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View Full Version : Wedding Photographers and Strange Couples


ian8limelight
30-12-2007, 03:50 PM
Had a bit of a recent strange one ..........

I was booked to do a Wedding Reception (7.30pm - 12midnight), and I had sent out our Wedding Questonnaire as normal. On its return, there were a couple of things that stood out.

1. Buffet at 7.30pm - the wedding breakfast was due to finish at 6.15pm with not a great amount of additonal evening guests.

2. Can you play the Birdie Song and Superman. These are normally 'no no's' for most B&G's but each to their own and I'm more than happy to accomodate (memories of past cruises !!) There were other additional requests as well.

I spoke to the Bride a week ago, and suggested that a 9.30pm buffet may be more appropriate (i.e. middle of the evening, wedding breakfast only recently finished, etc) but she was now adamant that it would be at 8.30pm. No problems with that I guess.

Anyway, arrive about 6pm to set up ............ wedding breakfast finishes at 7.20pm :eek:. Photographer comes over to me about 10 minutes later wanting to know if the first dance is going to be at 7.45pm as he wants to go home :bang: I explain that it takes about an hour or so to set up so, unfortunately, that won't be the case. Off he goes ........ but 15 mins later he's back, complaining that he's still tired and am I ready yet :bang: Politiely, I replied no but gave him a rough time of about 8.30pm (and that would be going some). Off he goes again and I now find out he's had a moan to the B&G about the start time of the first dance.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I'm ready by 8.30pm but have suggested that the buffet be moved to 9.30pm .... met with a negative response as is the alternative suggestion of doing the first dance straight after the buffet. So, we have the first dance followed straight away by the buffet, and I spend the next hour or so trying to get those who have wandered off to the bar with their food and drinks back into the function room :bang:

As for the requests - the Birdie Song and Superman went off well with the Bride (most important) plus about 10 other guests. The rest of the guests, for these and other tunes, wouldn't shift onto the dance floor until about 11.30pm ............. and then we finished with the normal chorus of "gives us one more" and "you've finished early !!" MMMMMMMMMMMM.:confused: :D
Solitaire Events Ltd
30-12-2007, 04:11 PM
Photographers and video guys really wind me up when they start going on about the fact that they want to get on with it when it's not even your fault that the function has over run.

I've had this a lot over the years. Why should we spoil the running order just 'cos they are tired and want to go home?
ian8limelight
30-12-2007, 04:16 PM
Photographers and video guys really wind me up when they start going on about the fact that they want to get on with it when it's not even your fault that the function has over run.

I've had this a lot over the years. Why should we spoil the running order just 'cos they are tired and want to go home?

..... And that's the $1million question. As we're normally the last professional of the day, which is normally running behind time, we're expected to make up the time; if we don't, then the criticism may well follow :bang: :eek:
DJWilson
30-12-2007, 04:24 PM
i would of dragged it out to teach him the meaning of patience
Corabar Entertainment
30-12-2007, 04:55 PM
...and that would have helped your service to the Bride and Groom.... how??? :confused:
djsteve10
30-12-2007, 04:58 PM
i would of dragged it out to teach him the meaning of patience

He isn't paying you tho.
Its the bride and groom that are paying you so just ignroe him and get the gear done as quick as you can.
DJWilson
30-12-2007, 04:58 PM
good point but if the bride and groom was eating (meal or something like that) then take your time because then your not in a bother and the photo man gets to learn patience
djsteve10
30-12-2007, 05:03 PM
yes bvut all the guests are waiting to get back into the room and get the disco started, you starting acting like a kid at someones weddings it going to make people reluctant to book you for their functions.
infinity disco uk
30-12-2007, 05:09 PM
Ahhhh the old "you started late so we expect you to play for longer" quote
http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0233.gif (http://www.videowhip.co.uk)
DJWilson
30-12-2007, 05:11 PM
i wouldnt do it near the end of the meal, only if it has just started
Solitaire Events Ltd
30-12-2007, 05:13 PM
I think you've missed the point of this completely.

If they were eating then the photographer wouldn't be asking you to hurry up.
DJWilson
30-12-2007, 05:18 PM
I think you've missed the point of this completely.

If they were eating then the photographer wouldn't be asking you to hurry up.


yeah thats something i didnt think of. well im out of this thread now:zip:
Excalibur
30-12-2007, 09:51 PM
yeah thats something i didnt think of. well im out of this thread now:zip:

Insert your witty rejoinder of choice here.;)
theoloyla
31-12-2007, 02:43 PM
Just one of the joys of doing weddings.
Dragonfly
01-01-2008, 10:38 AM
Photographers and video guys really wind me up when they start going on about the fact that they want to get on with it when it's not even your fault that the function has over run.

I've had this a lot over the years. Why should we spoil the running order just 'cos they are tired and want to go home?

Indeed they get paid around 2k for a days work some of them .... quit your whinging ,

now please dont shoot me here as its just an opinion these guys carry 2 cameras around for 10 hours and get paid huge amounts ,

now we used to get on these forums that well the photographer gets 2k and we get 150 quid how badly done to we are, but I always considered photography as a very skilled art , angles ,lenses , lighting ,developing etc etc. so have not joined in this debate.

but ....................................


surely now with the digital age and all the computer software available to them it has made this job a whole heap easier than it once was as instead of reems of film without knowing if the shot is right or not you can take pictures plug into a laptop have a look and retake if its not right?? and just delete mistakes and shoot again ............. I may totally mis understand and be over simplifying things for which im very sorry if I am but I do feel that the job isnt what it was ???

yes the same can be said for us as DJs with not having to hump 18 record cases around anymore but we still need he skill of knowing what to play when , when to use the mic , what to say when we do and deal with everyone when they are drunk and tired because some muppet has made them stand in the rain in December on some steps smiling for 20 minutes while he takes photos.....

To be honest Ive never had a problem yet??? but as those who have seen me in action know i'm an all out guns blazing type of guy , try and get people up from the off so to speak so the photographer has usually got the shots he wants by the 6th or 7th track.

not to go off topic though all of the above considered

quit moaning , yes we all get tired , at the end of the day take the camera from round your neck rest it on a table and take all that weight of your legs for a minute ....... don't do whingers..... Ive got one she's 7 but you can't send a photographer to his room for 15 minutes sadly :D :D :D :D
PropellerHeadCase
01-01-2008, 10:02 PM
I don't know if it's the case in the UK, but the videographer/photographer types will often (not always) help themselves to the buffet regardless of whether provision has been made for them or not... RUDE!
rob1963
01-01-2008, 11:43 PM
Photographers and video guys really wind me up when they start going on about the fact that they want to get on with it when it's not even your fault that the function has over run.


Absolutely!

If they are wedding professionals, they will be aware that weddings usually run late and they will therefore probably have to stay longer than expected.

...and bearing in mind what they earn, I don't understand why that's a problem!