....."You only took photos from the back of the church, and the other angle only shows my face, not my husband's. I explain that there are two of us, so only two angles.
She asks why one of us shot from the back, when we SHOULD have been shooting from the side to hubby.
I explain that we would have missed recession/procession that way. She tells me that's my problem...LOL.
I further explain to her, that I had to sweet talk the priest to even get upfront at all, and that when I originally told her I was able to secure a spot up front, she (Bridezilla) had told me "No". She said it was about her, not me. (Wasn't so concerned with hubby in that statement, was she?) I explained that I would duck down and no one would see me.

But Bridezilla isn't budging. She's going onandonandonandon about not having hubby angle. (Even though he is clearly seen from rear angle.) So I ask her, "Ok, what is it that I can do to make you feel better?"

You guessed it, she wants the album.

After several insane e-mails and phone calls from her, several quite threatening, I told her I'd send her an album-just to get rid of her.

She keeps sending me referrals. LOLOLOLOL. Who sent you? Sorry, we are booked.

Mom wrote yesterday. She wants an album, and asked the cost. For her, it was $2000.

We now have "The Brisco Rule" in place. One RED FLAG, and you are outta there. NO DISCOUNTS. And we no longer accept brides who have fired prior wedding photogs.

But, I've only had one Zilla in three years, so I guess I'm doing ok.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

A question like this came up on another forum here, and this was my response.

First off, let me say that my hat goes off to wedding photographers.

I told someone once, that I had rather face down a raging rhino than face a bride and her mother on a wedding day.

Like a lot of people, I shot weddings when I first got into photography. I hated it from the beginning, but I was making decent money. The end came one day while I was showing a bride and her mother the proofs. and this had been a very difficult wedding to shoot, and they were arguing and bickering back and forth about the photos (it was enough to make your head explode) when I finally told the bride, "Look, in a couple of years, it probably won't matter because you'll be divorced by then and the photos will be in the trash." The bride started wailing and I thought her mom was going to kill me.

I never shot another wedding.

It takes a certain kind of personality to shoot weddings and that is why I admire those photographers so much.

 

[Sweetsomedays]

I think that clause is a good idea!

Takes a special breed to do weddings. The thought frightens me lol

 

[photographydame]

Since I am not a professional wedding photographer, I can only imagine. I have heard horror stories. I hope your equipment survived! I would have packed up and left myself.